Turn a simple idea into a cinematic clip use this Pika AI text-to-video prompt formula to control the subject, motion, camera, and style so your videos come out sharper, smoother, and more consistent every time.
No editing experience needed. Just type, generate, and share.
Text-to-video is the most exciting part of AI video type an idea, press generate, and watch a clip appear. But it’s also the easiest place to feel disappointed, because video prompts aren’t the same as image prompts. In an image, you’re describing one moment. In a video, you’re describing a moment that must stay consistent while it moves, with camera behavior, lighting changes, physics, and subject continuity all happening at the same time.
So if you want better results in Pika (and similar AI video tools), you need to start thinking like a director, not just a writer.
This guide is a full, practical deep dive into Pika AI text-to-video prompts how to write them, how to fix them, and how to build a repeatable prompting system that consistently produces clips that feel intentional.
You’ll learn:
A reliable prompt structure you can reuse for any idea
How to control subject, motion, camera, style, lighting, and pacing
How to reduce the most common failures: flicker, warping, identity drift, weird hands, melting backgrounds
A collection of prompt templates and ready-to-use examples
An iteration method to improve results fast without guessing
Let’s build prompts that look like a planned shot not a surprise.
A text-to-video prompt is your instruction set for how the model should generate:
What appears in the video (subject + scene)
How it looks (style + lighting + color + detail level)
How it moves (action + physics + camera motion)
What stays consistent (identity, shapes, environment stability)
When people say “my prompt didn’t work,” they usually mean one of these happened:
The subject isn’t clear (the model invented something else)
The motion is unclear (the model created random movement)
The camera behavior is unclear (the model adds shaky, inconsistent motion)
The style is mixed (results look messy or “AI-ish”)
The scene is too complex for a short clip (melting, warping, flicker)
A good text-to-video prompt is not "longer". It’s more specific in the right places.
Most short AI generations work best when you treat the clip like a single shot:
One location
One main subject
One main action
One camera plan
One lighting mood
Beginners often try to prompt an entire sequence:
“A woman walks into a cafe, orders coffee, sits down, then a robot appears and they escape”
That’s multiple shots. AI will struggle to keep continuity and may produce chaos.
Better approach: break the sequence into separate prompts and stitch clips together in editing.
Here’s a prompt blueprint that works across most styles:
Subject (who/what, key traits)
Setting (where, time of day, atmosphere)
Action (what happens during the clip)
Motion (subject motion + environment motion)
Camera (framing + movement + lens feel)
Lighting & color (mood, palette)
Style (cinematic, anime, 3D, documentary, etc.)
Quality constraints (smooth motion, sharp subject, realistic physics)
Avoid list (flicker, warped faces, extra limbs, text artifacts)
A young traveler wearing a light jacket stands at a windy cliff overlooking the ocean at sunrise. The traveler turns slowly toward the camera as waves crash below and mist drifts through the air. Wide cinematic shot, slow dolly-in toward the subject, smooth stabilized camera, shallow depth of field, 35mm film look. Warm golden-hour lighting with soft haze, realistic textures, natural color grading, smooth motion. Avoid flicker, jitter, warped faces, extra limbs, and melting backgrounds.
This format gives the model clear priorities.
Main subject (clear, concrete)
Action (simple, continuous)
Camera movement (even “static” is a choice)
Lighting/time (sunset, studio light, neon, etc.)
Style target (photoreal, anime, 3D, etc.)
Stability constraints (smooth, no flicker, stable identity)
Lens feel (24mm wide, 50mm portrait, “cinematic shallow depth”)
Texture/material detail (metal, fabric, water reflections)
Atmosphere (fog, rain, dust, smoke)
Mood (calm, suspenseful, cozy, dramatic)
Too many characters
Too many actions
Scene changes
Overloaded style mixing
Text-heavy scenes (signs, readable labels)
Fast chaotic movement (unless you accept artifacts)
In video, motion is everything. If motion is unclear, the model invents it often badly.
Subject motion: walking, turning, lifting an object
Environment motion: rain falling, curtains moving, smoke drifting
Camera motion: dolly-in, pan, tracking shot
Physics motion: cloth flutter, water ripples, hair movement
Slow, gentle, subtle, steady, smooth, calm, controlled, stabilized
Rapidly, violently, glitchy, flickering, chaotic, shaking hard
If you want action, you can still do it but keep the instruction clear:
“Smooth tracking shot following the runner”
“Steady camera, controlled motion”
“Natural running motion, realistic physics”
Adding camera direction often makes results immediately better.
Close-up, medium shot, wide shot
Over-the-shoulder
Low angle, high angle
Centered composition, rule of thirds
Static shot / locked camera
Pan left/right
Tilt up/down
Dolly in/out
Tracking shot (camera follows subject)
Orbit shot (camera circles subject)
Handheld documentary (use lightly)
“Wide-angle cinematic” (more scene, more distortion)
“35mm cinematic look” (balanced)
“50mm portrait feel” (subject focus, less distortion)
“Shallow depth of field” (subject pops, background soft)
Medium shot, slow dolly-in, smooth stabilized camera, shallow depth of field.
Lighting is one of the best prompt levers.
“Golden hour sunlight”
“Soft diffused overcast light”
“Moody low-key lighting”
“Neon magenta and cyan rim light”
“Soft studio lighting with glossy reflections”
“Volumetric light rays through haze”
“Natural color grading”
“Cinematic teal-and-orange tone” (use sparingly)
“Warm cozy palette”
“Cool sci-fi blue tones”
Pick 1 palette and stick to it.
Choose one primary style. Don’t stack too many.
Use:
“Photorealistic”
“Cinematic film look”
“Realistic textures”
“Natural skin detail”
“Shallow depth of field”
Use:
“Anime style”
“Cel shading”
“Clean line art”
“Consistent character design”
“Vibrant palette”
Use:
“Stylized 3D animation”
“Smooth animation”
“Soft global illumination”
“Clean surfaces”
“Toy-like proportions” (if desired)
Even if Pika doesn’t label it “negative prompt,” you can still add an avoid line.
Common issues to avoid:
Flicker, jitter, shaking
Warped faces, distorted hands
Extra limbs, duplicate people
Melting objects, morphing buildings
Random text, unreadable letters
Low-res blur, noise
Avoid flicker, jitter, warped faces, extra limbs, melting backgrounds, and text artifacts.
Here are reusable templates. Replace the brackets.
A [subject with key traits] in [location] at [time of day]. [Action over the clip]. [Environment motion]. [Framing], [camera movement], smooth stabilized camera, shallow depth of field. [Lighting], [color palette], [style], high detail, realistic motion. Avoid flicker, jitter, warping, extra limbs, text artifacts.
A [product] on a [surface/background] slowly [rotates/moves] as soft light sweeps across it. Close-up macro shot, slow camera push-in, smooth motion, shallow depth of field. Premium studio lighting, glossy reflections, ultra clean commercial style, sharp details. Avoid wobble, warping, text artifacts, flicker.
Anime-style [character] in [setting]. The character [simple action] while [atmosphere] moves softly in the background. Medium shot, slow tracking camera, smooth motion. Crisp line art, cel shading, vibrant palette, consistent character design. Avoid face warping, flicker, extra limbs.
Cliff sunrise
A traveler wearing a linen shirt stands on a cliff overlooking the ocean at sunrise. The wind gently moves their hair and clothes as waves crash below. Wide cinematic shot, slow crane up revealing the coastline, smooth stabilized camera. Warm golden-hour lighting, soft haze, realistic textures, natural color grading. Avoid flicker, jitter, warped faces, and melting backgrounds.
Rainy city
A person holding a transparent umbrella walks slowly along a neon-lit street in the rain at night. Reflections shimmer in puddles and light mist drifts through the air. Medium shot, slow dolly-in, shallow depth of field, cinematic 35mm look. Neon magenta and cyan lighting, realistic rain, smooth motion. Avoid flicker, warped faces, extra limbs, text artifacts.
Desert road
A dusty vintage car drives slowly along a desert road at sunset. Heat haze shimmers above the asphalt as the camera tracks alongside the car. Wide shot, smooth tracking movement, cinematic look. Warm sunset palette, realistic dust, natural motion. Avoid warping, jitter, melting road lines.
Watch ad
A sleek black smartwatch on a reflective studio surface slowly rotates as soft light sweeps across the metal edges. Close-up macro shot, controlled turntable motion, shallow depth of field. Premium studio lighting, sharp details, high contrast reflections, clean commercial style. Avoid wobble, warping, text artifacts, flicker.
Skincare bottle
A frosted glass skincare bottle on white marble as water droplets roll slowly down the surface. Close-up shot, slow camera push-in, smooth stabilized camera. Soft diffused studio lighting, clean minimal aesthetic, ultra sharp detail. Avoid melting reflections, jitter, blurry frames.
Coffee steam
A hot cup of coffee on a wooden table as steam rises in slow swirls. The camera slowly pushes in for a close-up while morning sunlight streams through a window and dust particles drift. Soft warm lighting, cinematic shallow depth of field, cozy mood, high detail. Avoid flicker, harsh noise, unstable steam.
Baking
A fresh loaf of bread on a kitchen counter as a hand slices it slowly and crumbs fall naturally. Close-up shot, steady camera, shallow depth of field. Warm home lighting, realistic textures, smooth motion. Avoid warped fingers, flicker, blur.
Portal
A wizard opens a glowing portal in a dark forest at twilight. Blue light spills onto nearby trees as particles swirl gently. Medium-wide shot, slow dolly-in, smooth stabilized camera. Cinematic lighting, volumetric glow, realistic particle motion, moody atmosphere. Avoid unstable glow, flicker, melting trees.
Crystal cave
A person walks slowly through a cave filled with glowing crystals. Light reflects across wet stone as mist drifts through the air. Wide shot, slow tracking camera, smooth motion. Cool blue lighting, cinematic atmosphere, high detail. Avoid warping, jitter, flicker.
Rooftop sunset
Anime-style character on a rooftop at sunset overlooking a city skyline. The wind gently moves their hair as clouds drift behind them. Wide shot, slow dolly-in, smooth motion. Crisp line art, warm palette, consistent character design. Avoid face warping, flicker, extra limbs.
Cyber alley
Anime-style hero in a neon alley at night, wearing a long coat with glowing accents. The hero steps forward and raises their hand as rain falls softly. Medium shot, slow tracking camera, smooth motion. Cel shading, crisp linework, neon palette. Avoid warping, flicker, distorted hands.
Waterfall
A calm waterfall in a tropical forest as sunlight filters through leaves and mist rises. Wide shot, static locked camera, smooth natural motion. Soft diffused lighting, realistic water flow, high detail. Avoid flicker, jitter, warped rocks.
Snow
A quiet street at night during gentle snowfall. Streetlights glow softly as snow drifts toward the camera. Static shot, shallow depth of field, calm mood. Soft lighting, realistic snow motion. Avoid flicker, jitter, weird snow patterns.
(You can ask and I’ll generate 100 more categorized prompts for your site.)
Symptoms: frames feel unstable, brightness changes, micro-jumps
Fix prompt:
“Locked camera”
“Smooth stabilized camera”
“No flicker, no jitter”
Reduce “neon flicker” language
Better phrase: “soft pulsing glow” instead of “flickering neon”
Fix prompt:
Avoid extreme close-ups
Use “medium shot”
“Stable facial features”
“Hands not prominent” (if hands aren’t needed)
Fix prompt:
Simplify the scene
“Clean background”
“Minimal environment”
Use static camera or slow camera
Fix prompt:
“Consistent character design”
“Same face remains consistent”
Fewer fast movements
Stable framing
Fix prompt:
Remove extra characters/objects
Define one subject clearly
Choose one main action
Instead of rewriting everything, iterate like this:
Write your clean structured prompt.
If it’s messy:
Simplify action
Add “locked camera” or “slow dolly”
Remove extra objects
Add:
Lighting detail
Palette
“Cinematic look”
Quality constraints
This method produces better results than random prompt changes.
Before you generate, check:
Do I have one subject?
Do I have one location?
Do I have one main action?
Did I specify camera (even if static)?
Did I specify lighting/time?
Did I pick one style?
Did I add a short avoid list?
If yes, you’re in the top 10% of prompt writers.
Use these when you don’t know where to start:
“A calm [subject] in [setting] at sunrise, slow dolly-in…”
“A studio close-up of [product] rotating, premium lighting…”
“Anime-style [character] walking through [location], slow tracking shot…”
“A wide landscape shot of [place], clouds drifting, static camera…”
“A cinematic close-up of [object], shallow depth of field, soft light…”
A great Pika AI text-to-video prompt isn’t about fancy words. It’s about clarity:
Clear subject
Simple continuous action
Defined camera behavior
Controlled lighting and style
Stability constraints
Short avoid list
Once you adopt a director-style prompt structure, your outputs stop feeling random and start feeling designed.