Describe a camera move as an action
A useful camera prompt says where the camera begins, how it moves, what it follows and where the shot settles. Name the movement only when the name adds clarity; plain direction is often more reliable than a pile of cinematography terms.
Five reusable movement patterns
- Slow push-in: The camera moves slowly toward the subject and settles in a close-up as their expression changes.
- Tracking shot: The camera tracks beside the runner at waist height, matching their speed while the background passes naturally.
- Arc: The camera makes a controlled half-circle around the product, keeping it centred and ending on the label.
- Reveal: Begin close on the textured surface, then pull back to reveal the full room and the person standing in it.
- Handheld: Subtle handheld movement follows the subject through the crowd; grounded documentary motion, no violent shake.
Match movement to the reference
In image-to-video, the reference establishes composition. Ask whether the requested move has enough visual information to reveal. A large orbit around a tightly cropped portrait invents unseen geometry; a restrained push-in or lateral drift is usually a more coherent starting test.
Separate camera motion from subject motion
Write them as separate clauses: the subject crosses the room; the camera tracks in parallel. This makes it easier to diagnose a miss. If the model confuses the two, simplify the subject action before adding a more complex camera path.
Common fixes
- If the frame jumps, reduce the move and specify a steady pace.
- If the subject drifts, name what remains centred.
- If the ending feels random, state the final framing.
- If motion feels rushed, remove a beat or choose a longer supported duration.
- If a reference breaks, test a move that reveals less unseen space.
Build a small camera test
Run the same subject and reference with three camera variants, then preserve the prompts and outputs in one afterSora project. Compare stability and framing before changing the art direction.
