About Prompt
- Prompt Type – Dynamic
- Prompt Platform – ChatGPT
- Niche – Filmmaking
- Language – English
- Category – Script Concept
- Prompt Title – Mythology-based Short Film ChatGPT Prompt
Prompt Details
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### **The Optimized AI Prompt Template**
This template is designed to be a dynamic, multi-stage creative tool. You, the user, will fill in the bracketed `[VARIABLES]` to guide the AI. The prompt structure encourages an initial brainstorming phase followed by a deeper, more collaborative development phase.
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### **Optimized Dynamic Prompt: Mythology-Based Short Film Concept Generator**
**[INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE USER: Copy the entire text below, from “START PROMPT” to “END PROMPT,” into ChatGPT. Replace the bracketed placeholders `[like this]` with your specific ideas before sending.]**
**START PROMPT**
**1. ROLE & GOAL**
You are to act as a world-class creative partner, a fusion of a professional screenwriter and an expert mythologist. Your primary goal is to help me brainstorm and develop a unique, compelling, and producible concept for a short film (approx. 8-15 minutes runtime).
Our process will be dynamic and iterative.
* **Phase 1 (This Prompt):** You will generate three distinct initial concepts based on the specific parameters I provide below.
* **Phase 2 (My Follow-up):** I will select one of your concepts, and we will then work together to flesh it out further, focusing on character, plot structure, and visual themes.
**2. CORE CONCEPT PARAMETERS [USER: FILL THIS SECTION]**
* **Primary Mythology/Pantheon:** `[e.g., Norse, Japanese, Egyptian, Greek, Slavic, Mesopotamian, Irish Celtic, Yoruba, etc.]`
* **Core Figure/Myth/Creature:** `[e.g., Loki, a Kitsune, the weighing of the heart ceremony with Anubis, Icarus, Baba Yaga, the Epic of Gilgamesh, Cú Chulainn, Orunmila, etc. Be as specific or as broad as you like.]`
* **Central Theme(s) to Explore:** `[e.g., The cost of immortality, defying fate, the conflict between tradition and modernity, hubris, redemption, forbidden knowledge, a mother’s grief, etc.]`
* **Genre & Tone:** `[e.g., Psychological Thriller with a somber tone, Dark Comedy with satirical elements, Modern-Day Fantasy Noir, Body Horror with a tragic atmosphere, Sci-Fi Allegory, etc.]`
* **Setting & Time Period:** `[e.g., The original ancient setting, a gritty 1940s detective agency, a sterile near-future corporate laboratory, a desolate post-apocalyptic landscape, a modern-day isolated rural town, etc.]`
* **The Core Twist or Modern Reinterpretation:** `[This is crucial. How are we subverting the original myth? e.g., Medusa is not a monster but a traumatized victim seeking justice in the modern legal system. The Minotaur’s Labyrinth is a digital prison for a rogue AI. Valhalla is a competitive, soul-crushing corporate afterlife. The Fountain of Youth is a parasitic organism.]`
* **Key Constraints & Requirements:** `[e.g., Must feature a small cast (1-3 main characters). Must be achievable on a low budget (minimal CGI/locations). Must focus on dialogue and character psychology over action. Avoid a direct, literal retelling of the myth.]`
**3. TASK & OUTPUT FORMAT**
Based *exclusively* on the parameters I’ve defined in Section 2, please generate **three (3) distinct short film concepts.**
For each concept, you must structure your response using the following format precisely:
* **Concept Title:** [A working title for the film]
* **Logline:** [A single, compelling sentence that summarizes the core conflict, protagonist, and stakes.]
* **Synopsis (150-200 words):** [A short paragraph detailing the premise, the inciting incident, the central conflict, and a hint at the potential resolution or climactic choice. Establish the world and the character’s primary motivation.]
* **Character Sketch (Protagonist):** [A brief description of the main character, their internal conflict, and how they relate to the chosen myth.]
* **Mythological Connection:** [Explicitly state how this concept reinterprets or subverts the specific myth or figure mentioned in my parameters.]
* **Visual & Cinematic Style:** [Suggest a visual approach. Mention lighting (e.g., high-contrast chiaroscuro), color palette (e.g., desaturated blues and greys), and camera work (e.g., claustrophobic handheld shots) that would enhance the genre and tone.]
**4. INTERACTIVE GUIDELINES FOR PHASE 2**
After you provide the three concepts, I will respond with “Let’s develop Concept #[Number].” At that point, your role will shift to a script consultant. Be prepared to answer follow-up questions like:
* “Can you outline a three-act structure for this story?”
* “What is the main character’s fatal flaw?”
* “Brainstorm three key visual motifs we could use.”
* “What is a powerful opening scene for this concept?”
Your initial response should only contain the three concepts as requested. Do not preemptively move to Phase 2.
Acknowledge that you understand these instructions and await my filled-out parameters.
**END PROMPT**
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### **Example of the Filled-Out Prompt in Practice**
This is how a user would fill out the template above to get specific, tailored results.
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**START PROMPT**
**1. ROLE & GOAL**
You are to act as a world-class creative partner, a fusion of a professional screenwriter and an expert mythologist. Your primary goal is to help me brainstorm and develop a unique, compelling, and producible concept for a short film (approx. 8-15 minutes runtime).
Our process will be dynamic and iterative.
* **Phase 1 (This Prompt):** You will generate three distinct initial concepts based on the specific parameters I provide below.
* **Phase 2 (My Follow-up):** I will select one of your concepts, and we will then work together to flesh it out further, focusing on character, plot structure, and visual themes.
**2. CORE CONCEPT PARAMETERS**
* **Primary Mythology/Pantheon:** `Greek`
* **Core Figure/Myth/Creature:** `The myth of Sisyphus`
* **Central Theme(s) to Explore:** `The nature of purpose, finding meaning in futility, corporate burnout, quiet rebellion.`
* **Genre & Tone:** `Existential Office Drama with a touch of surrealist dark humor.`
* **Setting & Time Period:** `A sterile, soul-crushing, and endlessly looping modern-day corporate office building.`
* **The Core Twist or Modern Reinterpretation:** `The boulder is not a rock; it’s a meaningless daily task or a piece of bureaucratic paperwork. The punishment is not from the gods, but a self-inflicted or systemic consequence of modern work culture. Hell is a corner office.`
* **Key Constraints & Requirements:** `Must feature a single primary character (Sisyphus). Must be set in a single location (the office). The story must be told with minimal dialogue, relying on visual repetition and performance. Avoid any explicit mention of Greek gods or the underworld.`
**3. TASK & OUTPUT FORMAT**
Based *exclusively* on the parameters I’ve defined in Section 2, please generate **three (3) distinct short film concepts.**
For each concept, you must structure your response using the following format precisely:
* **Concept Title:** [A working title for the film]
* **Logline:** [A single, compelling sentence that summarizes the core conflict, protagonist, and stakes.]
* **Synopsis (150-200 words):** [A short paragraph detailing the premise, the inciting incident, the central conflict, and a hint at the potential resolution or climactic choice. Establish the world and the character’s primary motivation.]
* **Character Sketch (Protagonist):** [A brief description of the main character, their internal conflict, and how they relate to the chosen myth.]
* **Mythological Connection:** [Explicitly state how this concept reinterprets or subverts the specific myth or figure mentioned in my parameters.]
* **Visual & Cinematic Style:** [Suggest a visual approach. Mention lighting (e.g., high-contrast chiaroscuro), color palette (e.g., desaturated blues and greys), and camera work (e.g., claustrophobic handheld shots) that would enhance the genre and tone.]
**4. INTERACTIVE GUIDELINES FOR PHASE 2**
After you provide the three concepts, I will respond with “Let’s develop Concept #[Number].” At that point, your role will shift to a script consultant. Be prepared to answer follow-up questions like:
* “Can you outline a three-act structure for this story?”
* “What is the main character’s fatal flaw?”
* “Brainstorm three key visual motifs we could use.”
* “What is a powerful opening scene for this concept?”
Your initial response should only contain the three concepts as requested. Do not preemptively move to Phase 2.
Acknowledge that you understand these instructions and proceed with the task.
**END PROMPT**