Image-to-video prompt cheat sheet

Short reference for writing prompts that turn a still frame into a moving shot.

Formula

Subject + one action + one camera move + light.

Examples

• A ceramic mug on a wooden desk, steam rising, slow push-in, warm morning light.
• A paper boat on a puddle, ripples spreading, static camera, overcast sky.

Habits that help

• Keep each prompt to one sentence per element.
• Name the camera move explicitly; leave it out and the shot stays almost still.
• Change a single word between two test runs so the difference is easy to see.

Habits that hurt

• Stacking several actions in the same shot.
• Mixing styles such as photoreal and cartoon in one line.

Try it online

Prompts like these can be tested in a text to video AI tool that runs in the browser.