Recreating the AI Gas Station Trend with Seedance 2.5 (No Car Needed) (2026)

Complete step-by-step walkthrough

Original TECH4SSD tutorial and reference media

Tools

• Seedance 2.5 (any platform that offers it, e.g. Luma)
• Nano Banana (image generation)
• Pinterest (references)

Before you begin

• A clear photo set of yourself for a character sheet
• The trend video you want to copy (the motion reference)
• Optional: photos of your pet

1. Watch the result (and download the footage)

This is the clip this guide produces: a daytime Shell station on a coastal road, a lime-green supercar, the glowing 2 then 24 card reveal, and a knight kitten with a sword, all following the original trend's motion and timing. Download it to study the shot order before you generate your own.

Open reference video

2. Save your car and location references

Go to Pinterest and save two things: the car you want and the location you want (a gas station, a coastal road, a desert highway). Clean, well-lit, front three-quarter shots work best. You don't need to own the car: the model only needs a clear reference.

Tip: Pick a daytime location if you want a clean, premium look; the original trend is shot at dusk.

3. No clean car photo? Generate one with Nano Banana

If your saved car photo has busy backgrounds, people or logos, generate a clean studio version with Nano Banana. A single car filling the frame on a plain background gives Seedance the clearest reference.

Exact prompt

Clean studio product photograph, landscape 16:9, the car fills most of the frame: a sleek modern mid-engine hypercar in glossy lime-green with gloss-black carbon-fibre accents, black forged wheels and a rear wing, three-quarter front view on a seamless light-grey studio floor, soft overhead light, perfect reflections. Completely de-badged: no brand logos, no emblems, no text, no license plate. Photoreal, 8K, car-configurator quality.

4. Make a character sheet of yourself (and your pet)

Create a character sheet so your face stays the same in every shot: full body front view, neutral and smiling headshots, three-quarter view, side profile, and close-up details (eyes, nose, hair, accessories) on a plain white background. Bringing your pet? Make a sheet for them too, plus a costume sheet if you want the knight look (silver armour, cream cape, sword).

Tip: The more consistent your sheet, the less the model drifts. Keep the same outfit in every panel.

5. Make the "24" cards

The trend's signature beat is two glowing playing cards: the 2 appears alone first, then the 4 fans out beside it. Generate a clean, front-facing product shot of both cards in your own colours so the model gets the numbers right.

Exact prompt

Clean product photograph of TWO playing cards lying side by side, perfectly flat and front-facing, on a dark charcoal studio surface with soft top light. Matte black cards with rounded corners and a thin brushed-silver inner border. LEFT card: a huge glowing number 2 in the centre made of faceted lime-green crystal with a bright inner glow and light bloom, small silver corner index '2' with a tiny star top-left and the same rotated bottom-right. RIGHT card: a huge glowing number 4 in the same lime-green crystal style, small silver corner index '4' with a tiny star top-left and rotated bottom-right. The numbers 2 and 4 must be large, crisp, correct and unmistakable. Photoreal, 8K, macro sharpness. No other text.

6. Upload everything to Seedance 2.5

Open any website that gives you access to Seedance 2.5 and choose the reference mode. Upload in this order so the tags in the prompt match: @image1 = your character sheet @image2 = your pet's character sheet @image3 = your pet's knight costume sheet @image4 = the car @image5 = the location @image6 = the 24 cards @video1 = the trend video you want to copy (motion reference)

• Character sheet uploaded as @image1
• Trend video uploaded as @video1
• All 6 images in the right order

7. Paste the prompt, match duration and aspect ratio, generate

Paste the full prompt below. Set the duration to match the trend video (about 22-23 seconds) and set the aspect ratio: 9:16 for Reels and TikTok, or 16:9 to match the original. Then hit generate. If you skip the pet, delete the PET section and @image2/@image3; if you use your own colours, update the CAR and LOCATION descriptions.

Exact prompt

# CINEMATIC "24" SHELL STATION SCENE: IDENTITY, PET, CAR, CARDS AND LOCATION REPLACEMENT

INPUTS:
@video1 = motion / structural / camera / timing reference
@image1 = MAIN CHARACTER identity reference (character sheet)
@image2 = PET identity reference (pet character sheet)
@image3 = PET costume reference: pet as a knight (knight sheet)
@image4 = CAR reference
@image5 = LOCATION reference
@image6 = CARDS reference: the two "24" cards

GLOBAL RULE:
@video1 controls ONLY motion, shot order, timing, camera movement, framing and performance.
Everything you SEE is replaced:
the man → @image1
the kitten → @image2 wearing the outfit from @image3
the crystal car → @image4
the two cards → @image6
the night desert station → @image5 in bright daytime

Treat every reference as a fixed identity token.
Keep each one identical in every shot, from the first frame to the last.


MAIN CHARACTER:

Replace the man completely with @image1.

Maintain @image1's exact:
face,
eyes and eyebrows,
skin tone,
hair,
body proportions,
clothing,
footwear,
and accessories

throughout the entire sequence.

@video1 controls his:
selfie framing,
talking gestures,
head turns,
card raise,
card toss,
leaning pose,
arms crossed,
timing,
and camera relationship.


THE "24" CARDS (CRITICAL):

The two cards must look EXACTLY like @image6:
matte black playing cards,
thin brushed-silver border,
LEFT card = a large glowing number 2,
RIGHT card = a large glowing number 4,
both numbers made of faceted crystal with a bright inner glow,
small silver corner indices with a tiny star.

CARD REVEAL ORDER (follow @video1 exactly, beat by beat):
Beat 1: he raises ONE card only, the "2" card, close to the lens. The 4 card is hidden directly behind it, so ONLY the glowing 2 is visible.
Beat 2: a moment later he slides the second card out from behind the first, fanning them to the right, revealing the glowing 4 next to the 2.
Beat 3: both cards held up together, reading "2 4".
The 2 must ALWAYS appear first, alone. Never show both cards at the same moment they enter the frame.
The numbers face the camera, sharp, correct and unmistakable: the 2 on the left, the 4 on the right.
The crystal glow is visible even in daylight and reflects softly on his fingers.
He drops them away and later tosses them over his shoulder exactly when @video1 does.

Do NOT change the numbers.
Do NOT mirror the numbers.
Do NOT add other cards, letters or symbols.


PET:

Replace the kitten completely with @image2.

Maintain the pet's exact:
fur colour and markings,
eye colour,
face shape,
ear shape,
and size.

The pet wears the knight outfit from @image3:
polished silver engraved plate armour,
flowing cream cape,
long silver sword held upright in both front paws.

The pet stands on its hind legs exactly where the kitten stands in @video1.
Its face stays fully visible and recognisable in every shot.
Its fur moves naturally in the breeze; the cape moves with its steps.

Do NOT turn it into a different animal.
Do NOT change its fur colour or markings.
Do NOT make it cartoonish: it is a real pet in a real, well-fitted costume.


CAR:

Replace the crystal car completely with @image4.

Maintain the car's exact:
body shape,
paint colour,
carbon-fibre accents,
wheels,
rear wing,
headlights,
and proportions.

No brand logos.
No badges.
No license plate text.
No underglow lights.

The car appears behind him at the same moment, position and angle as in @video1.
The paint shows real daylight reflections of the sky, the canopy and the surroundings.


LOCATION:

Replace the night desert gas station with @image5.

Change the time to BRIGHT LATE-MORNING DAYLIGHT:
clear blue sky,
warm natural sunlight from one direction,
real soft shadows on the forecourt under the car, the pet and him,
sun reflections across the car paint.

Keep the station, pumps and canopy in the same position relative to him, the car and the camera as in @video1.
The forecourt is clean and empty: no other cars, no other people.


SHOT ORDER (follow @video1 exactly):

1. Handheld selfie: he talks to the camera with the gas station behind him.
2. He raises the "2" card alone to the lens, then fans the "4" card out from behind it, so the 2 appears first and the 4 second; the crystal numbers glow, sharp and in focus.
3. The cards drop and the car is now parked at the pumps behind him, the knight pet standing beside the front wheel. He talks, glances back at the car, then tosses the cards over his shoulder.
4. Low wide shot of the car, the pet and the station.
5. Slow macro tracking shots across the car's body, front wheel and rear wing, sunlight gliding over the paint.
6. Close-up of the pet raising its sword proudly, eyes to camera.
7. He leans on the car with his arms crossed while the pet walks toward the camera.

FINAL SHOT (the most cinematic moment):
A slow, smooth cinematic push-in on the front of the car, the sun flaring across the lens, shallow depth of field, background softly blurred. Hold the last frame for a beat.


CAMERA AND LOOK:

Shot on a real cinema camera with real lenses.
Ultra-realistic live-action footage, not CGI, not animation.
Premium automotive commercial quality, 8K detail, crisp and clean.
Selfie shots: wide 24mm feel with natural micro handheld movement.
Car and pet shots: 50-85mm feel on smooth gimbal and slider moves, natural bokeh.
Real lens behaviour: gentle flare, natural vignetting, no warping.
Natural daylight colour grade.
Clean, uncluttered background with natural depth of field.

Do NOT add text, subtitles, watermarks or logos other than the station signage and the card details from @image6.
Do NOT add extra people or extra animals.
Do NOT morph faces, fur, the car or the cards between shots.


PRIORITY:
1. Main character = @image1.
2. Cards = @image6: the 2 appears first alone, then the 4 fans out beside it.
3. Pet = @image2 in the @image3 knight outfit.
4. Car = @image4, exact shape and colour.
5. Location = @image5 in bright daytime.
6. Preserve exact @video1 motion, timing and shot order.
7. Cinematic final push-in on the car.
8. Real-camera, 8K, photoreal quality.

Tip: If the cards show "24" all at once, regenerate: the CARD REVEAL ORDER section is what fixes it. If your pet comes out as a different animal, add more clear photos of its face to the pet sheet.