Prompt AI Video Models

AI video models are powerful, but only if you know how to talk to them properly.

Tools like Veo, Sora, and Kling don’t “guess” what you want. They follow instructions. The quality of the output is almost entirely determined by how clearly you describe the scene, the motion, and the intent.

This guide breaks down how to structure strong video prompts, how to think about camera and sound, and how to use advanced techniques to get consistent, cinematic results instead of random clips.

The Mental Model: You’re Directing, Not Prompting

Before we get technical, here’s the mindset shift:

• You’re not asking the model to create something cool

• You’re directing a scene

Every good prompt answers these questions:

• What is the camera doing?

• What are we looking at?

• What’s happening over time?

• Where does this take place?

• What does it feel like?

• What do we hear (if anything)?

If your prompt doesn’t answer those, the model fills the gaps, and that’s usually where things go wrong.

The Core Building Blocks of a Video Prompt

Instead of thinking “long prompt vs short prompt,” think in layers.

1. Camera & Framing (Most Important)

Start with how the scene is captured.

Include:

• Shot type (wide, close-up, POV)

• Camera movement (static, dolly, pan, drone)

• Lens feel (phone-wide, cinematic, shallow focus)

• Pace (slow, steady, aggressive)

Example:

“Handheld medium shot, eye-level, slow push-in, natural pacing”

This alone dramatically improves realism.

2. Subject (What We Care About)

Describe the main focus clearly.

Include:

• Age, clothing, posture

• Facial expression or physical state

• One defining visual trait

Example:

“A lone trail runner in a red windbreaker, breathing hard, focused expression”

Avoid overloading details — clarity beats density.

3. Action (Motion Beats)

What happens moment to moment?

Think in beats, not paragraphs.

Example:

• pauses

• turns

• accelerates

• reacts

• reveals

Example:

“She slows briefly, scans the path ahead, then bursts forward over uneven terrain”

Motion gives the model structure.

4. Environment (Context & World)

Now place the scene somewhere real.

Include:

• Location type

• Time of day

• Atmosphere (fog, heat, crowd, silence)

Example:

“High-alpine ridge at sunrise, sharp rocks, distant snow peaks, cold air”

Context grounds the video and prevents generic outputs.

5. Visual Style (Mood & Look)

This is where you guide the feeling.

Include:

• Lighting (soft, harsh, rim light)

• Color palette

• Realism vs stylized

Example:

“Cinematic realism, high contrast, cool shadows with warm rim light, subtle film grain”

6. Audio (Optional, but Powerful)

Only include this if the model supports sound.

You can add:

• Dialogue

• Sound effects

• Ambient noise

Example:

“SFX: wind cutting through rocks, distant footsteps on gravel”

For dialogue, keep it short and intentional.

Example: High-Tension Cinematic Scene

Prompt (condensed structure):

• Camera: Medium close-up, slow over-the-shoulder rotation, shallow depth of field

• Subject: Young woman, pale face, trembling hands, wide eyes

• Action: Raises hands to mouth, sharp inhale, camera pivots to reveal danger

• Environment: Abandoned gas station at night, cold air, empty surroundings

• Style: Dark cinematic realism, harsh firelight vs cold shadows

• Audio: Crackling flames, metal popping, distant wind

This structure is repeatable across any model.

Control vs Discovery (When to Be Specific)

• High control: Commercials, product videos, branded content

  → Use detailed prompts

• Creative exploration: Concept art, mood tests

  → Leave space for interpretation

If you need consistency, be explicit.

If you want surprises, reduce constraints.

Iteration Is the Secret Weapon

Think of each generation as a new take.

Change:

• camera angle

• pacing

• lighting

• one action beat

Small tweaks often produce massive improvements.

Advanced Prompting Techniques

Camera Motion Types Worth Using

• Dolly (smooth forward/back movement)

• FPV drone (speed, energy, immersion)

• Crane (scale and reveals)

• Slow pan (environment discovery)

• POV (first-person realism)

Composition Choices That Matter

• Wide → scale and setting

• Close-up → emotion

• Low angle → power

• Eye-level → realism

Lens & Focus Tricks

• Shallow depth = cinematic isolation

• Deep focus = documentary realism

• Soft focus = nostalgic / dreamlike

• Macro = detail-driven storytelling

Dialogue & Sound Design Tips

• Put dialogue after the visual description

• Keep lines short (AI will cut long speeches)

• Label speakers clearly

• Match dialogue length to clip duration

Example:

Dialogue:

Traveler: “They swear this is the spiciest snack in Bangkok.”

Traveler: “Let’s find out.”

Time-Based Prompting (Multi-Scene Control)

For cinematic sequences, define timestamps.

Example:

• 00:00–00:02 → Establishing shot

• 00:02–00:05 → Character reveal

• 00:05–00:08 → Action peak

• 00:08–00:10 → Title or payoff

This helps models maintain visual continuity.

Image-to-Video for Maximum Precision

When accuracy matters (UGC, products, characters):

1. Generate or upload a starting image

2. Lock the appearance

3. Animate motion + camera

4. Define start and end frames

This prevents random face or product changes.

Final Takeaway

AI video models don’t need better prompts.

They need clear direction.

If you describe:

• where the camera is

• what’s happening

• how it feels

• what we hear

You’ll get results that feel intentional, cinematic, and repeatable — not random.

Prompt like a director, and the model will follow.