AI Video Prompts: The Ultimate Guide to Text-to-Video Prompting

The difference between mediocre and stunning AI video often comes down to one thing: prompt quality. This guide teaches you the formulas and techniques that professional AI video creators use to get consistent, high-quality results.

The Universal Video Prompt Formula

Unlike image prompts, video prompts need to describe motion and time. Use this structure:

[Camera/Shot] + [Subject] + [Action/Motion] + [Setting] + [Lighting] + [Style/Mood]

Each element serves a specific purpose:

Element	Purpose	Example
Camera/Shot	Frame and movement	“Slow tracking shot”
Subject	What to focus on	“A woman with silver hair”
Action/Motion	What happens	“Walking through rain”
Setting	Where it takes place	“On a Tokyo street”
Lighting	Light quality	“Neon signs reflecting”
Style/Mood	Visual feeling	“Cinematic, melancholic”

Shot Types for AI Video

Understanding shot terminology dramatically improves your results.

Shot Sizes

Shot	Abbreviation	Description	Best For
Extreme Wide	EWS	Shows entire environment	Landscapes, establishing
Wide Shot	WS	Full body with surroundings	Action, context
Medium Shot	MS	Waist up	Dialogue, general use
Medium Close-up	MCU	Chest up	Emotion, conversation
Close-up	CU	Face fills frame	Emotion, detail
Extreme Close-up	ECU	Single feature	Drama, texture

Example prompts by shot size:

Extreme wide shot of a lone hiker on a mountain ridge,
dramatic clouds rolling in, epic scale, nature documentary

Close-up of an elderly man's face, weathered skin,
kind eyes looking off camera, warm afternoon light,
contemplative mood

Camera Movements

Movement	Description	When to Use
Static	No movement	Stability, portraits
Pan	Rotate horizontally	Reveal, follow action
Tilt	Rotate vertically	Tall subjects, reveal
Dolly/Push	Move toward/away	Emphasis, drama
Tracking	Follow alongside	Action, movement
Orbit	Circle around	Products, portraits
Crane/Jib	Vertical movement	Reveals, transitions
Handheld	Natural shake	Documentary, tension

Movement prompt examples:

Smooth dolly in toward a candle flame,
darkness surrounding, intimate atmosphere

Tracking shot following a cyclist through
autumn leaves on a forest path, golden hour

Slow orbit around a vintage typewriter,
dramatic side lighting, noir aesthetic

Motion and Action Keywords

Speed Modifiers

Keyword	Effect
“slow motion”	Dramatically slowed
“subtle”	Minimal, gentle movement
“gradual”	Slowly developing
“rapid”	Fast movement
“time-lapse”	Sped up time
“real-time”	Natural speed

Action Verbs That Work Well

Smooth actions (high success rate):

• Walking, running, turning
• Rising, falling, floating
• Flowing, drifting, swaying
• Breathing, blinking, smiling

Complex actions (lower success rate):

• Dancing (specific choreography)
• Fighting (fast multi-person)
• Morphing, transforming
• Detailed hand gestures

Pro tip: Simple, continuous actions outperform complex, multi-step movements.

Style and Mood Keywords

Cinematic Styles

cinematic, film grain, 35mm, anamorphic
IMAX, documentary, film noir, indie film
blockbuster, arthouse, Sundance, Hollywood

Visual Moods

dramatic, moody, ethereal, melancholic
energetic, serene, tense, mysterious
romantic, nostalgic, futuristic, dreamlike

Technical Quality

high quality, 4K, detailed, sharp focus
professional, premium, broadcast quality
photo-realistic, hyperrealistic

Lighting Keywords

golden hour, blue hour, magic hour
dramatic lighting, soft diffused light
harsh shadows, rim lighting, backlit
neon, candlelight, moonlight, overcast
studio lighting, natural light, volumetric

Platform-Specific Tips

Runway Gen-3 Alpha

Runway responds well to detailed, cinematic language:

Slow push in, medium shot of a jazz musician
playing saxophone in a smoky club, 1950s aesthetic,
moody blue and amber lighting, shallow depth of field,
film grain, intimate atmosphere, jazz club ambiance

Runway strengths: Camera control, cinematic looks Runway format: Longer, detailed prompts work well

Kling AI

Kling excels with human subjects and clear action descriptions:

Medium close-up of a young woman,
she slowly turns toward camera and smiles,
wind gently moving her hair,
soft natural sunlight, shallow depth of field,
realistic, cinematic quality

Kling strengths: Human faces, realistic motion Kling format: Focus on subject and action

Pika Labs

Pika works best with stylized, artistic prompts:

Anime style, a warrior standing on a cliff,
cape flowing in dramatic wind,
storm clouds gathering, lightning flashes,
epic fantasy atmosphere

Pika strengths: Stylized content, quick iterations Pika format: Shorter, style-forward prompts

Sora

Sora handles complex, longer-form prompts exceptionally well:

A cinematic drone shot begins high above a coastal city
at golden hour, slowly descending toward the beach
where waves crash against rocky cliffs, seabirds fly
past the camera, the shot continues down to follow
a couple walking hand in hand along the shoreline,
their footprints in the wet sand, waves rolling in,
romantic and peaceful mood, film quality

Sora strengths: Long clips, complex scenes Sora format: Detailed scene descriptions

Prompt Templates by Use Case

Product Commercial

[Camera movement] of [product] on [surface/background],
[lighting type], premium product photography,
[specific detail to highlight], commercial quality

Example:

Smooth orbit around a luxury perfume bottle
on black marble surface, dramatic studio lighting
with subtle gold reflections, glass refracting light,
premium commercial quality

Social Media Content

[Shot type] of [subject/creator], [action],
[trendy visual style], [platform aesthetic],
high energy, engaging

Example:

Medium shot of an excited content creator
unboxing a new gadget, reaction of surprise and delight,
well-lit modern room, YouTube vlog style, authentic

Cinematic B-Roll

[Shot type], [scene description], [atmosphere],
[lighting], cinematic, [film reference style]

Example:

Wide establishing shot, rain falling on empty city street
at night, neon signs reflecting in puddles,
lonely atmosphere, cinematic, Blade Runner aesthetic

Music Video

[Creative camera movement], [stylized subject],
[rhythmic or dynamic action], [bold visual style],
[mood matching music genre], music video aesthetic

Example:

Dynamic tracking shot through colorful smoke,
silhouette of dancer moving rhythmically,
strobe lighting effects, high contrast,
electronic music video aesthetic, energetic

Corporate/Professional

[Professional shot type] of [business subject],
[appropriate action], [clean setting],
professional lighting, corporate video quality

Example:

Medium shot of diverse team in modern conference room,
engaged discussion, nodding and smiling,
large windows with city view, bright natural light,
professional corporate video quality

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Describing Too Many Actions

Bad:

A man walks into a room, sits down, opens his laptop,
starts typing, gets a phone call, stands up, and walks out

Good:

Medium shot of a man typing on laptop in modern office,
focused expression, subtle movements, professional atmosphere

2. Contradictory Instructions

Bad:

Slow motion fast-paced action, bright dark lighting

Good:

Slow motion action sequence, dramatic high-contrast lighting

3. Ignoring Camera/Shot Type

Bad:

A dog playing in a park

Good:

Low angle tracking shot following a golden retriever
running through autumn leaves in a sunny park

4. Overloading with Keywords

Bad:

8K ultra HD masterpiece award-winning best quality
professional premium cinematic film IMAX spectacular

Good:

Cinematic quality, 4K, professional lighting

Advanced Techniques

Reference Frames

Describe a specific visual reference:

Opening shot of The Social Network style,
static wide shot of dorm room at night,
single desk lamp illuminating figure at computer,
cold blue tones, isolated feeling

Temporal Descriptions

Describe how the scene evolves:

Starting tight on a single raindrop on window glass,
slowly pulling back to reveal a woman watching the storm,
her reflection in the glass, melancholic mood

Layered Depth

Describe foreground, midground, and background:

Foreground: out-of-focus flowers
Midground: woman reading on park bench
Background: soft bokeh of people walking
Sunny afternoon, shallow depth of field

Testing and Iteration Workflow

1. Start simple: 5-second, standard quality
2. Test one variable at a time: Change camera, then action, then style
3. Note what works: Build a personal prompt library
4. Refine winning prompts: Add detail to successful generations
5. Render final version: Highest quality settings

Next Steps

• Apply these techniques with Runway Gen-3 Tutorial
• Practice with Kling AI Tutorial
• Compare results across Best AI Video Generators 2026