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AI video prompt templates
Pick a template: a cinematic camera move, a product ad, a character animation, a short social video or image to video. Fill in two lines, choose the camera, light, style and length, and copy a prompt for Veo, Kling, Seedance or Higgsfield. Planning several shots? Cinematic mode adds lens, light and film choices, a look lock that keeps every clip matching, and a 3 to 6 shot list.
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The five templates
| Template | Use it for | What the prompt covers |
|---|---|---|
| Cinematic camera move | Travel shots, scenery, dramatic openers. | One continuous shot with a named move: push-in, orbit, drone, crane or tracking. |
| Product ad | Shop listings, Reels ads, launch teasers. | A hero shot that keeps the label and shape unchanged and ends with space for your brand name. |
| Character animation | Mascots, kids' stories, funny clips. | One character, one action and one expression, with a rule that the character stays the same in every frame. |
| Short social video | Reels, Shorts and TikTok. | 3 quick vertical shots: a hook in the first two seconds, the action, then the payoff. |
| Image to video | Old family photos, portraits, pet photos. | Only the movement you describe, with the faces, clothes and background kept the same. |
Tips for better AI videos
- One idea per clip. Five to eight seconds with one action looks cleaner than a crowded scene. Build longer videos from several clips.
- Name one camera move. "Slow push-in" or "orbit" gives a steadier result than "dynamic camera".
- Describe motion, not just looks. Video tools need to know what moves, how fast and in which direction.
- Say what to avoid. Warped hands, flicker and text on screen are the most common problems. In Kling, put them in the negative prompt box.
- Start from a good picture. For image to video, a sharp, well-lit photo gives the best motion. Make one with the AI photo prompt generator.
These templates are a starting point, not a guarantee: video tools still vary from one try to the next, so expect to run a prompt two or three times. For a one-line idea turned into a full prompt, try the AI video prompt generator.
Cinematic mode: one look across every shot
Switch to Cinematic above the templates to plan a short sequence. Start from a look (neo-noir night, golden-hour documentary, nature-doc telephoto and more) or pick the lens, aperture, light set-up, time of day, film stock, grade, camera move and speed yourself. Every option says what it does.
- Look lock: one block of words for the camera, light, film and character that you paste into every shot unchanged, so the clips match when you cut them together.
- Shot list: 3 to 6 shots, each with its own size, camera move and action, and the look lock already pasted in.
- Written for each app: Veo gets the order of Google's guide and a separate negative prompt, Kling a negative prompt for its box, and Runway positive phrasing only, as its guide asks.
It warns when choices fight each other, such as a drone shot in a close-up or tungsten film in daylight. Video models still change details between clips, so expect a few tries. The words themselves are explained in the cinematic prompt guide.
More video prompt help
Questions, answered
Which video tools do these templates work with?
Veo, Kling, Seedance and Higgsfield each get a version written for them, and "Any tool" writes plain sentences for other text-to-video tools. For Kling and Seedance, the things to avoid go in a separate negative prompt line.
How do I turn a photo into a video?
Pick the Image to video template, describe what is in the photo and what should move, then upload the photo in your video tool and paste the prompt. The prompt asks the tool to keep faces, clothes and the background the same.
How long should an AI video prompt be?
Usually 60 to 120 words: enough for the subject, action, camera, light, length and things to avoid. Much longer and tools start to drop parts of it.
Is anything I type sent to PromptUp?
No. The prompt is built in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.