AI Video Prompt Template

Eight parts, one sentence each, and a prompt that a video model can follow. Filled in with a real prompt from Ziztu, then blank.

Use this template

FitsOne clip of 5 to 10 seconds
IncludesFilled example and blank
CostFree to copy

Updated 14 October 2026

A bride in a white gown reads a message on her phone in the open doors of a sunlit stone chapel

A woman in a yellow raincoat walks through a rainy neon street at night

A cat in a tiny chef hat in a sunny kitchen

Stills of clips made in Ziztu with prompts written this way.

The template

The example is the prompt behind the first clip above. Each part answers one question about the shot, so when a clip goes wrong you know which sentence to change.

AI video prompt

A bride in a chapel doorwayYour title here

The eight parts

One short phrase each. Leave out a part only on purpose.

Subject: A bride in a white satin gown
Action: reads a message on a phone in her hand, then lifts her eyes with a calm, knowing smile
Setting: in the open doors of a sunlit stone chapel
Camera: slow push in at shoulder height
Light: warm morning sun from the side
Style: live action, cinematic, natural skin, filmic color
Sound: soft wind and a distant organ
Length and shape: 5 seconds, vertical 9:16

The prompt, assembled

Join the parts into one or two sentences. This is what you paste.

Prompt: Live action, cinematic, natural skin, filmic color. A bride in a white satin gown stands in the open doors of a sunlit stone chapel, reads a message on a phone in her hand, then lifts her eyes with a calm, knowing smile. Warm morning sun from the side, slow push in at shoulder height. Soft wind and a distant organ. 5 seconds, vertical 9:16.

Three more with the same parts

Different styles, same eight answers.

1CartoonA cat in a tiny chef hat flips a pancake in a sunny kitchen. Funny, 3D cartoon, 5 seconds, 9:16.
2Anime2D anime, cel shading. A girl in a straw hat watches a cloud whale drift over a seaside village. Soft morning light, slow pan right. 5 seconds, wide.
3ThrillerA woman in a yellow raincoat walks through a rainy neon street at night and glances back at a man three steps behind her. Wet reflections, handheld camera. 5 seconds, vertical.

When a clip goes wrong

Change one part at a time.

1Two things happen at onceSplit the action into two clips and chain them.
2The face changesRepeat the same one-sentence description of the person every time.
3The camera wobblesName one camera move and drop the rest.

Paste it into Google Docs, Word, Notion or any text editor. It is free to copy and use.

The fastest way to use it

On your own

Copy the template into a document and fill it in.
Find an image tool, a video tool and a voice tool, and move your work between them.
Keep the same faces, places and style yourself, shot after shot.

In Ziztu

The idea box opens with the example already written. Change the names and press go.
Studio plans the shot list, makes every shot and adds the music, in one place.
Character sheets keep the cast looking the same in every shot.
40 free credits, no card: write the script, cast your characters, draw the storyboard and hear the voices. Video starts at $12.

Use this template

How to fill it in

01
Answer the eight questions
Write a short phrase for each part. If you cannot answer one, the clip will leave it to chance.
02
Join them in the right order
Start with the style, then the subject, action and setting, then the light, camera, sound and length.
03
Change one part at a time
Change the light or the camera, not both. You will learn what each sentence does.

What makes it work

One action per clip

A 5 second clip can hold one action or two that follow. Three actions become a blur.

Name one camera move

A push in, a pan or a still camera. More than one tends to make the picture shake or drift.

Keep the person description fixed

Copy the same sentence every time you show the same person, so the face stays close from clip to clip.

More templates

A six panel color storyboard of a night market chef flipping noodles and an office worker tasting them

Shot listShot listShot size, angle, action, sound and time for eight shots, filled in.

A six panel pencil storyboard: a rainy bus stop, a girl with an umbrella, a kitten in a box, her brother stepping off the bus, her smile, the two sharing the umbrella

StoryboardStoryboard templateSix panels with shot, action, camera and time, filled in with a real example.

A bride in an ivory gown walks down the aisle of a sunlit stone chapel past full pews

ScriptMicro drama scriptAn episode card, a shot list and the script, filled in with a real episode.

A white paper plane gliding over a school rooftop fence into a big blue sky

ScriptAnime scriptAn episode card, a script with sound cues and a hook, turn and cliffhanger check.

Frequently asked questions

What is an AI video prompt template?

A prompt template is a fixed set of parts you fill in each time, such as subject, action, setting, camera, light, style, sound and length. It turns a vague idea into a prompt a video model can follow, and it makes results easier to compare when you change one part.

How do I write a good AI video prompt?

Describe one subject doing one action in one place, name a single camera move, say how the light looks and give the style and length. Put the style first. Avoid listing many actions in one clip.

How long should an AI video prompt be?

Two to four sentences is usually enough. The assembled example here is four short sentences. Longer prompts tend to add details the model ignores.

Are the examples real?

Yes. The pictures are stills of clips made in Ziztu from prompts written this way. The people are invented.

Can I run the prompt in Ziztu?

Yes. Press Use this template to open the idea box with the example written out, or try the micro drama generator for one 5 second clip. In Ziztu Studio you plan whole episodes and keep the cast the same.

Is the template free?

Yes. Copy it as text, download it as a Markdown file or print it to PDF without an account.