Video Prompting

# Single-Shot Video Prompting Reference

## The formula

`[Cinematography] + [Subject] + [Action] + [Context] + [Style & Ambiance] + [Audio]`

Order matters. Put cinematography first — it tells the model how to look at the scene before it knows what's in it.

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## Cinematography (put this first)

This is the most powerful lever in video prompting. The camera framing tells the model the emotional relationship between viewer and subject.

### Shot types
| Shot | Use case |
|------|----------|
| Extreme wide shot | Establish scale, location, isolation |
| Wide shot | Full body in environment, context dominant |
| Medium shot | Waist up, conversational, balanced |
| Medium close-up | Chest up, emotional weight |
| Close-up | Face only, intimacy and intensity |
| Extreme close-up | Eyes, hands, texture — raw detail |
| Two-shot | Two characters in frame together |
| Over-the-shoulder | POV-adjacent, conversational |
| Low angle | Subject feels powerful, dominant |
| High angle | Subject feels small, vulnerable |
| Bird's eye | Abstract, architectural, detached |
| POV shot | First-person, immersive |

### Camera movements
| Movement | What it does |
|----------|-------------|
| Dolly in | Slowly approaches subject — builds intimacy or tension |
| Dolly out | Pulls away — reveals scale, creates distance |
| Tracking shot | Follows subject laterally — energy, momentum |
| Crane shot | Rises up or sweeps — reveals scale, epic feel |
| Aerial / drone | Overhead or descending — establishes location |
| Slow pan | Camera rotates slowly — scanning a scene |
| Whip pan | Fast rotation — disorient, transition, energy |
| Handheld | Organic, naturalistic, documentary feel |
| Steadicam / gimbal | Smooth follow — cinematic, controlled |
| Static / locked off | No movement — tension, focus, stillness |
| Dutch angle | Camera tilted — unease, instability |

### Lens language
- Shallow depth of field (f/1.4–f/2.8) — blurred background, subject isolated
- Deep focus (f/8–f/16) — front to back sharp, environment matters
- Wide-angle lens — environmental context, slight distortion at edges
- Telephoto / 200mm — compressed depth, subject feels close to background
- Macro — extreme detail, textures revealed
- Anamorphic — cinematic horizontal bokeh, lens flares

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## Subject

Be specific. Name appearance, clothing, expression, age range, physique if relevant.

- Weak: "a man in a suit"
- Strong: "a tired corporate executive in his 50s, loosened tie, reading glasses pushed up on his forehead"

Describe **physical state**: posture, energy level, emotional register.

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## Action

Describe what is physically happening. Be precise about:
- Movement speed: "walks briskly," "sprints at full pace," "moves in slow, deliberate steps"
- Direction: "moves toward camera," "turns away," "looks up"
- Physical detail: "rubs her temples," "slams the door," "reaches for the glass without looking"

Avoid vague verbs: "moves dynamically," "performs," "interacts with." These mean nothing to the model.

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## Context

The environment, time of day, weather, and background.

- Set the scene before the action: "A cluttered 1980s office late at night"
- Layer atmosphere: "rain streaks the window behind him," "cigarette smoke drifts through harsh fluorescent light"
- Use real-world reference anchors: "a neon-lit Tokyo alleyway, 2 AM," "the floor of a packed NBA arena"

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## Style & Ambiance

The visual DNA of the shot.

**Film stocks & cameras:**
- Shot on 16mm film, slightly underexposed, grain visible
- Fujifilm color science, warm and slightly faded
- Arri Alexa cinema quality, clinical and clean
- GoPro, immersive wide, slight fisheye

**Cinematic grades:**
- Muted teal and orange color grade
- High contrast, crushed blacks, cold highlights
- Golden hour warmth, amber glow
- Desaturated, bleak, flat tones

**Genre aesthetics:**
- Slow cinema, static, deliberate pace
- Music video aesthetic, stylized, lit for beauty
- Handheld documentary, available light, naturalistic
- 1970s thriller aesthetic, paranoid, dirty, grainy

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## Audio (for models that support it: Veo 3.1, Kling 2.1)

Three types of audio to direct:

### Dialogue
Use quotation marks and attribution:
- `A woman says, "We have to leave now."`
- `The detective mutters, "Something doesn't add up."`
- `Voiceover: "This is where it all began."`

### Sound effects
Label explicitly with `SFX:`:
- `SFX: Thunder cracks in the distance, then rain begins.`
- `SFX: The door slams. A beat of silence. Then footsteps.`
- `SFX: The engine turns over once, twice, then catches.`

### Ambient / atmosphere
- `Ambient: The hum of a near-empty airport terminal.`
- `Ambient: Crowd noise muffled through thick glass.`
- `Ambient: Birdsong. Wind through tall grass. No other sound.`

**Tip:** If the model doesn't support audio natively, describe the ambient soundscape anyway — it shapes the model's sense of scene and can influence motion choices.

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## Prompt examples

### Cinematic drama