187 phrases for video prompts, grouped by the decision each one controls
187 phrases across 17 decisions, in the order they go in the prompt. Each group names the decision it controls, so when a result is wrong you change one group instead of rewriting the prompt. Free PDF at the bottom, no sign-up.
The problem
A generated clip comes back nearly right and the usual response is to rewrite the whole prompt, which changes every variable at once and tells you nothing about which one was wrong.
What this gives you
Every phrase on this page is filed under the single decision it moves. Wrong energy, change the movement group. Wrong feel, change the light group. Leave the rest alone.
Duration
- 6 seconds
- 8 seconds
- 10 seconds
- 15 seconds
- 30 seconds
- 60 seconds
15-second cinematic clip.
Six seconds, one continuous take, no cuts.
Aspect ratio
- 16:9
- 9:16
- 1:1
Framed 16:9 for landscape playback.
Vertical 9:16, composed for a phone held upright.
Medium and style
- cinematic
- photorealistic
- anime
- documentary
- 3d render
- unreal engine
- stop-motion
- 35mm film
- watercolor
- vector
- photoreal
- claymation
- line art
- octane
Cinematic, shot on 35mm film.
Photorealistic, indistinguishable from a real camera.
Shot size
- close-up
- wide shot
- medium shot
- extreme close-up
- establishing shot
- two-shot
- macro shot
- over-the-shoulder
- closeup
Extreme close-up on the texture, filling the frame.
Wide establishing shot, subject small in a large space.
Camera angle
- overhead
- low-angle
- eye level
- three-quarter
- top-down
- profile
- high-angle
Low-angle looking up, subject towering over the lens.
Directly overhead, top-down on the surface.
Camera movement
- push-in
- tracking shot
- handheld
- orbit
- locked-off
- slow zoom
- truck
- slow dolly
- parallax
- pull-back
- slow pan
- whip pan
- crane up
- dolly in
- steadicam
- tilt down
- dolly out
- pan left
- tilt up
- dolly forward
- dolly back
Slow push-in toward the subject, ending tight.
Locked-off tripod, no camera movement at all.
Lens and focal length
- 35mm
- macro lens
- anamorphic
- 100mm
- 50mm
- 85mm
- 28mm
- wide-angle lens
- 32mm
- 50 mm
- fisheye
- telephoto
- 40mm
- 35 mm
- 85 mm
- 24mm
Shot on an 85mm lens, compressed and flattering.
Wide 24mm, close to the subject, edges stretching.
Depth of field
- shallow depth of field
- bokeh
- rack focus
- f/1.4
- f/1.8
- f/2.0
- soft focus
- f/2.8
Shallow depth of field, background dissolving into bokeh.
Deep focus, everything from foreground to horizon sharp.
Lighting
- soft lighting
- rim lighting
- rim light
- silhouette
- volumetric lighting
- golden hour
- volumetric light
- soft light
- side lighting
- chiaroscuro
- key light
- low-key
- practical lighting
- backlit
- high-key
- side light
- practical lights
- backlight
- god rays
- neon lighting
- blue hour
- softbox
Soft lighting from a large source, shadows barely there.
Rim lighting from behind, edge of the subject glowing.
Colour and grade
- vibrant
- pastel
- film grain
- black-and-white
- natural color
- high contrast
- desaturated
- crushed blacks
- natural colour
- low contrast
Vibrant saturated grade, colours pushed but not clipping.
Muted pastel palette, low contrast, gentle.
Subject motion
- reveal
- float
- drift
- slow motion
- glides
- rotates
- time-lapse
- ripples
- unfolds
- hovers
- cascade
The lid glides open on hidden runners, slow and even.
Fabric billows in slow motion, every fold readable.
Mood
- playful
- energetic
- whimsical
- calm
- dramatic
- minimal
- elegant
- uplifting
- moody
- ominous
- ethereal
- luxurious
- serene
- nostalgic
- cosy
- gritty
Calm and unhurried throughout.
Playful and energetic, quick and bright.
Audio bed
- percussion
- bells
- ukulele
- xylophone
- piano
- drums
- bass
- marimba
- strings
- synth
- guitar
- choir
- handclaps
- pads
- flute
- synthesizer
- synthetic
- harp
- synthase
- kalimba
Minimal deep electronic ambience with soft mechanical clicks.
Warm ukulele and marimba, light percussion, no vocals.
Resolution / quality tier
- 480p
- 720p
- 1080p
- 4k
- basic
- high
- ultra
- pro
- std
- standard
First/last frame anchoring
- start frame
- end frame
- start = end
- one-shot
- loop
- end-frame reveal
- generic image/reference role , not a start-frame role
Don't redescribe the static frame , model already has it.
Looping actions pass the SAME image as both start frame and end frame. One-shot actions (attack, death, hit, cast) pass only the start frame, forcing them back to the start pose ruins the action.
Ad format / mode (branded video)
- ugc
- hook
- setting
- ad reference
Looks like a real person filmed on phone
Polished broadcast commercial
Edit instruction (video editing workflows)
- make the jacket red
- sketch
- timestamp
All 187, as a PDF
Every entry on this page, in the same order, over 2 printable pages. Nothing is trimmed to make it fit — the count in the title is the count in the file.
Common questions
How do I write a prompt for AI video generation?
State the decisions rather than describing atmosphere. Work down subject, action, shot size, camera movement, lighting, look and duration, giving each one clause. The groups on this page are that list, and the phrases under each are the wording that reads clearly to current models.
Why does my AI video ignore part of my prompt?
Most often because the prompt asks for more than one action. Models drop the second beat. One action per clip, and cut between clips for the rest.
Where this comes from, and what to read next
This page is a list. It does not explain the material — Video prompts does, group by group, with what each decision controls and why. Research on how people actually prompt is collected under how people really use AI.