Prompt Engineering for AI Video: A Complete Guide

Why Prompts Matter

The prompt is the single most important input in AI video generation. Two users with the same model and settings will get completely different results based on how they write their prompts. A well-structured prompt turns a generic clip into a cinematic shot.

The Anatomy of a Great Prompt

Break your prompt into four parts:

1. Subject and Action

Start with who or what is in the frame and what they're doing.

A woman in a red dress walking through a neon-lit Tokyo alley at night

Be specific about clothing, environment, and motion. Vague subjects like "a person" give the model too much freedom.

2. Camera and Composition

Tell the model how the shot is framed. This is where most beginners leave value on the table.

Low-angle tracking shot, shallow depth of field, rack focus from foreground rain to subject

Prism supports 17 camera movements that you can select in the UI, but reinforcing them in the prompt improves consistency. Key terms:

• Dolly in/out — Camera moves toward or away from the subject
• Orbit — Camera circles around the subject
• Crane/jib — Vertical camera movement
• Drone shot — Aerial perspective with smooth movement
• Static — Locked-off camera with no movement
• Handheld — Subtle shake for a documentary feel

3. Lighting and Mood

Lighting direction dramatically changes the feel of a shot.

Volumetric fog, warm tungsten light from the left, cool blue fill light, high contrast

Useful lighting terms:

• Golden hour — Warm, directional sunlight
• Overcast — Soft, diffused, even lighting
• Neon — Colorful artificial light sources
• Chiaroscuro — Dramatic light/dark contrast
• Backlit — Subject silhouetted against a bright background

4. Style and Quality Modifiers

End with style cues that guide the overall aesthetic.

35mm film grain, anamorphic lens flare, Blade Runner aesthetic, 4K, cinematic color grading

These modifiers act as a "style layer" on top of the content. Experiment with mixing references — "Wes Anderson color palette with Michael Mann lighting" can produce striking results.

Common Mistakes

Writing a screenplay instead of a visual description

AI video models respond to visual descriptions, not narratives. Don't write:

John feels nostalgic as he remembers his childhood home.

Instead, describe what the camera would see:

A middle-aged man stands motionless in front of an abandoned house, wind moving through overgrown grass, late afternoon light casting long shadows. Close-up of his hand touching the rusted gate.

Overloading the prompt

More words isn't always better. A 5-second clip can only convey so much. If your prompt describes 10 different things happening, the model will either pick a few or produce visual chaos. Focus on one clear moment per clip.

Ignoring aspect ratio context

A 9:16 vertical video has completely different composition rules than 16:9 widescreen. Mention framing that works for your chosen ratio:

• 9:16 — "Close-up portrait framing, subject centered"
• 16:9 — "Wide establishing shot, subject in the left third"
• 1:1 — "Centered composition, symmetrical framing"

Prompt Templates

Here are starter templates you can customize:

Cinematic establishing shot:

Wide aerial shot of [location] at [time of day], [weather conditions], slow drone push-in, cinematic color grading, 4K

Character portrait:

[Subject description] looking [direction/action], [lighting type], [lens type] lens, shallow depth of field, [mood] atmosphere

Product showcase:

[Product] rotating slowly on [surface], [lighting setup], clean background, macro detail shots, commercial photography style

Iterating on Results

Don't expect perfection on the first try. The best workflow is:

1. Generate with a base prompt
2. Identify what works and what doesn't
3. Add or modify 1-2 elements at a time
4. Save good results to your library for reference

Use the Image-to-Video workflow to lock in composition: generate a perfect still frame first, then animate it with motion prompts. This two-step process gives you far more control than text-to-video alone.