Cheatsheet

Quick reference guide for crafting effective video generation prompts.

Tip

For comprehensive guidance with detailed examples and explanations, see the Full guide guide.

Prompt formula

[Subject] [Action] [Scene] [Camera] [Lighting] [Style]

Knitted purple prune character, dancing joyfully, in a pink room, camera circling around, warm golden hour lighting, cinematic animation style

[Subject] [Action] [Scene] [Camera] [Lighting] [Style]

Cinematic shot of a knitted purple prune character, dancing joyfully through, a large pink and purple room, camera starting in front, then circling and ending behind the character showing a race car, warm golden hour lighting creating soft illumination, cinematic animation style

Basic

Advanced

Core components

Subject(s) - What/who is the focus? - Be descriptive: “young woman with silver hair”, “knitted purple prune character” - Include: appearance, clothing, features, posture
Action(s) - What are they doing? - Use dynamic verbs: “running”, “flowing”, “dancing”, “transforming” - Specify timing: “slow motion”, “fast-paced”, “building intensity”
Scene(s) - Where is it happening? - Location: “urban street”, “mountain peak”, “living room” - Environment: “at sunset”, “during rain”, “in mist”
[Optional] Camera Movement - How is it filmed? - Tracking: “following”, “tracking”, “pursuing” - Orbital: “circling around”, “orbiting” - Zoom: “zooming in/out”, “approaching” - Panning: “panning left/right”, “tilting up/down”
[Optional] Lighting - What lighting conditions? - Natural: “golden hour”, “sunset”, “daylight”, “blue hour” - Artificial: “neon glow”, “streetlights”, “candlelight” - Quality: “soft”, “dramatic”, “harsh”, “warm”, “cool”
[Optional] Style - Visual tone/aesthetic? - Medium: “photorealistic”, “3D animation”, “anime style” - Aesthetic: “cinematic”, “documentary”, “cyberpunk” - Mood: “whimsical”, “dramatic”, “peaceful”

Quick tips

✅ DO: - Use descriptive, direct language - Focus on motion and action - Be specific about timing and pacing - Include camera movements - Use dynamic verbs - Specify temporal elements

❌ DON’T: - Use command-style instructions - Describe static scenes - Ignore pacing - Omit camera work details - Use passive language

Keyword reference

Category	Keywords
Motion Verbs	“running”, “flowing”, “dancing”, “soaring”, “colliding”, “transforming”, “morphing”
Tempo/Pacing	“slow motion”, “fast-paced”, “gradually”, “building to crescendo”, “rhythmic timing”, “steady pace”
Direction	“from left to right”, “circling around”, “approaching”, “moving upward”
Intensity	“energetic”, “peaceful”, “dramatic”, “intense”, “building intensity”

Type	Keywords
Tracking	“following”, “tracking”, “pursuing”, “tracking shot”
Orbital	“circling around”, “orbiting”, “rotating view”
Zoom	“zooming in/out”, “approaching”, “backing away”
Panning	“panning left/right”, “tilting up/down”
Aerial	“bird’s eye view”, “overhead shot”, “flying camera”, “drone footage”
Handheld	“shaky”, “handheld”, “documentary style”

Type	Keywords
Natural	“golden hour”, “sunset”, “dawn”, “daylight”, “blue hour”, “natural window lighting”
Artificial	“streetlights”, “neon glow”, “spotlight”, “studio lighting”, “candlelight”, “LED strips”
Quality	“soft”, “harsh”, “diffused”, “dramatic”, “warm”, “cool”, “flickering”
Direction	“front-lit”, “backlit”, “side-lit”, “rim lighting”

Category	Keywords
Animation	“anime”, “3D rendered”, “cel-shaded”, “motion graphics”, “stop motion”
Realism	“photorealistic”, “hyper-realistic”, “lifelike”, “documentary style”
Artistic	“oil painting”, “watercolor”, “sketch”, “graphic novel”
Aesthetic	“cyberpunk”, “vintage”, “modern minimalist”, “retro”, “futuristic”
Cinematic	“cinematic”, “Hollywood blockbuster”, “indie film”, “music video”
Mood	“whimsical”, “dramatic”, “peaceful”, “energetic”, “mysterious”

Style examples

“anime”, “3D rendered”, “cel-shaded”, “motion graphics”, “stop motion”

Subject matter categories

“martial arts”, “fighting”, “acrobatic stunts”, “parkour”, “fast-paced action”

Video format keywords

Format	Keywords
Short	“brief”, “simple”, “focused”, “single action”
Long	“epic sequence”, “detailed narrative”, “multiple scenes”, “progressive action”
Multi-scene	“montage”, “multiple scenes”, “smooth transitions”, “time progression”, “then… then…”
Moving camera	“dynamic camera motion”, “sweeping camera”, “flying camera”, “fluid movement”

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Video lacks motion	Add dynamic verbs: “running”, “flowing”, “transforming”
Poor pacing control	Specify timing: “slow motion”, “fast-paced”, “building intensity”
Limited camera variety	Add camera movement: “tracking”, “circling”, “panning”
Confusing transitions	Clarify progression: “smooth transitions”, “connecting scenes”
Inconsistent quality	Add quality terms: “cinematic”, “professional”, “high-quality”
Unclear focus	Simplify to essential components: Subject + Action + Scene

Advanced strategies

Video chaining: Use last frame of video as starting image for next video segment

Iteration workflow: Generate/edit images first (faster, cheaper), then generate video

Complex scenes: Break into sequential edits, build gradually

Learn more

📚 Full guide: Full guide - Comprehensive prompting guide with detailed examples, video categories, troubleshooting, and advanced strategies like video chaining

Related guides:

Cheatsheet - Image generation quickstart cheatsheet
Cheatsheet - Image editing quickstart cheatsheet