Seedance zombie video: which model to use for the zombie trend

The four models, side by side

Credits are for a 12-second clip. Other lengths scale in proportion and round up to a whole credit, and every format (9:16, 16:9, 1:1) costs the same.

For scale: 10 credits is one standard video, which costs $6.99 in the smallest pack and $2.83 in the Crew Pack. Live render times per model, from our own logs, are on the stats page.

Which model for which video

• Posting to TikTok, Reels or Shorts: Standard at 720p. The apps re-encode uploads, so the jump to 1080p is hard to see on a phone. 10 credits for 12 seconds.
• Testing photos cheaply: Standard at 480p, 5 credits for 12 seconds or 3 for 5. Good for checking that a face holds before you spend more.
• A sharper vertical clip: Fast at 720p, 17 credits.
• YouTube, a wedding slideshow or a TV: Pro at 1080p in 16:9, 50 credits.
• The best version you can get: Ultra (Seedance 2.5) at 1080p, 93 credits. Worth it for a one-off gift, not for testing.

We publish one sample per scene, all made on the Standard model, and no side-by-side renders of the same photos across models. Choose by resolution and budget; the scene prompt is identical on every model.

What stays the same on every model

• The same scene prompt and beat timings (see the full prompt).
• Two reference photos: the survivor and the one who turns.
• An original instrumental soundtrack generated with the video. No dialogue.
• Lengths 5–15 seconds and formats 9:16 / 16:9 / 1:1.
• Automatic moderation of photos and output, and automatic refunds for failed renders.
• No watermark.

Seedance vs other video models for this trend

The trend needs three things: two faces that stay recognizable, a hard cut between two very different settings, and sound. Seedance accepts multiple reference images and generates audio together with the picture, which is why we built on it. Other models (Kling, Veo, Runway, Pika and others) can make the trend too; how well depends on how many reference photos they accept and whether they generate sound. We have not run our prompt on them, so we do not rank them.

For a broader, dated look at the tools people use for this trend, see best zombie love story AI generators.

Resolution, format and length

Model is only one of four choices, and the other three change the result as much. Resolution sets sharpness and cost; format sets where the clip fits; length sets how much of the story you get.

• 480p is a preview. Faces are recognizable but soft. Use it to check a pair of photos before a final render.
• 720p is the default and the right choice for phones. It is the highest resolution the Standard and Fast models offer.
• 1080p is for big screens. Only Pro (Seedance 2.0) and Ultra (Seedance 2.5) offer it, and it costs roughly two and a half times as much as 720p on the same model.
• 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts; 16:9 for YouTube and TVs; 1:1 for feeds. All three cost the same.
• 12 seconds fits the whole love story. Shorter clips skip the sunset; 15 seconds gives every beat a little more room and costs 15/12 of the 12-second price, rounded up to a whole credit.

Cost examples