The Sora 2 prompting cheatsheet: Steal these 4 production-ready templates
Overcome AI Prompt paralysis and go from blank page to final cut
Staring at a blank prompt box, feeling the pressure to be a cinematographer, a lighting director, and a screenwriter all at once? It’s the single biggest barrier for creators using AI tools.
The secret isn’t knowing every technical term. It’s about having a solid structure.
To help you skip the frustration, I’ve deconstructed four production-ready prompts for different use cases. Don’t just read them, steal them. Break them down, swap out the details, and make them your own. This is your cheatsheet.
Template 1: The MAPPA-Style anime fight scene
This prompt is for creating dynamic, high-impact anime action sequences, focusing on style and energy over complex narrative.
Anime Fight
Format & Style: Cel-shaded anime action, bold linework, high-contrast light, and motion streaks.
Style: 2D–3D hybrid animation in the style of MAPPA and Ufotable.
Tone: tense, heroic, and fast. A female scavenger with metal gloves fights a cybernetic warrior, a duel of pride and skill.
Camera: Dynamic anime camera, handheld feel with parallax.
Notes: Even a great prompt can result in AI quirks (like our character fighting with an arm behind their back). The key is iteration. If one element fails, lock in what works and change the variable that didn’t.
Variants to Explore:
Change the Style: Swap MAPPA and Ufotable for Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, or go full Pixar. Change the tone to get a completely different feel.
Change the Conflict: Replace the fighters with towering Mechas fighting Kaijus, or Gladiators. Go wild. This shifts the scale from personal duel to epic battle.
Add Dialogue: Make it your own with dialogue you like: “I will not let you destroy my home!” to give the AI a narrative anchor.
Template 2: The authentic UGC product reaction video
This is designed to generate hyper-realistic, “shot-on-a-phone” content perfect for social media ads or organic-looking marketing.
Fantastic User Generated Content
Format & Style: UGC reaction video, authentic, handheld, shot on front iPhone camera.
Style: Unfiltered realism, slight overexposure, raw and honest. Feels like someone impulsively filming a discovery they’re excited about.
Camera: iPhone 15 Pro front camera in selfie mode. Handheld one-hand shot, slightly shaky with autofocus micro-pulses. Occasional light flare as phone shifts. No stabilization or post edits.
Lens: Native wide lens (~26 mm), full-frame field of view. Deep focus, everything sharp, no artificial blur. Edge distortion from close proximity preserved for realism.
Main Subject(s): One person, late 20s, expressive and energetic. They’re talking fast, gesturing with bottle of neon blue water, making exaggerated facial expressions as they describe how surprisingly good it looks and feels — never taking a sip.
• Wardrobe and Props Casual at-home clothes: oversized white hoodie, messy hair pulled back, natural lighting on face. Props: clear bottle of neon water, slightly frosted from the cold; phone held in other hand; visible countertop behind.
• Location Plain kitchen with daylight spilling through blinds. Foreground: bottle and subject’s hands. Midground: subject’s face centered. Background: out-of-focus fridge, magnets, faint clutter. Camera angle: selfie-style, slight high tilt downward as if chatting with audience.
• Lighting & Palette Pure natural light from side window — unbalanced exposure. Cool daylight tone, soft shadows, slight blue cast from phone auto-balance. Color anchors: skin tone, transparent bottle with neon blue water, white hoodie, gray kitchen, silver fridge. Everything flat and true-to-life — no grade.
• Actions & Camera Beats (0–12 s)
0–4 s — Subject lifts bottle close to camera, eyes wide, talking fast.
> “Guys—look at this water. It’s literally perfect. You can see the light bouncing inside it!” Hand moves bottle to catch glare; tiny rainbow flare appears.
4–8 s — Leans closer, excited whisper.
> “I swear—it’s so clear it looks fake. Like glass, but colder.” Turns bottle sideways; camera focus flickers between face and label.
8–12 s — Laughs, shakes bottle gently so bubbles rise; gestures toward lens.
> “No way something this basic feels this fancy. I’m losing it.” Ends with amused grin, half-laugh, shakes head.
• Montage Plan Single unbroken selfie take. Quick handheld adjustments as subject plays with reflection; focus pull moment when bottle crosses lens. No edits, jump cuts, or transitions — full real-time authenticity.
• Dialogue (full) “Guys—look at this water. It’s literally perfect. You can see the light bouncing inside it! I swear—it’s so clear it looks fake. Like glass, but colder. No way something this basic feels this fancy. I’m losing it.” (Laughs, shakes bottle.)
• Sound & Foley Raw phone audio: slight room echo, fridge hum, subtle bottle crackle, fingernail tap on plastic, breathy laugh. Auto gain fluctuates with voice volume; background hiss intact. No music, no noise reduction.
• Finish Completely ungraded iPhone video — flat colors, minor flicker, occasional exposure shifts. No LUT, no color curve, no stabilization. Poster frame: subject mid-gesture, bottle catching daylight spark, mouth open mid-laugh — perfectly imperfect freeze of authenticity.
Notes: I may have gone overboard with the detail and dialogue. It’s too much. But the feel is perfect.
Variants to Explore:
The Tech Unboxing: Change the main subject to a tech reviewer, late 20s and the props to a sleek new smartphone in minimalist packaging. The dialogue can be about the satisfying click of a button or how premium the screen feels. The tone would shift from excited to appreciative and analytical.
The “Is It Gross?” Food Challenge: Keep the UGC format but change the props to a jar of bizarrely colored pickles. Change the Actions & Camera Beats to show hesitation, a reluctant sniff, a brave first bite, and an exaggerated reaction (good or bad). The dialogue becomes about texture and unexpected flavors.
The Luxury Skincare Review: Change the wardrobe to a silk bathrobe and the location to a clean, minimalist bathroom. The props become a glass bottle of face serum. The dialogue should be whispered and focused on sensory details like the cool feel on the skin and subtle, calming scent.
Template 3: The High-Energy cinematic sportswear Ad
This prompt uses a shot-list structure with timestamps, making it perfect for creating fast-paced, rhythmic ads and trailers.
Sports Ad
A 12-second cinematic scifi sportswear ad, high-energy, multi-sport montage in four dynamic cuts.
[0–3s] – CUT 1 / OPEN. Boxing gym: close-up of taped fists with cyber gloves tightening, chalk dust drifting through warm light. Camera pushes in fast as the athlete snaps a jab toward lens. (Audio): sharp thwack, deep bass hit, faint gym echo.
[3–6s] — CUT 2. Indoor running: low tracking shot of running scifi shoes — motion blur, rhythmic flashes of teal light. (Audio): high-tempo beat syncs with pedal cadence, breath layered in.
[6–9s] — CUT 3 • Scifi cyber arena: dusk setting, sodium haze. A warrior trains moves with with a staff, handheld camera. (Audio): sneaker squeak + staff swish + rising synth swell.
[9–12s] — CUT 4 • Close up: frontal shot — scifi warrior face, showing the effort of training. (Audio): high-tempo beat syncs, breath layered in.
Notes: It turned out to be a ultra-modern sport ad, instead of sci-fi. But other than that, defining the timestamps is the most powerful tool to control the video.
Variants to Explore:
Extreme Sports Edit: Change the settings to a snowy mountain peak, a dirt bike trail, and a crashing ocean wave. The sports become snowboarding, motocross, or surfing. The audio can incorporate environmental sounds like wind whipping and engine roars.
Focus on Recovery: Shift the tone from high-energy to intense and focused. Replace the action shots with scenes of an athlete in an ice bath, using a massage gun, and doing focused stretching in a quiet studio. The audio becomes slower, focusing on deep breaths and soft, ambient music.
Athleticism & Lifestyle: Change the setting to an urban cityscape. The actions become yoga on a rooftop at sunrise, sprinting for a subway, and laughing with friends at a post-workout cafe. This broadens the focus from pure performance to an active lifestyle.
Template 4: The kinetic High-Fashion studio shoot
This prompt combines a shot list with detailed descriptions of lighting, gear, and mood to replicate the controlled chaos of a professional fashion shoot.
Fashion Shooting
Format & Style Cinematic fashion editorial reel, fast-paced studio shoot with multi angle cutting and flash-synced transitions.
Style: glossy, modern, Vogue-meets-film energy, controlled chaos of a live shoot captured through kinetic camera language.
Camera: ARRI Alexa Mini LF and handheld BTS cam (Sony FX3) intercut for realism. Mix of dolly tracking, whip-pans, and static tripod bursts. Fast focus pulls between poses, brief shutter smears during transitions.
• Lens Alternating between 35 mm (wide tracking) and 85 mm (macro close-ups). Shallow DOF, rolling focus shifts on every cut for texture. Occasional lens flare from strobes left unmasked for authenticity.
• Main Subject(s) Fashion model — bold, cinematic presence; alternating between slow elegance and high-intensity pose transitions. Facial expressions range from fierce confidence to subtle softness.
• Wardrobe & Props Structured designer look: asymmetric black leather jacket, high-waisted pleated satin pants, gold statement earrings. Props: studio stool, standing mirror, light stand, handheld fan, scattered Polaroids on floor.
• Location Minimal studio with soft-gray cyc wall and two visible strobe umbrellas. Foreground: blurred light reflector. Midground: model posing center. Background: faint silhouettes of crew and gear for editorial realism.
• Lighting & Palette Key: strobe bursts + constant LED fill. Fill: tungsten side spill for warmth. Color anchors: matte black, metallic gold, ivory, deep shadow blue, neutral gray. Alternates between warm and cool tones each cut — high fashion lighting contrast.
• Actions & Camera Beats (0–12 s) 0–2 s — Establishing: Wide dolly-in — model walks toward light flare, hair caught by fan. Flash burst → quick cut. 2–4 s — Pose switch: Medium shot — turns sharply, hands on hips; camera whip-pans, flash triggers mid-spin. Match cut to opposite side angle. 4–6 s — Macro insert: Close-up on eyes under strobe flicker, gold earring swings; shallow focus drift. Flash burst → white cut to next frame. 6–8 s — BTS insert: Behind-the-scenes camera shot — photographer crouching, model mid-turn; overlapping shutter sound. Quick zoom-punch for rhythm. 8–10 s — Power pose: Full-body wide; model leans on stool, jacket open, fan lifts fabric; camera glides in circular arc, slow-motion flash bloom. 10–12 s — Final reveal: Extreme close-up of face; camera rises vertically from collar to eyes, soft exhale; final flash freezes her in white-gold haze.
• Montage Plan Seven rapid cuts tied to strobe bursts and pose changes. Each transition masked by light flash or motion blur. Beat structure: 2–2–2–2–2–2 pacing with subtle slow-mo in last frame. Ends with 0.5-second hold on final flash silhouette.
• Dialogue (if any) Photographer (off-screen, layered across beats): “Yes—hold that! Turn! Flash! Beautiful—reset—chin up, light again!” Model breathes audibly between cues.
• Sound & Foley Layered high-fashion sound design: Flash pops and shutter clicks (sync to cuts). Fan whoosh, fabric ripple, soft heel scuff. Ambient low synth pulse and muted house percussion for pacing (120 BPM). No melody — pure rhythm and texture.
• Finish Fine-grain texture; halation bloom on strobes; rich contrast LUT (gold highlights, lifted blacks, matte whites). Optional subtle split-tone flicker for energy. Poster frame: mid-flash burst, silhouette frozen in white-gold light, camera visible behind — elegant chaos captured in motion.
Notes: This prompt excels at creating a specific, premium aesthetic by layering details about camera types (ARRI Alexa Mini LF), lighting (strobe bursts + constant LED fill), and even off-screen dialogue.
Variants to Explore:
Vintage Film Noir: Change the style to classic Hollywood glamour, high-contrast black and white. Wardrobe becomes a 1940s trench coat and fedora. The lighting is hard key light, creating long shadows (chiaroscuro). The audio is a smoky jazz saxophone melody and the sound of falling rain outside.
Gritty Streetwear (On-Location): Move the Location to a graffiti-covered alleyway at night. The Camera is entirely handheld Sony FX3 for a raw, documentary feel. The Lighting is the harsh glare of streetlights and neon signs. The model’s poses are more candid and less structured.
Ethereal Fantasy: Change the Location to an enchanted forest with glowing mushrooms or a misty, ancient ruin. The Wardrobe becomes flowing silk gowns and fantasy armor. The Lighting is soft, diffused, god rays breaking through trees. The sound design includes magical chimes and ambient natural sounds.
Ooff. Those are a lot of details.
But again, the beauty of Sora 2 and similar tools like Veo 3, is that they will understand what you ask from them, and add the things you don’t define. They can operate with single line prompts, or these gigantic ones.
You define how much control you want. Enjoy.