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Emotion as behaviour

Acting that reads as real instead of a generated face pulling an expression.

Use when: Every prompt with a person showing a feeling.

Shown with: Sadness. Clip by Emotion Direction, shown with permission.

Prompt instructions

Scene: [your subject] in [your setting]. Shot 1 (0:00 to 0:05): describe one body part per beat with a trigger: at the sound of the door her smile drops and her shoulders go still

Seedance 2.5 reads labelled blocks with timecodes.

SubjectSetting

Say it like this

Describe one body part per beat with a trigger: at the sound of the door her smile drops and her shoulders go still.

Watch out

Never write he is sad. Write the eyes, the jaw, the breath, with the moment that causes it.practitioner: Dan Kieft via Director Chair field notes on video prompting
Never ask for a smile or for an emotion by name; describe the muscles. Asked-for smiles come back generated and forced.measured: Director Chair field notes on video prompting (client feedback, Aug 2026)

Faces that look calm and real instead of generated and forced.No default smilePrompt

Quiet hurt that asks for empathy.SadnessPrompt

Sources

Rules from Director Chair field notes on video prompting Checked 2026-10-13.

Emotion Direction: a clip of this emotion performed in Seedance 2.5 (link only)

For agents: this card as markdown, as JSON.