Generate Seedance 2.5 AI videos from a form with the emaki API

Description

Quick overview
Type a prompt into an n8n form and get back a finished MP4 from Seedance 2.5 through emaki, the Japanese-language AI video generator. Pick the model, length and aspect ratio, optionally add a first frame, and the workflow waits for the clip and downloads it.

How it works
1. Video request form collects the prompt, model (seedance_2_5, seedance_2, seedance_2_fast or seedance_2_mini), duration, aspect ratio and an optional first-frame image URL.
Build request turns the form answers into the emaki request body at 480p.
Start video posts it to https://emaki.ai/api/video/ai with your API key and gets a video id back.
Accepted? sends refusals to Explain refusal, which tells you what the error means (bad key, no credits, a video already running, or a blocked prompt).
Wait 30s and Check status poll /api/video/status; Route by status downloads the MP4 when it is completed, reports the failure code when it is failed, and loops back otherwise.

Setup
1. Sign in to emaki and create an API key at emaki.ai/settings/apikeys.
In n8n add a Header Auth credential: name Authorization, value Bearer sk-... (your key).
Select that credential in Start video and Check status.
Activate or execute the workflow and open the form URL.
To turn a still into a clip, paste a public https image URL into the first-frame field; this is the same image to video mode as on the website.

Requirements
- An emaki account and API key. Each video costs credits on your emaki account, the same price as on the website.
n8n with the Form Trigger node (n8n cloud or self-hosted).
If you are new to the model, the Seedance 2.0 page shows what the earlier model is good at, and Seedance 2.0 Mini is the lower-cost video option.

Customization
- Swap the form for a Schedule, RSS, Google Sheets or Airtable trigger to produce clips in bulk.
Change resolution in Build request to 720p or 1080p.
Send the downloaded MP4 on to Google Drive, YouTube, Slack or S3.
Run finished clips through the AI video upscaler on the website when you need a sharper master.

Additional info
An emaki account generates one video at a time; a second submit while one is running returns 409, so keep batches sequential.
Videos can wait in a queue for several minutes; the loop keeps polling until the run is completed or failed.
Writing prompts in Japanese works as well as English. 日本語での使い方は シーダンス へ。