Sora 2 Prompting Guide

Learn how to create successful video prompts that generate exactly what you envision with Sora 2.

Before You Prompt

Think of prompting like briefing a cinematographer who has never seen your storyboard. If you leave out details, they'll improvise – and you may not get what you envisioned.

Two Approaches

1. Detailed Prompts: Give you control and consistency
2. Lighter Prompts: Open space for creative, unexpected outcomes

Both approaches are valid. The right balance depends on your goals.

API Parameters

These attributes must be set in the UI or API call - you cannot request them in prose:

• Model: sora-2 or sora-2-pro
• Aspect Ratio: Landscape (16:9) or Portrait (9:16)
• Duration (Sora 2 Pro only): 10s or 15s
• Size (Sora 2 Pro only): Standard or High

Your prompt controls everything else: subject, motion, lighting, and style.

Resolution Impact

• Higher resolutions generate detail, texture, and lighting transitions more accurately
• Lower resolutions compress visual information, often introducing softness or artifacts

Video Length

The model generally follows instructions more reliably in shorter clips.

💡 Tip: For best results, aim for concise shots. You may see better results by stitching together two 4-second clips instead of generating a single 8-second clip.

Prompt Anatomy That Works

A clear prompt describes a shot as if you were sketching it onto a storyboard:

1. Camera framing: State the shot type and angle
2. Depth of field: Note how sharp/blurred elements are
3. Action in beats: Describe movement in countable steps
4. Lighting and palette: Set the visual tone
5. Subject details: Anchor with distinctive characteristics

Shorter vs Longer Prompts

Visual Cues That Steer the Look

Style is Your Most Powerful Lever

Establish style early so the model carries it through consistently:

• "1970s film"
• "Epic, IMAX-scale scene"
• "16mm black-and-white film"
• "Hand-painted 2D/3D hybrid animation"

Be Specific, Not Vague

Camera Direction and Framing

Camera Shot Examples:

• Wide establishing shot, eye level
• Wide shot, tracking left to right
• Aerial wide shot, slight downward angle
• Medium close-up shot, slight angle from behind

Camera Motion Examples:

• Slowly tilting camera
• Handheld ENG camera
• Slow dolly forward
• Static (no movement)

Depth of Field:

• Shallow focus: Subject stands out against blurred background
• Deep focus: Both foreground and background sharp

Lighting Sets the Tone

Add Palette Anchors (3-5 colors):

• Amber, cream, walnut brown
• Electric blue, hot pink, cyan, deep purple

Control Motion and Timing

Movement is often the hardest part, so keep it simple:

1. One clear camera move per shot
2. One clear subject action per shot
3. Describe in beats or counts - small steps, gestures, or pauses

Motion Examples

Lighting and Color Consistency

When cutting multiple clips together, consistent lighting makes the edit seamless.

Describe Light Quality and Color

Instead of "brightly lit room":

✅ "Soft window light with warm lamp fill and cool edge from hallway. Palette anchors: amber, cream, walnut brown"

Using Image Input

For fine-grained control, use an image input as visual reference. This locks in:

• Character design
• Wardrobe
• Set dressing
• Overall aesthetic

Requirements

• Image must match target video's resolution
• Supported formats: JPEG, PNG, WebP

The model uses the image as an anchor for the first frame, while your text prompt defines what happens next.

Experimentation Tip

Don't have visual references? Use AI image generation to create them first, then pass them into Sora 2 as references.

Dialogue and Audio

Dialogue

Place dialogue in a block below your prose description:

A cramped room with walls the color of old ash. A Detective sits across from a Suspect at a metal table.

Dialogue:
- Detective: "You're lying. I can hear it in your silence."
- Suspect: "Or maybe I'm just tired of talking."
- Detective: "Either way, you'll talk before the night's over."

Timing Guidelines:

• 4-second shot: 1-2 short exchanges
• 8-second shot: A few more lines
• Long speeches unlikely to sync well

Background Sound

Suggest pacing with one small sound:

• "Distant traffic hiss"
• "A crisp snap"
• "The hum of espresso machines and murmur of voices"

Think of it as a rhythm cue rather than a full soundtrack.

Prompt Structure Template

Not every detail needs to be included - leaving elements open-ended encourages creativity!

[Scene description in plain language. Characters, costumes, scenery, weather.]

Cinematography:
Camera shot: [framing and angle]
Mood: [overall tone]

Actions:
- [Action 1: clear, specific beat]
- [Action 2: another distinct beat]
- [Action 3: another action or dialogue]

Dialogue:
[Short natural lines that match clip length]

Lighting + palette: [quality and sources]
Palette anchors: [3-5 colors]

Example Prompts

Example 1: Anime Style

Style: Hand-painted 2D/3D hybrid animation with soft brush textures, warm tungsten lighting, and a tactile, stop-motion feel. Cozy, imperfect, full of mechanical charm.

Inside a cluttered workshop, shelves overflow with gears and blueprints. A small round robot sits on a wooden bench, its dented body patched with mismatched plates. Its large glowing eyes flicker pale blue as it fiddles with a humming light bulb.

Cinematography:
Camera: medium close-up, slow push-in with gentle parallax
Lens: 35mm virtual lens; shallow depth of field
Lighting: warm key from overhead practical; cool spill from window
Mood: gentle, whimsical, suspenseful

Actions:
- Robot taps bulb; sparks crackle
- Flinches, dropping bulb, eyes widening
- Bulb tumbles in slow motion; catches it just in time
- Puff of steam from chest — relief and pride
- Robot says: "Almost lost it… but I got it!"

Background Sound:
Rain, ticking clock, soft mechanical hum, faint bulb sizzle

Example 2: Realistic Cinematic

Style: 1970s romantic drama, shot on 35mm film with natural flares, soft focus, and warm halation. Handheld micro-shake evokes vintage intimacy.

At golden hour, a brick tenement rooftop transforms into a small stage. Laundry lines with white sheets sway in wind, catching last rays of sunlight. Strings of mismatched fairy bulbs hum overhead. A young woman in a flowing red silk dress dances barefoot. Her partner claps along, smile wide and unguarded.

Cinematography:
Camera: medium-wide shot, slow dolly-in from eye level
Lens: 40mm spherical; shallow focus
Lighting: golden natural key with tungsten bounce; edge from fairy bulbs
Mood: nostalgic, tender, cinematic

Actions:
- She spins; dress flares, catching sunlight
- Woman (laughing): "See? Even the city dances with us tonight."
- He steps in, catches her hand, dips her into shadow
- Man (smiling): "Only because you lead."
- Sheets drift across frame, briefly veiling skyline

Background Sound:
Natural ambience only: faint wind, fabric flutter, street noise, muffled music

Best Practices Summary

✅ Do:

• Be specific about visible details
• Describe actions in countable beats
• Set style early in your prompt
• Keep camera movements simple
• Use 3-5 color anchors for consistency
• Test both detailed and light prompts

❌ Avoid:

• Vague descriptions ("beautiful", "cinematic")
• Multiple complex actions in one shot
• Long dialogue that won't fit clip length
• Requesting resolution/duration in prose (use parameters)

Troubleshooting

If a shot keeps misfiring:

1. Strip it back: Freeze camera, simplify action, clear background
2. Once it works: Layer additional complexity step by step
3. Use image references: Lock in composition and style
4. Try shorter clips: 4s clips are more reliable than 8s

Ready to create? Start with our Style Templates or jump into the Sora 2 Generator to experiment!