marketingskills/skills/video/references/ai-video-prompting.md

AI Video Prompting Guide

How to write effective prompts for AI video generation models (Veo, Runway, Kling, Pika).

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Prompt Structure

A strong video prompt follows this formula:

[Subject] + [Action] + [Camera movement] + [Visual style] + [Lighting/mood] + [Technical specs]

Example Prompts by Use Case

Product hero shot:

A sleek laptop on a minimal white desk, screen glowing with a dashboard UI,
camera slowly orbits 180 degrees around the desk,
soft volumetric lighting from the left, shallow depth of field,
cinematic commercial aesthetic, 4K

Lifestyle B-roll:

A woman in a modern co-working space smiling while looking at her phone,
natural window light, candid documentary feel,
camera handheld with subtle movement, warm color grading

Abstract/brand:

Flowing liquid gold particles forming the shape of a network graph,
dark background, particles catch light as they move,
slow-motion macro photography style, dramatic rim lighting

SaaS explainer scene:

An overhead shot of a team around a conference table pointing at charts,
camera slowly pushes in, bright modern office,
clean corporate style, even lighting, 1080p

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Camera Movement Vocabulary

Use these terms — video models understand them:

Term	Effect
Static	Locked camera, no movement
Pan left/right	Camera rotates horizontally
Tilt up/down	Camera rotates vertically
Dolly in/out	Camera moves toward/away from subject
Orbit	Camera circles around subject
Tracking shot	Camera follows moving subject
Crane/aerial	Camera rises or descends
Handheld	Subtle shake, documentary feel
Zoom	Lens zoom (different from dolly)
Slow push	Gradual dolly in — builds tension/focus

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Style Keywords

Cinematic

• "cinematic color grading"
• "anamorphic lens flare"
• "shallow depth of field"
• "film grain"
• "35mm film"

Commercial/Corporate

• "clean commercial lighting"
• "bright and airy"
• "professional corporate aesthetic"
• "even, diffused lighting"

Documentary

• "handheld documentary style"
• "natural lighting"
• "candid, unposed"
• "observational camera"

Social/Trendy

• "vertical 9:16"
• "fast-paced cuts"
• "bold text overlays"
• "high contrast, saturated colors"

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Model-Specific Tips

Veo (Google)

• Excels at photorealism and complex scenes
• Supports audio generation synced to video
• Best with detailed, descriptive prompts
• Specify "high resolution" or "1080p" for best quality
• Can handle multiple subjects and scene transitions

Runway Gen-4

• Strong motion control — specify camera movements precisely
• Best temporal consistency (subjects stay consistent across frames)
• Use motion brush for specific area animation
• Image-to-video works well — provide a reference frame
• Keep prompts under 100 words for best results

Kling

• Can generate up to 2 minutes (much longer than others)
• Good for longer narrative sequences
• More affordable for bulk generation
• Quality drops slightly at longer durations
• Best with simpler scenes and fewer subjects

Pika

• Fastest generation time (under 2 minutes)
• Good for quick iterations and experimentation
• Effects mode adds motion to still images
• Best for short clips (5-15 seconds)
• Less control over camera movement

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Common Prompt Mistakes

Mistake	Why It Fails	Fix
"A person using our app"	Too vague, no visual detail	Describe the person, setting, lighting, camera
Including text/logos	AI can't render readable text	Add text in post via Hyperframes/CapCut
"Make it viral"	Not a visual instruction	Describe the visual style you want
Extremely long prompts (200+ words)	Models lose focus	Keep to 50-100 words, be specific
No camera direction	Random/static camera	Always specify movement or "static"
"Realistic" alone	Not specific enough	"Photorealistic, natural lighting, shot on RED camera"

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Prompting Workflow

1. Reference first — find a real video that looks like what you want
2. Describe it — break down: subject, action, camera, style, mood
3. Generate 3-4 variations — same concept, different angles or styles
4. Iterate on the best — refine the prompt based on results
5. Composite — combine AI footage with programmatic text/overlays

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Aspect Ratios

Always specify in your prompt or generation settings:

Platform	Ratio	Resolution
YouTube	16:9	1920x1080 or 3840x2160
TikTok/Reels/Shorts	9:16	1080x1920
Instagram Feed	1:1 or 4:5	1080x1080 or 1080x1350
Website hero	16:9	1920x1080
LinkedIn	16:9 or 1:1	1920x1080

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Cost Optimization

• Iterate at low resolution — upscale only the final version
• Use Kling for drafts — cheapest per second, switch to Veo/Runway for finals
• Image-to-video — providing a reference frame saves generation credits and gives better results
• Batch similar prompts — models often offer volume discounts
• Cache and reuse — B-roll clips can be reused across multiple videos