Prompt craft

A Simple Formula for Clear AI Video Prompts

By Carivio AI · October 16, 2026

A prompt works like a shot brief. It tells the model what matters in the frame and what changes over time. A long list of cinematic adjectives can obscure those instructions, so build the description around concrete choices.

A practical approach

1. Name the subject and its important features first. Describe what should be visible, such as an amber bottle with a black cap, without asking the model to invent a readable label.
2. Add the environment, lighting and action. Distinguish movement by the subject from movement by the camera. A stationary cup with a camera push is a different request from a cup sliding across a table.
3. End with framing and a small number of constraints. A close-up, a clear background and one movement give you an understandable result to evaluate. Change one instruction at a time when comparing attempts.

An example to adapt

Use this as a creative brief, then adjust it to your own subject and the controls available in your chosen tool.

Close-up of an amber perfume bottle with a black cap on dark stone. Warm side lighting creates a narrow highlight on the glass. The bottle stays still while the camera slowly moves forward. Keep the whole cap visible.

Before you publish

Read the prompt aloud and imagine a single shot. If it describes several locations, multiple edits or conflicting camera movements, split it into separate scenes before generating.