Seed
A seed is the starting number for the randomness in a generative model. The same description with the same seed gives a similar result, a different seed gives a variant of the same idea. The seed is the only handle for repeating a random outcome.
What it is for
- Repeatability: a shot that worked can be produced again weeks later, for a second language version for instance.
- Comparable tests: change the prompt and hold the seed, and you see what the wording did rather than what chance did.
- Variants: the other way round, one prompt with five seeds gives five drafts of the same idea to choose from.
- Consistency: as one of several anchors for character consistency.
What a seed does not do
It does not guarantee identity. Models get updated, and a seed that returns a particular image today may return something else after a version change. Other settings such as resolution or duration also shift the result despite an identical seed. So we always note seed, model and version together.
How we work with it
Every approved styleframe comes with a record: model, version, prompt and seed. That sounds like bookkeeping, but it is the difference between a project that can be continued in six months and one where everything has to be searched for again.
Frequently asked questions
What is a seed in AI images?
A seed is a number that fixes a model's random generator. With an identical description and an identical seed a very similar result appears, with a different seed a variant. It makes random output traceable.
Do we get the seeds from our production?
On request yes, together with model and version. It is not common practice, but it helps if you later want to continue with a different agency.
Why does the same prompt and seed sometimes look different?
Because the model changed or another setting such as resolution, duration or frame rate differs. A seed only works reliably within the same environment.
Related terms
Read on: All terms in the glossary • Pricing
One film now, the second in six months?
We record the production so the second one matches the first.
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