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How do I write a good prompt for an AI video generator?
Describe the shot in plain, concrete language: who or what is in it, what happens, and where it happens. Then add details that help shape how the action is seen. A useful structure is:
Subject + action + setting + camera or framing + motion + style or lighting + optional sound or dialogue
These are options, not required fields. A short prompt can work when the scene is simple; a more involved shot may need additional visual or motion details. Google DeepMind’s Veo 3 prompt guide recommends details such as framing, camera motion, style, lighting, character, location, action, and dialogue. Its Veo API guide also discusses subject, action, composition, focus, and optional camera and lens effects.
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For example: “Wide, eye-level shot of a red bicycle leaning against a rain-darkened brick wall in a quiet alley. The camera slowly tracks right as rainwater runs along the pavement; cool evening light, restrained documentary style.” This is an illustrative prompt, not a tested recipe. It gives the generator a subject, setting, camera movement, environmental motion, and visual treatment without dictating every detail.
What should I include in an AI video prompt?
Include details that affect the clip you want to see, rather than filling every possible prompt category. A practical order is to establish the main subject and action first, then add context and shot direction.
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- Subject: Name the person, animal, object, or scene the viewer should notice.
- Action: State what the subject does. If motion is important, describe it physically and plainly.
- Setting: Add the place or environmental details that matter to the shot.
- Camera and framing: Specify a useful viewpoint, shot size, or camera move when it contributes to the idea.
- Style and lighting: Describe the visual treatment or light if it helps distinguish the intended result.
- Sound or dialogue: Add spoken words, ambient sound, or effects when the selected model and workflow support them.
Runway’s Text to Video Prompting Guide, optimized for Gen-4.5, separates visual description—what is seen and how it looks—from motion description—how the scene moves and behaves. It advises starting with the important components and adding detail as needed. Google’s Veo documentation includes dialogue, sound effects, and ambient-noise cues; in API workflows, some output choices are set as parameters rather than by describing them in prompt text. Check the documentation for the exact model and version you use.
How do I describe camera movement in an AI video prompt?
Say what the camera does in direct terms and connect that move to the subject or scene: for example, “the camera slowly tracks right” or “a close-up holds on the subject.” If a camera angle or move is essential and the result misses it, reinforce that component in a new attempt rather than adding unrelated scene detail. Camera language is guidance, not a guarantee that a model will follow the instruction exactly.
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Keep the physical action distinct from the camera action. “A dog runs toward the gate” describes subject motion; “the camera follows the dog” describes camera motion. State both when both matter. Google lists framing and camera motion among useful prompt ingredients, while its API guide also identifies camera positioning, composition, and focus or lens effects as options. Their availability and behavior can depend on the model and workflow.
How should I prompt image-to-video differently from text-to-video?
Text-to-video
Describe both the visual scene and what changes during the clip. The generator needs enough direction to establish the subject, setting, and appearance as well as the action or motion. A consistent structure can make it easier to revise one aspect at a time, as Runway’s text-to-video guidance suggests.
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Image-to-video
The input image already establishes much of the appearance, composition, color, lighting, and style. Use text chiefly to say what should move and how: a person turns toward the window, fabric lifts in a breeze, or the camera slowly pushes in. Repeating details already plainly visible in the image may be unnecessary. Runway’s Gen-4 Video Prompting Guide specifically recommends focusing image-to-video prompts on motion; it says repeating the image’s details can reduce motion or lead to unexpected results in Gen-4. Treat that as model-specific advice, not a rule for every generator.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why does my AI video prompt not work?
A prompt can be clear and still produce a result that misses part of the intention. Generators are probabilistic creative systems, and repeated runs can differ. OpenAI’s Sora 2 Prompting Guide describes the prompt as a creative wish list rather than a contract and recommends iteration. That guide is marked archived, so check current Sora documentation before relying on version-specific instructions.
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Use the miss as a clue for what to revise, rather than rewriting everything at once:
- The clip looks static: State what moves, in which direction, and at what pace. Distinguish subject movement from camera movement.
- The camera or framing is wrong: Restate the desired angle, shot size, or move clearly and make it a priority in the prompt.
- The scene feels cluttered or contradictory: Remove details that do not support the main action. Runway advises simple, positive descriptions for Gen-4; its guidance says negative phrasing can produce unpredictable or opposite results in that model.
- The image-to-video result barely moves: In Runway Gen-4, try removing prose that repeats the still image and focus the prompt on the intended movement.
- The result is close but not exact: Keep the parts that work and change one important element on the next run. This makes it easier to see which instruction helped.
Guides from different vendors can emphasize different levels of detail. Google encourages a mix of ingredients and experimentation for Veo, while Runway’s Gen-4 guide says the model “thrives on prompt simplicity.” Neither is a universal rule for all video generators: begin with the selected model’s own guidance, then adjust based on its results.
How do I iterate without making the prompt harder to follow?
- Write a manageable first prompt. Establish the subject, action, and setting. Add camera, style, lighting, or sound only where they help.
- Generate a clip and identify the main miss. Decide whether the problem is the subject, action, movement, framing, or visual treatment.
- Change one important element. Make the desired action or camera direction more explicit, or remove distracting details.
- Generate again and compare. Keep effective wording; continue refining the biggest remaining issue rather than piling on every possible instruction.
- Check model-specific controls. Confirm whether duration, resolution, audio, or other output settings belong in prompt text or must be set separately.
Do not assume that a particular template or amount of detail will reliably control every model. The published vendor guides offer product-specific advice, not independent head-to-head tests showing that one prompting style produces better results across generators.
What changes from one AI video generator to another?
Before adapting a prompt, check the documentation for the exact tool and model version. Prompt behavior, supported controls, audio features, and output settings can differ and may change. When choosing a workflow, compare the capabilities that matter to the clip you plan to make:
- Whether you need text-to-video, image-to-video, or both.
- What camera, style, and motion direction the model documents.
- Whether it supports audio, dialogue, or ambient sound prompts.
- Whether duration and output settings are written in the prompt or configured separately.
- How clearly the vendor identifies guidance for the current model version.
For API details, consult the current Google Veo documentation or documentation for the provider you are using. OpenAI’s archived Sora 2 guide can help explain iteration, but should not be treated as current operational documentation without verification.
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