Runway Prompts for AI Video
Runway rewards motion-first prompts: describe the camera move, the subject action, and the atmosphere — in that order. These patterns produce usable shots instead of pretty stills that barely move.
Cinematic Shots
slow dolly-in on [SUBJECT] standing in [LOCATION], shallow depth of field, golden hour backlight, cinematic 35mm, subtle atmospheric hazeaerial drone shot flying over [LANDSCAPE], camera slowly tilting down, morning fog rolling through, epic scalehandheld tracking shot following [SUBJECT] walking through [BUSY LOCATION], motion blur on crowd, documentary energystatic wide shot of [SCENE], only [ONE ELEMENT] moving — wind in trees, flickering neon — everything else still, moody and quiet
Product & Brand Video
360-degree orbit around [PRODUCT] floating on dark background, studio rim lighting, slow rotation, premium ad aestheticmacro close-up of [PRODUCT DETAIL], light sweeping across the surface, water droplets, ultra slow motion[PRODUCT] assembling itself from parts mid-air, clean white studio, satisfying precise motion, minimal shadows
Camera Language That Works
Start prompts with the camera move: "slow push-in", "orbit left", "crane up", "tracking shot" — Gen models obey camera verbs better than adjectives.One subject action per clip: "she turns toward camera" works; three simultaneous actions collapse into mush.Add "subtle motion" or "gentle camera drift" to keep b-roll calm instead of warping.
Stylized & Experimental
[SCENE] in the style of a 1980s VHS home video, tape grain, slight tracking errors, warm faded colorstimelapse of [SUBJECT/SCENE] transforming from [STATE A] to [STATE B], clouds streaking overhead[SUBJECT] made of flowing liquid chrome, morphing slowly, black void background, studio reflections
Tips for Better Results
- Camera verb first, subject action second, style last — order changes results dramatically.
- Shorter prompts often move better; over-described scenes render as near-stills.
- Use image-to-video with a strong keyframe when you need brand-exact looks.
- Generate 4-second tests before spending credits on longer takes.
New to Runway? Start with the step-by-step guide.
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