AI video prompt cheat sheet (shot formula)
The best AI video prompts follow one shot formula: [shot type] of [subject] [one action] in [setting], [camera move], [lighting], [style], [sound]. Keep it to one or two sentences and one action per clip.
The shot formula
[Shot type] of [subject] [doing one action] in [setting], [camera movement], [lighting], [style/lens], [sound/dialogue].| Slot | Good examples | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Shot type | wide shot, close-up, over-the-shoulder, top-down, POV | no shot type (the model guesses) |
| Subject | a red vintage bicycle; a ceramic coffee mug | vague subjects like “something cool” |
| Action (one) | rolls slowly downhill; steam rises | 3+ actions in one clip |
| Setting | rainy Tokyo alley at night; desert at sunrise | contradictory settings |
| Camera | slow push-in, dolly left, handheld, drone orbit | “lots of camera moves” |
| Light | golden hour, neon rim light, soft overcast | no lighting (looks flat) |
| Style/lens | 35mm film, shallow depth of field, claymation | stacking 5 styles |
| Sound (Veo, Kling 4.0) | rain on metal, distant traffic, no music | long dialogue in a 4-second clip |
Copy-paste prompts by job
Cinematic B-roll
Wide shot of a lone lighthouse on a rocky coast at dusk, waves crashing below, slow drone orbit, moody blue hour light with warm lamp glow, 35mm film look, sound of wind and surf.
YouTube Short hook (9:16)
Vertical close-up of a glass of iced coffee as milk swirls in, slow-motion, top-down then tilt to side view, bright morning window light, crisp commercial look, sound of ice clinking.
Product ad
Close-up of matte black wireless earbuds rotating on a reflective pedestal, slow 180° orbit, studio softbox light with rim highlight, clean minimal background, subtle whoosh sound.
Image-to-video (motion only)
Slow push-in, gentle breeze moving the leaves, soft light flicker, camera steady, 5 seconds.
Explainer B-roll (faceless)
Top-down shot of hands-free desk scene: notebook pages turning by themselves in a light breeze, laptop glowing, warm lamp light, cozy illustration style, quiet room tone.
Fix-it table
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Subject morphs or warps | One subject, one action, shorter clip (4–6s) |
| Camera does random things | Name a single camera move and add “camera steady otherwise” |
| Looks flat / cheap | Add lighting + lens (e.g. “golden hour, shallow depth of field”) |
| Garbled text in video | Add text in the editor afterwards, not in the prompt |
| Wrong aspect ratio | Set 9:16 or 16:9 in the tool settings, not only in the prompt |
FAQ
What's the best prompt format for AI video?
[Shot type] of [subject] [one action] in [setting], [camera move], [lighting], [style], [sound]. It works across Veo, Kling, Runway and Hailuo.
How long should an AI video prompt be?
One or two sentences, about 25–60 words. Longer prompts tend to add conflicting details.
Should I describe the image in image-to-video prompts?
No. The image already shows the scene, so describe only the motion and the camera.
Can I add dialogue?
Veo 3.1 and Kling 4.0 generate audio with video. Keep dialogue to one short line per 4–8 second clip, in quotes.
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