Phase 6: Image, Video & Voice Prompting · 30 min · Sora, Runway, Pika, or similar AI video tool

Video Prompt Anatomy

Video adds time, motion, and camera. Six elements, not five.

Hiring signal: What changes when you use this: you can write video prompts with all six elements — producing controlled, intentional video instead of random AI-generated clips.

What you will learn

Write video prompts with all six elements: subject, action, environment, camera + lighting, style, and duration
Describe motion and camera movement in concrete terms
Understand the difference between image and video prompting
Iterate on video prompts to control motion and timing

The Problem

Image prompts are about what you see. Video prompts are about what you see over time — which means you need to describe motion, camera movement, and duration. Most people write video prompts like image prompts and get static-looking clips with random motion.

The Six-Part Video Prompt Anatomy

1. Subject

Same as image prompts — who or what is in the video. Be specific.

2. Action

What is happening? This is the key difference from image prompting. Describe the motion:

Vague: "a man walking" Specific: "a man in a dark coat walking briskly through a rain-soaked alley, splashing through puddles, looking over his shoulder once"

3. Environment

Where is this happening? Describe the setting in detail:

Vague: "in a city" Specific: "a narrow cobblestone alley in a European city at night, wet surfaces reflecting neon signs, steam rising from a grate, distant traffic sounds implied by the setting"

4. Camera + Lighting

How is the camera moving? What's the lighting?

Camera vocabulary:

Static shot, slow pan left/right, tracking shot, dolly in/out
Handheld (shaky, documentary feel), crane shot, drone shot
Close-up, medium shot, wide shot
Following the subject, circling the subject

Vague: "nice camera work" Specific: "slow tracking shot following the subject from behind, camera at waist height, slight handheld shake for realism. Low-key lighting, neon signs as the primary light source, reflections on wet cobblestone"

5. Style

Same as image — cinematic, documentary, anime, etc.

Specific: "cinematic, shot on Arri Alexa, moody color grade with teal shadows and orange highlights, film noir aesthetic, 24fps"

6. Duration

How long is the clip? This matters for AI video tools.

Specific: "5-second clip" or "10-second clip with the action starting at 2 seconds"

Unlock the full lesson

You've read the first 2 sections. The rest of this lesson covers Full Example, Your Practice Rep — plus a hands-on lab, quiz, and project artifact.

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