Pinning the first and last frame of a shot
Supplying the first or last frame of a shot is the most direct way to control where a generation starts and ends. Every model documenting it also documents the same restriction: frames and reference images cannot be mixed in one call. As of 2026-09-12.
| Model | Frame modes | Can frames combine with references? |
|---|---|---|
| MiniMax H3 | First, last, or both | No |
| Seedance 2.0 and 2.5 | First, or first and last | No |
| Wan 3.0 | One first, one last | No |
Inclusion rule. Models whose API reference documents frame conditioning. A model accepting an image without stating whether it is a first frame is not given a row. Order. Alphabetical by model name.
1The restriction is the important part
Every vendor here refuses to combine frame conditioning with reference images. That forces a choice per shot: pin the composition, or keep the character reference. For serial work the second usually wins, which means frame conditioning is used less than its usefulness suggests.
Knowing the restriction before writing the shot list avoids designing shots that cannot be generated as specified.
2Where frames earn their place
Joining two segments cleanly is the clearest case: the last frame of one becomes the first frame of the next, and the join stops being a guess. For an advertisement built from two or three segments, that is often worth giving up the reference for.
3A pinned frame is not a pinned look
Fixing the first frame fixes where the shot starts, not how it develops. Motion, lighting changes and anything entering frame are still generated, so a pinned first frame reduces variance rather than removing it.
4Frames are the cheapest way to control a join
Where two segments have to read as continuous, supplying the last frame of the first as the first frame of the second removes the guesswork at the seam. That is the single most reliable use of the feature, and it matters most on tools with short clip ceilings.
The cost is giving up references in that call, so the join is usually placed where no character reference is needed.
5A last frame is a target, not a guarantee
Supplying an end frame asks the generation to arrive there. Where the motion between the two frames is implausible in the time available, the model will still return something, and it will not be the transition that was asked for.
Choosing two frames that are close enough in time to be bridged is therefore part of the shot design, not a technical detail, and it is the reason frame pairs work better across a cut than across a scene.
6Where each figure was read
A vocabulary entry: the definition, plus how the specification pages on these sheets usually publish it. Table checked 2026-09-12. Nearby entries: Bumper ad, Non-skippable in-stream.
7From brief to placement
For ad work around “First and last frame”, SceneMixer's pages explain how its ad projects are produced:
A short drama episode has two jobs: stop the scroll in its first seconds, and make the next episode feel necessary in its last.
SceneMixer, Writing Hooks and Cliffhangers Into a Short Drama Script (read 2026-10-13)
References in this project’s storyboards are rewritten to the new name, and the old name stays on the card as an entry.
SceneMixer, Also Called: Nicknames, Old Names, and How the Storyboard Knows Who Is Who — “I renamed a character. Do my existing storyboards still work?” (read 2026-10-13)