How to write AI video prompts that actually work
By the ShortsMachine team · Updated
A video prompt has two jobs: tell the model what the story is, and tell it what each shot should look like. In ShortsMachine your prompt drives the script writer, which then writes a detailed shot description for every scene — so the most important thing you give it is a clear idea.
The five parts of a good video idea
- Subject: who or what the video is about.
- Angle: the specific take, question or story.
- Audience and tone: for kids or experts, calm or energetic, funny or eerie.
- Look: art style, setting, palette, lighting.
- Ending: twist, lesson, question or call to action.
Words that control motion
For image-to-video prompts, describe one main action and the camera. Useful camera words: static shot, slow push in, pull back, pan left, tilt up, orbit, tracking shot, handheld, aerial. Useful motion words: drifting, swaying, flickering, rippling, gusting, slow motion.
12 prompts to copy
- A 60-second story about a robot who repairs broken umbrellas in a city where it never stops raining. Warm, hopeful ending. Watercolor.
- Five strange facts about deep-sea creatures, each with a glowing bioluminescent visual. End by asking which is the creepiest.
- The fall of Pompeii told minute by minute from the point of view of a baker. Oil painting, ash-grey palette.
- Explain how vaccines train the immune system using a castle-guard analogy. Friendly, for 12-year-olds.
- A motivational second-person story about getting up at 5 a.m. to train for a race. Cinematic sunrise.
- A horror story where a smart speaker starts answering questions nobody asked. Slow build, quiet narrator.
- Three money habits that quietly make people poorer, with a simple example for each. Clean, modern.
- What would happen if the Moon disappeared for one day? Scientific but fun.
- A fox courier delivering letters across a snowy forest at night. Anime, magical lighting.
- The history of coffee in 60 seconds, from Ethiopia to modern cafés.
- A bedtime story about a cloud who is afraid of thunder. Gentle voice, pastel watercolor.
- Product teaser for a handmade ceramic mug brand: morning light, steam, slow close-ups.
What to avoid in prompts
- Text, logos and signs in the visuals — models still render them poorly.
- Too many characters; two or three keep consistency high.
- Real people’s likeness and copyrighted characters.
- Graphic violence, which providers may refuse.
Put this guide into practice
Type an idea and ShortsMachine writes the script, generates every scene, adds a voiceover and captions, and stitches it into one video — up to 5 minutes long.
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