Writing Effective Motion Prompts
The motion prompt tells the video model what should move in the shot and how the camera should behave.
Writing Effective Motion Prompts
The motion prompt tells the video model what should move in the shot and how the camera should behave.
A good prompt usually stays simple, physical, and easy to visualize.
What a strong motion prompt includes
The best prompts usually describe:
- the main subject movement
- the camera movement, if any
- the overall feel of the motion
Good examples
- "Slow camera push-in on the character's worried expression"
- "Camera slowly pans left to reveal the abandoned house"
- "Gentle wind moves through tall grass, camera static"
- "Character walks from left to right, looking over their shoulder"
What to avoid
Try to avoid:
- long prompts with too many unrelated actions
- conflicting camera instructions such as pan, orbit, and zoom all at once
- large scene transformations that change everything at once
- many characters doing different things simultaneously in the same prompt
A simple rule
One main subject motion and one clear camera motion usually works better than a complicated paragraph.
If the camera should stay still, say that clearly.
Practical advice
If your first result feels chaotic or unfocused, simplify the prompt before regenerating.
Clear motion almost always works better than more words.