Prompt Writing
The difference between a generic image and a cinematic one is rarely the model — it’s the brief. Write your prompt the way a director briefs a crew: specific, ordered, and visual.
The anatomy of a strong prompt
Every controllable image lives on five layers. Name each one explicitly and you leave far less to chance.
- Subject & wardrobe — who or what, and how they’re styled.
- Light — the source, its quality (hard or soft), and its direction.
- Lens & framing — focal length, aperture, and shot size.
- Color & film — the grade or film stock that sets the palette.
- Mood & atmosphere — the feeling the frame should carry.
Order matters
Front-load the elements you care about most. Models weight the beginning of a prompt more heavily, so lead with subject and light before you reach for adjectives.
Cinematic close-up portrait of [subject], soft [key light] from camera-left, 85mm lens, shallow depth of field at f/1.8, warm amber and cream grade, subtle film grain, editorial mood.
Rule of thumb: if you can’t picture the shot from your own words, the model can’t either. Add one concrete detail and try again.