AI video prompt guide: 30 prompts that actually work
Great AI video starts with a great prompt. This guide gives you a repeatable formula and 30 prompts you can paste straight into Dora.
The formula
[Subject] + [Action] + [Setting] + [Camera] + [Lighting/Style]
Example: "A vintage motorcycle (subject) speeding down a coastal highway (action) at sunset (setting), low tracking shot (camera), warm cinematic grade, 35mm film look (style)."
Keep it to one scene. Add camera language and lighting — they do the heavy lifting.
Cinematic
- Aerial drone shot gliding over misty mountains at sunrise, cinematic, volumetric light.
- Slow push-in on a lone lighthouse in a storm, dramatic clouds, moody, high contrast.
- Tracking shot through a neon-lit Tokyo alley at night, rain, reflective puddles.
- Macro shot of ink diffusing in water, sapphire blue on cream, slow motion.
- A train crossing a tall viaduct in golden hour, wide establishing shot.
Product & brand
- A sleek perfume bottle rotating slowly on a marble pedestal, soft studio light.
- Sneakers floating and spinning against a gradient background, crisp shadows.
- Coffee being poured into a glass cup, steam rising, warm morning light, close-up.
- A smartwatch with the screen lighting up, dark reflective surface, premium feel.
- Cosmetic jar opening with a soft glow, pastel palette, clean and minimal.
Portrait & character
- Slow camera orbit around a subject, hair moving gently, golden-hour backlight.
- A musician on stage as lights sweep across, shallow depth of field.
- Close-up of a face turning toward camera, soft window light, subtle smile.
- A traveler looking out over a canyon, wind in their jacket, epic scale.
- Fashion editorial: model walking toward camera, studio strobes, red and cream palette.
Social & UGC
- First-person POV walking into a cozy café, handheld, warm tones.
- Flat-lay of a desk setup coming to life, objects arranging themselves, top-down.
- A skateboarder landing a trick in slow motion, urban backdrop, sunny.
- Unboxing reveal with confetti, bright and playful, vertical 9:16.
- A plate of food with steam, fork pulling a bite, appetizing close-up.
Nature & abstract
- Time-lapse of clouds rolling over a green valley, wide angle.
- Bioluminescent waves at night on a dark beach, long exposure feel.
- Northern lights shifting over a snowy forest, slow pan.
- Liquid metal morphing into shapes, studio light, hypnotic.
- A single dandelion releasing seeds in the wind, macro, soft focus.
Story moments
- A child running through a field of wildflowers toward a kite, golden hour.
- Two cups of coffee on a rainy windowsill, droplets sliding down the glass.
- A door opening to reveal a glowing portal, cinematic, volumetric light.
- Astronaut floating past a window with Earth behind, quiet and vast.
- A campfire crackling at dusk as friends gather, warm flickering light.
Make them yours
Swap the subject, change the lighting, switch the camera move. For a fuller walkthrough, read how to make an AI video from text. To animate a specific photo, see photo-to-video with Gemini Omni.