A good template saves time and gives you a reliable starting point. The twelve templates below cover the most popular AI video styles. Each uses the shot-description structure: shot type, subject, action, setting, camera and look. Replace the parts in square brackets with your own details, keep the structure, and adjust from there.
These templates are written for general text-to-video use. For image-to-video, keep the motion and camera parts and drop most of the description, as explained in Image-to-Video Prompting.
1. Cinematic drama
“[Shot type] of [character description] [one emotional action], in [setting], [time of day]. Slow push-in, shallow depth of field, anamorphic lens. Moody [warm/cool] lighting, film grain, cinematic colour grade.”
Example: “Close-up of a middle-aged man in a rain-soaked coat staring at an old photograph, in a dim train station, late at night. Slow push-in, shallow depth of field, anamorphic lens. Moody cool lighting, film grain, cinematic colour grade.”
2. Documentary realism
“Handheld [shot type] of [subject] [everyday action] in [real-world setting]. Natural light, muted colours, documentary style, slight camera sway, 16mm film look.”
Example: “Handheld medium shot of a baker shaping loaves of bread in a small bakery before dawn. Natural light, muted colours, documentary style, slight camera sway, 16mm film look.”
3. Epic landscape
“Aerial drone shot slowly gliding over [landscape], [weather], [time of day]. Vast scale, volumetric light, cinematic, high detail.”
Example: “Aerial drone shot slowly gliding over jagged snow-covered peaks, thin clouds drifting between them, at sunrise. Vast scale, volumetric light, cinematic, high detail.”
4. Anime style
“Anime-style [shot type] of [character] [action] in [setting]. Cel-shaded, clean line art, vibrant colours, soft lighting, [mood], gentle camera movement.”
Example: “Anime-style wide shot of a girl in a school uniform riding a bicycle along a seaside road in summer. Cel-shaded, clean line art, vibrant colours, soft lighting, nostalgic, gentle tracking camera.”
5. Claymation and stop motion
“Claymation stop-motion [shot type] of [character] [simple action] in [miniature setting]. Visible fingerprints in the clay, handmade props, slightly jerky stop-motion movement, warm studio lighting.”
Example: “Claymation stop-motion medium shot of a small orange fox baking a pie in a cosy cottage kitchen. Visible fingerprints in the clay, handmade props, slightly jerky stop-motion movement, warm studio lighting.”
6. Product commercial
“Studio product shot of [product] on [surface/background]. Slow [orbit/push-in], clean softbox lighting, crisp reflections, [colour] gradient background, high-end commercial look, shallow depth of field.”
Example: “Studio product shot of a matte black wireless headphone on a polished stone pedestal. Slow orbit, clean softbox lighting, crisp reflections, deep blue gradient background, high-end commercial look, shallow depth of field.”
7. Horror atmosphere
“[Shot type] of [location], [unsettling detail]. Slow creeping push-in, low-key lighting, deep shadows, flickering [light source], fog, desaturated cold tones, horror film.”
Example: “Wide shot of an abandoned hospital corridor, a wheelchair slowly rolling on its own. Slow creeping push-in, low-key lighting, deep shadows, flickering fluorescent tube, thin fog, desaturated cold tones, horror film.”
8. Retro VHS
“[Shot type] of [subject] [action], [1980s/1990s setting]. VHS home video look, scan lines, colour bleeding, soft focus, handheld camcorder, timestamp-free.”
Example: “Medium shot of kids blowing out candles on a birthday cake in a 1990s living room. VHS home video look, scan lines, colour bleeding, soft focus, handheld camcorder.”
9. Music video
“[Shot type] of [performer description] [dance or performance action] in [stylised setting]. [Lighting effect], dramatic colours, rhythmic camera movement, music video style, high contrast.”
Example: “Low-angle medium shot of a dancer in a silver jacket spinning slowly in an empty parking garage. Pulsing magenta and cyan lights, dramatic colours, rhythmic camera movement, music video style, high contrast.”
10. Nature macro
“Extreme close-up macro shot of [small subject] [subtle action] on [surface]. Shallow depth of field, soft natural light, [weather detail], high detail, nature documentary.”
Example: “Extreme close-up macro shot of a dewdrop sliding down a green leaf after rain. Shallow depth of field, soft natural light, light mist, high detail, nature documentary.”
11. Sci-fi world
“[Shot type] of [futuristic setting], [vehicles or characters] [action]. Neon accents, volumetric light beams, reflective surfaces, haze, cool blue palette, cinematic sci-fi.”
Example: “Wide crane shot of a futuristic city at night, flying vehicles gliding between towers. Neon accents, volumetric light beams, reflective wet surfaces, haze, cool blue palette, cinematic sci-fi.”
12. Painterly animation
“[Art style, e.g. watercolour/oil painting] animation of [subject] [gentle action] in [setting]. Visible brush strokes, soft edges, [palette], slow gentle motion, dreamlike.”
Example: “Watercolour animation of a red paper boat drifting down a narrow canal in an old town. Visible brush strokes, soft edges, warm pastel palette, slow gentle motion, dreamlike.”
How to adapt templates
- Keep one action per prompt, even if the template tempts you to add more.
- Swap the camera to match the emotion you need; see Camera Movement Prompts.
- Swap the lighting to shift mood; see Lighting and Mood Prompts.
- Check the model’s style: some models prefer longer, natural descriptions; others respond better to shorter phrases.
- Save winners as your own templates with notes on model and settings.
Combining templates in a project
A single video can use several templates. A short travel film might open with the epic landscape template, cut to documentary shots of local life, include macro details of food, and end with a painterly animated title sequence. Keeping each template’s look consistent within its own section helps the overall video feel deliberate rather than random.
Templates and content standards
The same structure works for any subject, which is why it is worth adding your own standards to your templates. If you make horror or action content, decide in advance how graphic you want it to be, and build those limits into your saved prompts and negative prompts. On open models without filters, this keeps your output consistent with where you plan to publish.
Frequently asked questions
Do templates work in every tool?
The structure works broadly; exact wording may need small adjustments per model.
Should I use artist or studio names?
Describe the style instead. It is more respectful of living artists and often more reliable.
How long should my final prompt be?
Roughly 30 to 80 words works for most models.
