Sora 2 Prompt Guide – How to Write Better Prompts for AI Video Generation

Begin with a precise scene cue and a clear objective for the AI. Define the core conflict in a single sentence, then add constraints that guide visuals and pacing for a video result rather than a text description. Keep it actionable: specify a setting, characters, and a measurable outcome the system should produce in the final render.

Specify the setting as a kitchen to anchor texture and lighting. Add tactile hints like steam, clinking dishes, and neon reflections to steer the look. Describe camera language with steady dolly nebo tight close-ups, and set the mood as emotionally charged and tense, suitable for a thriller. Name the protagonist a antagonist, and give them personal stakes that the audience can feel.

Outline actions a participants clearly: who does what, when, and why. Use unfiltered language to capture sharp gestures, decisive lines, and crisp visual beats. Tie visuals to fantasy or grounded realism by specifying whether you want surreal effects or grounded texture, and note how the scene should follow a single thread rather than jumping between ideas. Emphasize getting the audience into the moment with sensory cues, from heat and odors to the rhythm of the movie vibe and sparse dialogue that carries weight.

Structure the prompt around a brief sequence: the protagonist acts, the antagonist counters, and the tension escalates toward a choice. Keep constraints tight: frame sizes, lighting ratios, and a limit on narration so visuals carry the story. The camera should roll after key actions to capture reactions and push the plot toward the aftermath.

To illustrate, assemble a compact prompt skeleton and then expand: “A tense kitchen interior at dawn, the protagonist faces the antagonist, emotionally charged, sparse dialogue, personal stakes, actions described in unfiltered terms, a thriller pace.” Then add concrete camera notes: “roll the camera here, cut to a reaction, roll again for aftermath,” and iterate with inspired tweaks to fit your project and target audience.

Sora 2 Prompt Guide: Talking Heads in AI Video Generation

Set a tight objective for the talking head: explain the core idea in under 60 seconds using plain language and measurable cues. Define the target audience and pick one clear takeaway. Attach this to your Sora 2 prompt so the model generates a focused, decodable performance from the start.

storytelling cues and concrete visuals. For morning briefing vibes, select a light, steady pacing and a warm facial cue. Use tips that help a viewer digest info quickly.

Use controlled cuts and gestures. Keep the mouth-sync accurate by emphasizing the lips only when phrases land; slight head nods and eyebrow raises can signal emphasis without chaos. If the scene needs impact, introduce a one-second cut to a graphic before returning to the talking head.

To craft a talking head that feels real, combine secrets of timing with machine-driven cues: micro-expressions, breath rhythm, and eye-line. Taking advantage of incorporating background motion and generating consistent lighting keeps the head anchored. The design should be designed to translate complex topics into accessible language, reframing abstract realities into plain examples, and weaving storytelling into each moment.

Discuss production realities: use lightweight scenes and minimal assets to reduce chaos and keep the presenting beat crisp. A great talking head emerges when you limit noise, maintain a steady pace, and plan for cuts that support the narrative. Use a single camera angle for straightforward prompts; switch to two angles only for emphasis to avoid weak visuals.

In your prompts, foreground words that the model should prioritize: storytelling, clarity, and concrete examples. For each talking head scenario, specify the audience, the domain, and the morning vibe; then adjust combining visuals and voice cues toward a clear takeaway.

Define character, voice, and speaking cadence

Define a single, concrete voice signature for the character and apply it across the full episode. Create a one-line stem that captures tone, pace, and worldview, then anchor prompts to that signature so the AI retrieve consistent cues in these rooms and corridors throughout the episode.

Build a voice palette: pick 5–7 traits, set sentence length, and define rhythm for action versus reflection. These choices use period-appropriate diction and a mix of concise clauses with lyrical phrasing to fit the world. Keep the cadence visually striking, so trailers and on-screen dialogue feel cohesive. Plan for evolution across episode arcs while maintaining a balance between clarity and color; inspiration from deakins should inform lighting and tone behind the words.

Set cadence rules: at action moments, speed up with short clauses; at magical or introspective beats, elongate sentences and insert sensory details. Use cues like dusk, doors opening, or a quiet encounter when the pace needs to shift. When the room grows quiet, shift the cadence. When a character enters rooms or faces a moral decision, let cadence reflect focus and energy. exaggerated beats can cue performance during climactic moments to land the impact without losing control.

Delivery cues: mark breath, emphasis, and tone with punctuation and line breaks; keep a consistent projection across full episodes; align voice with the vision behind the shot; ensure it feels real behind the action and in every frame.

Example prompt piece: “Character: Mira, alone, a pragmatic investigator; Voice: calm, dry wit; Cadence: measured, with exaggerated emphasis on clues; Setting: dusk-lit manor; Visual cue: deakins-inspired lighting, deep shadows; Mood: magical, thrilling; Goal: retrieve a hidden truth.”

Set visual framing: camera angles, shot size, and composition

Start with a tight close-up on the protagonist to anchor emotion, then reveal context with layered depth that guides the eye visually across the scene. Build structure by transitioning from an intimate frame to a broader view, letting light shift from sunrise to the next beat. In prompts, specify camera angles and shot sizes precisely to create a clear progression for the AI generating frames.

Map angles to intent: use eye-level for connection, a low angle to empower, and a high angle to signal restraint. Pair with shot sizes that match the beat: tight for emotion, medium for interaction, long for context. Include a flyover shot for geography, and reserve forbidden angles for moments of secrecy you want to avoid. Lead the eye with a moving sequence that stays visually clean and seamlessly, and adjust lens choice to keep depth crisp across layers. Mention surveillance motifs only when the story calls for it, to avoid cliché.

Composition centers on depth and layered structure: place the protagonist on the left third, with leading lines from architecture or streets pointing toward the subject. Use foreground elements to create depth; a layered frame with foreground, mid-ground, and background adds texture. Let light sculpt shapes: sunrise or hour-specific lighting creates warm direction; use shadows to separate subjects and hint at time passing. Use a flyover for epic landscape context, and ensure the frame remains readable when the subject moves within the frame. Maintain consistency by adjusting light at each hour.

Avoid clutter: keep negative space meaningful and horizons aligned. Don’t mix too many actions in one frame to prevent depth confusion. Maintain distinct depth cues so foreground, mid-ground, and background read cleanly. Ensure transitions are seamlessly by matching color temperature and light direction across shots. For sequences spanning an hour, describe gradual lighting changes to preserve continuity.

In prompts, lock visual language: “angle: eye-level” or “low angle”; “size: tight close-up” or “long shot”; “composition: protagonist on the left third, with layered foreground and depth.” Add setting cues like social a moderní to place the action in a contemporary world. Include a flyover drone shot for geography, and request sunrise lighting to establish mood. Command seamlessly flowing transitions and a high-energy pace for action beats. If the scene talks with another character, cue reaction shots to alternate perspectives. Keep prompts concise and concrete to minimize misinterpretation, and anchor the sequence with a single epic visual through-line that stays true to the design and structure.

Control lip sync and dialogue timing

Start by anchoring lip sync to the prompt’s dialogue timing: build a detailed phoneme map and lock visemes to the frame grid. This built framework provides information to synchronize dialogue with protagonists’ actions and lighting, bringing the view into sharper focus. Include onset and offset times for each line, and integrate micro-pauses to avoid abrupt or empty moments that break immersion. Use tips against drift, emphasizing precise timing for each sentence to keep the cadence consistent.

Tips for implementing timing inside prompts: assign each line a target frame count, align the phoneme sequence to the dialogue, and assign a view-specific cue for the character’s mouth, eyes, and gestures. For modern scenes with neo-classical lighting, pair dialogue timing with action beats to produce natural lip movements even during subtle movements like a dance or micro-gestures. Enhancements include a secondary layer that tracks breath, cadence, and punctuation, which helps avoid abrupt shifts.

Integrate dialogue timing with scene actions: coordinate mouth shapes with character gestures, so when a protagonist raises a hand, the syllables peak at the moment of gesture, not earlier. Build the prompt to include a highlight on stressed syllables and emphasizing emotional tone. Use detailed notes about tone and pace to guide the model.

Workflow and testing: view results in a quick pass, then iterate. Use a separate lighting cue to verify lip position; run multiple takes, compare audio and video frames, adjust prompts, and re-run. Provide clear prompts with structured data for each scene, and keep prompts modular to reuse in future scenes. Emphasizing consistency across scenes, especially for ensemble pieces where several protagonists speak, ensures cohesion.

Specify lighting, color palette, and background context

Use a three-point lighting setup with a 5600K key light, a 3200K fill, and a subtle backlight to separate subjects from the background. Lock white balance to 5600K and work in Rec.709 for skin tones. Place the key at 45°, the fill at 30–40% opposite, and the backlight just bright enough to reveal hair and shoulders without hot halos. For multi-camera setups, keep the same key and fill positions across rigs to avoid shifts between angles. Ensure enough diffusion and light stands are ready so you can roll between shots without re-rigging, preserving clean moves across angles.

Define a 3–5 color palette that supports the concept. Example: navy #0A1F44, slate #5A7D9A, sand #D8CAB3, moss #5F8B5A, accent coral #FF6F61. Apply the primary color to key lighting, secondary to backgrounds, neutrals to wardrobe, and the accent sparingly. A swell of warmth can come from amber gels on practicals or warm fill to convey optimism. When combining practical lights with LEDs, run white balance tests to keep generated skin tones honest. Document the palette and use it across lighting, wardrobe, and set dressing to maintain visual coherence.

Background context drives the scene. Describe the setting, time of day, weather, and ambient textures that support the concept. For social content and trailer-style cuts, craft a background that stays legible behind moving subjects. Obtain permissions for locations and gear so you can shoot without delays. In prompts, mention birds in the distance, street silhouettes, or a calm park to give depth. If interviews are involved, place the camera behind the subject to capture honest reactions and prepare a trailer-style sequence that can be followed by trailers and a social cut. Prerequisites like space for light stands, power outlets, and safe cable management should be secured before you roll.

To structure prompts effectively, blend lighting, color, and background context so the concept shines. Describe camera moves and rolling shots (roll) that interact with light. Explore atmospheres where birds drift in the background and a swell of color supports the mood. Use a multi-camera setup and plan a trailer- or behind-the-scenes feel that supports interviews and honest dialogue. Often asked questions around permissions and prerequisites should be answered directly in the prompt, ensuring enough space and safety. The generated footage should feel cohesive, loved by audiences, and aligned with the trailer’s tone while still feeling authentic and human in its social storytelling. This approach supports filmmaking quality throughout the process.

Create prompt variations and evaluation checks for consistency

Begin with a baseline prompt that locks tone, subject, and output style, then generate five variations that keep core intent while shifting dynamic factors like setting, energy, and camera approach. A park setting grounds the visuals, while cinematographic framing and high-quality imagery sustain consistency across the episode and its twists.

Use the checks below to ensure cohesion across prompts, episode pacing, and final renders. Portray a steady approach, and flag any fake cues or blending that breaks continuity.

• Baseline and variation strategy: define the core objective, audience, output length, and required prerequites (as a starting point). Attach a script-like description for the host voice and the visual approach, then craft five variations that preserve the main arc while switching environment, energy level, and camera language.
• Variation levers: adjust setting (park versus interior), lighting (dawn, noon, dusk), energy level (high-energy versus restrained), and visual language (ground-level, cinematic tracking, or overhead). For each variant, specify a twist and a cliff moment to anchor pacing and viewer engagement.
• Narrative and portrayal: ensure consistent portrayal of characters, tone, and wardrobe. Use the term portraying to guide how subjects interact with space, and apply combining of stories from multiple takes to enrich the episode without losing continuity.
• Techniques and imagery: outline camera moves, framing, and color keys. Include references to images and examples to standardize look, then mark where blending with overlays or VFX occurs to keep expectations clear.
• Prerequisites and quality controls: list required assets (scripts, shot lists, mood boards, reference images), and set a checklist for color grading, audio cues, and subtitle timing. Proactively note any neo-classical motifs or cliff-side motifs you want to carry across variations to reinforce style.
• Consistency checks: build a rubric that tracks scene length, lighting, object continuity, and prop placement across variations. Include a pass for ground-level continuity and beneath vantage consistency to avoid jarring jumps between shots.
• Evaluation method: run parallel renders and compare frames side by side, verifying that twists land at the intended beat and that the overall polish remains high-quality. Mark any deviations as actionable notes for revision before publishing the vlog.

1. Example 1 – Baseline Variation:

   Prompt: dynamic, high-energy, cinematographic vlog episode set in a park during golden hour. Portraying a host exploring a hidden neo-classical cliff beneath a statue, with ground-level framing and smooth tracking shots. Techniques include steady cam moves, close-ups, and subtle overlays. Prerequisites: clear objective, shot list, color keys, and a sound design guide. Combining stories from a single timeline, the visuals should remain cohesive while presenting a twist at the midpoint.

2. Example 2 – Night Park Twist:

   Prompt: dynamic, high-quality park environment filmed at dusk with a grounded, cinematic approach. The episode centers on beneath lighting and reflections, portraying the host uncovering a secondary narrative that blends real-world cues with a stylized, neo-classical motif. Twist appears near a cliff-like feature in shadows. Prerequisites: lighting plan, exposure targets, and image references. Examples of imagery and a short storyboard are provided to keep consistency across shots.

3. Example 3 – Blending Stories and Testing Fake Elements:

   Prompt: combining two parallel stories in a single park episode using a ground-level vantage and a cinematic cadence. Portraying the host as a guide through a scene that gradually reveals a twist supported by images and overlays. Techniques include cross-dissolves, split-screen cues, and color matching to a neo-classical aesthetic. Prerequisites: risk-free test prompts, flagged blending regions, and a dedicated section to identify fake overlays. Cliff moments serve as anchor points to maintain rhythm throughout the episode.