AI Video Prompting Checklist for Stable Motion
A practical checklist for writing AI video prompts with clear subjects, camera movement, timing, lighting, and review criteria.
Strong AI video prompts describe change over time. A still-image prompt may produce a pretty first frame, but video generation needs direction for subject motion, camera motion, timing, and continuity.
Start with the subject. Name the main object or person, then describe the stable visual anchors that should remain consistent across frames: clothing, color, scale, background, and lighting. If the subject is a product, include the angle and what should not change.
Add action as a short sequence instead of a single vague verb. "A runner warms up, starts jogging, then passes the camera" gives the model a clearer temporal path than "a runner moving." Keep each clip focused on one primary motion.
Describe the camera separately from the subject. Useful camera phrases include slow push-in, locked tripod, smooth orbit, side tracking, top-down dolly, or handheld documentary style. Avoid stacking too many camera moves in one prompt.
Include lighting and mood only after motion is clear. Lighting affects consistency, so use stable phrases such as soft morning light, overcast studio light, neon reflection, or golden-hour backlight.
Before generating, check the prompt against five questions: Who or what is on screen? What changes during the clip? What stays visually consistent? How does the camera move? What aspect ratio will the final platform need?
After generation, review identity, motion, composition, artifacts, and usefulness. Save the prompt when a clip works. Reliable AI video production is less about one perfect prompt and more about repeatable prompt patterns.