A video prompt formula: five useful shot briefs

Use a readable sequence: subject → action → setting → camera → light and style. For references, explain which file supplies appearance, motion or sound. This is a briefing method rather than a special syntax guaranteed across every model.

Choose a supported duration and format in the studio. A prompt should not promise output settings that the selected form does not offer.

• Product reveal: a ceramic bottle on a pale stone plinth; a soft light moves across the surface while the camera slowly pushes in. One shot, no text.
• Portrait: a fictional adult person looks toward a window and gives a restrained smile. Medium close-up, soft daylight, a stationary camera.
• Environment: morning mist drifts through a small riverside town. A gentle forward camera move follows the water, without cuts or new landmarks.
• Illustration: a folded-paper bird opens its wings on a desk. Keep the paper material readable, a low side view and one continuous action.
• Demonstration: one hand places a wooden block into a matching opening. A fixed overhead camera, simple background and a clearly visible finish.

If a photo establishes the subject, do not ask the model to reinvent its appearance and preserve it exactly at the same time. If a clip supplies motion, say which element should transfer and what should be new.

For character performance, confirm a Motion Control workflow and prepare compatible sources. For exact editing, use the appropriate editor rather than treating any video reference input as a universal editing tool.

Check the whole recording for action order, face changes, geometry and unwanted camera moves. Listen to sound when it is part of the brief.

Change one variable in the next attempt. Record the accepted prompt and inputs, and keep the reason for rejection so that the comparison remains useful.