Draft mode lets you preview a Seedance 2.5 video quickly and cheaply before paying for the full-quality render. You check the scene, motion and delivery, then generate the final version only when you like the take.
Who can use it
All users in a paid plan with enough credits.
Where to find it
Studio mode > Video > Seedance 2.5 > Draft mode (toggle in the options)
How to use it
In Studio, open the Video composer and choose Seedance 2.5.
Write your prompt and add any references, as usual.
Turn on Draft mode.
Generate. Your draft is ready as a 480p video.
If you like it, open the draft's menu and select Generate final version. Arcads renders the same take at 1080p as a new video, and the draft stays in your library.
Options
Draft mode: on or off. While it is on, the resolution is fixed at 480p and cannot be changed.
Generate final version: renders your draft at 1080p, with the same prompt, references, length and aspect ratio.
Credits
A draft is billed at the 480p rate (18.75 credits per second, so a 10-second draft is 188 credits). The final version is billed at the 1080p rate for the draft's length (104 credits per second). Credit costs here are the standard rates. The Generate button in the app shows what each generation costs on your account.
Where it works
Studio
Workflows:
Mark: Yes - just tell Mark, the agent, to render the videos in Seedance 2.5 draft mode first, specifically.
MCP: yes, with a Draft option on Seedance 2.5 generation and a tool to generate the final version
Limitations
Draft mode is only available with Seedance 2.5.
Drafts are always 480p; you can't pick another resolution.
The final version is always 1080p.