The Master Guide / 15 Genres · Story and comedy
Emotional and human story
Real people doing simple things, a camera close enough to catch them, and the release held to the end.
Real people doing simple things, a camera close enough to catch them, and the release held to the end.
Casting [proven]: real people, or actors directed in a documentary way. Scripted material carries truth when it is staged as if observed. Meet the people first and learn what is culturally typical for them. Give simple everyday tasks, not emotions to play, and tell performers what the moment means. The key reaction is cut against its pair, what she sees or hears, so the face needs only one small task.
Wardrobe and art direction [best available, not yet validated]: real, lived-in homes not dressed for an ad, with culturally specific detail, and clothes that look owned and worn.
Camera [proven]: close, handheld, slightly imperfect and near the person. It walks with them, rises as they stand and swings to whoever speaks. Use composed frames where the story needs structure. A visible dolly makes a scene feel produced.
Light [proven]: available or natural light that the location motivates. Plan around one specific light, and expose slightly under. Grain is added in finishing.
Edit and sound: cut slower and hold longer. Held silence adds weight, and the release is withheld until the end. Keep the score restrained: over-sentimental music is the named failure. Real ambience and silence carry much of the emotion.
Product hero: late and small.
Confidence: high for the craft, and medium for its translation to generated shots.
Seedance levers:
dosed handheld that travels or breathes (see Camera and lens → The camera dose);
a silent wide before a line where geography matters;
one contact (a hug, a hand on a shoulder) per generation.
Biggest risk: glassy stares, and drift so small it reads as static.
Watch for in your takes: glassy stares and frozen faces, a camera drift so small it renders as a still, and contact (a hug, a hand on a shoulder) that breaks in a wide shot.