Seedance 2.5 slashes prices for its AI video gacha feature: users can try a 480P version first, and only pay for the 1080P output if satisfied.

Beating AI Express News: ByteDance has launched a Draft (rough cut) mode for the Seedance 2.5 API. Users can first generate a low-cost rough cut in 480P to confirm composition, actions, dialogue, and camera work; once satisfied, they can convert the selected rough cut into a 1080P final video. Jimeng has also integrated Seedance 2.5 (Draft Mode). This differs from the common approach of testing prompts in low resolution before re-generating high resolution with the same prompt. When generating 1080P, the model links to the original rough cut ID, reuses parameters including prompts, reference assets, seed, aspect ratio, and duration for re-inference, aiming to retain the original structure, composition, and actions as much as possible. Local textures, small text, and crowd count may still change, so it is neither a frame-by-frame replication nor a simple 480P upscaling to 1080P. Official calculations show that for a 5-second 1080P video (excluding video input), if users need an average of 4 generations to get a satisfactory result, Draft mode cuts costs by 57% and boosts overall generation speed by nearly double. If 20 generations are required to select a desired clip, cost savings can reach up to 77%. A similar Draft mode was previously available in Seedance 1.5 Pro. This update integrates the low-cost trial-and-error workflow into Seedance 2.5, enabling selected rough cuts to be converted into corresponding 1080P final videos. The most costly part of AI video generation is often the repeated trial runs, and this feature specifically targets reducing those expenses.