Prompting
- Write prompts the way a director briefs a crew: subject, action, setting, time of day, mood.
- Mention only what matters. Long prompts with conflicting instructions confuse the result.
- Lean on references for things hard to describe in words — a shade of teal, a face, a silhouette.
Cinematography
- Pick a camera/lens/focal/aperture preset for your project and stick to it.
- Default to 35mm or 50mm. Reach for ultra-wide or long lenses when the story specifically calls for it.
- Aperture f/2.0–f/2.8 covers most narrative scenes. Use f/1.4 for romance and dreams; f/16 for landscapes and epic reveals.
Video structure
- Build storyboards before videos. Cheap to iterate, easy to share.
- Use the wide → medium → close-up rhythm for multi-shot scenes. Classic for a reason.
- Save your strongest budget for the moment that matters most. Not every shot has to be the same length.
Production rhythm
- Work in iterations. Four variations → pick one → refine → move on. Trying to nail it in one click is slower.
- Name projects, scenes, and presets descriptively. “Hero Shot V3” beats “Untitled.”
- Use the Assets library. Anything you generate is available to reuse.
Common mistakes to avoid
Mistake 01
Loading every cinematic control at once on your first try. Start with prompt + camera preset, then add movements and ramps.
Mistake 02
Asking for too many things in a single edit. One change per pass.
Mistake 03
Ignoring the 15-second ceiling on multi-shot videos until the timeline forces you to. Plan your time budget before generating.