24 Cinematic AI Video Prompts You Can Copy Today

Most AI video prompts fail for the same reason: they describe a picture and forget the camera. A video model needs to know what moves, how the camera moves, and how long the moment lasts. The 24 prompts below all follow one formula, so once you understand it you can write your own in a minute. Every prompt is plain text. Paste it into the video model you already use, set the duration to 5 to 8 seconds, and change the subject to fit your story.

Save this page. The prompts are grouped by mood so you can build a full short from one section: an opening shot, a middle shot, and a closing shot that share the same light and color.

The five-part formula behind every prompt#

1. 01

   Shot size

   Wide, medium, close-up, or macro. One choice per prompt.

2. 02

   Subject and action

   One subject doing one visible thing: walking, turning, pouring, rising.

3. 03

   Place and time

   Where it happens and the light: blue hour, golden hour, neon night, overcast noon.

4. 04

   Camera move

   Slow push in, dolly left, orbit, crane up, handheld follow, or locked tripod.

5. 05

   Look

   Lens, color, and texture: anamorphic, 35mm film grain, shallow depth of field, soft haze.

[shot size] of [subject] [doing one action], [place] at [time of day], [camera move], [lens and look], cinematic, no text

Night city and neon (6 prompts)#

1. Wide shot of a lone figure with a clear umbrella walking down a rain-soaked neon street at night, slow dolly following from behind, reflections on wet pavement, anamorphic, teal and magenta, cinematic, no text.
2. Close-up of raindrops hitting a puddle that reflects pink and blue neon signs, locked tripod, macro lens, shallow depth of field, slow motion, cinematic, no text.
3. Aerial wide shot of a futuristic city skyline at blue hour, slow crane forward between glowing towers, light haze, volumetric light, cinematic, no text.
4. Medium shot of steam rising from a street food stall under warm bulbs at night, slow push in, 35mm film grain, warm orange against cool blue shadows, cinematic, no text.
5. Wide shot of an empty subway platform as a train arrives with light streaks, locked tripod, motion blur on the train, fluorescent green tint, cinematic, no text.
6. Close-up of a hand wiping fog off a rainy cafe window to reveal the neon street outside, slow rack focus from glass to street, soft bokeh, cinematic, no text.

Nature and landscape (6 prompts)#

1. Wide shot of wind sweeping sand over desert dunes at golden hour, slow dolly left, long shadows, warm amber haze, anamorphic, cinematic, no text.
2. Wide shot of a lighthouse on black rocks as storm waves crash below, locked tripod, dark clouds rolling, spray in the air, desaturated blue, cinematic, no text.
3. Low wide shot of a tropical waterfall in a misty jungle, slow crane up from the pool to the top of the falls, light rays through leaves, lush green, cinematic, no text.
4. Medium shot of pink cherry blossom petals falling over a quiet park path, slow push in, soft morning light, pastel tones, shallow depth of field, cinematic, no text.
5. Wide shot of a snowy log cabin with warm glowing windows at dusk, slow push in, gentle snowfall, cool blue against warm gold, cinematic, no text.
6. Underwater wide shot of sunlight beams moving over a colorful coral reef with a school of small fish, slow forward drift, turquoise water, cinematic, no text.

Story moments with people (6 prompts)#

These use generic adults, not real people. Keep the clothing and hair the same across clips if you want them to read as one character.

1. Medium shot of a young woman in a camel coat turning toward the camera on a city bridge at blue hour, slow orbit, warm streetlamp light, anamorphic, cinematic, no text.
2. Close-up of an older man's hands opening a worn leather journal by candlelight, slow push in, warm flicker, shallow depth of field, cinematic, no text.
3. Wide shot of two friends running along the edge of the ocean at sunset, handheld follow, lens flare, golden light, joyful, cinematic, no text.
4. Medium shot of a chef sprinkling salt over a sizzling pan in a dark kitchen, locked tripod, backlit steam, slow motion, cinematic, no text.
5. Wide shot of a lone hiker standing on a ridge above clouds at sunrise, slow crane up and back, epic scale, warm pink sky, cinematic, no text.
6. Close-up of a child's paper boat drifting down a rain gutter, low angle tracking alongside, shallow depth of field, soft overcast light, cinematic, no text.

Sci-fi and fantasy (6 prompts)#

1. Wide shot through the round window of a space station as Earth slowly rotates below, locked tripod, soft blue rim light, cinematic, no text.
2. Medium shot of a glowing magic book opening on its own in a candle-lit library, slow push in, floating dust motes, warm gold light, cinematic, no text.
3. Low wide shot of a sleek red race car accelerating on a coastal road at dusk, tracking shot alongside, motion blur, orange and violet sky, cinematic, no text.
4. Wide shot of a giant whale made of light swimming above a night city, slow tilt up, bioluminescent blue, dreamlike, cinematic, no text.
5. Close-up of a robot hand gently holding a small green sprout, slow rack focus from metal fingers to leaf, soft studio light, cinematic, no text.
6. Wide shot of floating islands with waterfalls pouring into clouds at sunrise, slow crane forward, fantasy, pastel sky, cinematic, no text.

16:9 or 9:16?#

A wide landscape prompt rendered in 9:16 wastes most of the frame on sky and ground. For vertical video, change "wide shot" to "medium shot", and change "dolly left" to "slow tilt up" or "crane up". The vertical frame rewards vertical motion.

When a clip comes out wrong#

• The scene melts or morphs. Remove a second action, slow the camera, and shorten the clip to 5 seconds.
• Random text appears. Keep "no text" at the end and remove words like sign, poster, or label from the scene.
• The camera does nothing. Put the camera move earlier in the prompt and use a common phrase like "slow push in".
• Faces look off. Use a medium or wide shot instead of a close-up, or start from a still image you already like.

Want to turn these clips into a finished story? Read how to make a short film from one character sheet next, or plan a vertical channel with the faceless Shorts workflow.