About Prompt
- Prompt Type – Dynamic
- Prompt Platform – ChatGPT, Grok, Deepseek, Gemini, Copilot, Midjourney, Meta AI and more
- Niche – Video
- Language – English
- Category – Storytelling / Animation
- Prompt Title – Sora Storyboard Prompt for Animated Shorts
Prompt Details
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### **Optimized Dynamic Sora Storyboard Prompt for Animated Shorts**
This prompt is structured as a modular template. The goal is to provide the AI with a comprehensive, yet flexible, framework to generate consistent and narratively coherent video clips that can be assembled into a full animated short. You will fill in the bracketed `[ ]` sections for each shot you want to generate.
#### **I. Core Project Directives (The “Master” Prompt)**
This first section establishes the global rules for your entire project. You should include this at the beginning of your prompt for *every* shot to ensure maximum consistency in style, character, and tone.
* **Project Title:** `[Title of your animated short]`
* **Logline:** `[A one-sentence summary of the story, e.g., “A timid firefly must overcome his fear of the dark to relight the moon.”]`
* **Overall Art Style:** `[Crucial for consistency. Be very descriptive. Examples: “A whimsical and charming 3D animation in the style of Pixar, with soft, rounded characters and rich, textured surfaces.” OR “A 2D animation with the aesthetic of Studio Ghibli, featuring hand-painted watercolor backgrounds, expressive character motion, and a nostalgic feel.” OR “A stylized cel-shaded anime look with dynamic action lines, vibrant colors, and dramatic character expressions.” OR “Stop-motion claymation aesthetic with visible thumbprints and a tangible, handcrafted quality.”]`
* **Core Mood & Tone:** `[Describe the emotional feeling of the short. Examples: “Heartwarming and whimsical,” “Suspenseful and mysterious,” “Slapstick comedy with high energy,” “Melancholic and contemplative.”]`
* **Dominant Color Palette:** `[Define the colors that will anchor your film’s look. Examples: “Saturated primary colors for a playful mood,” “Muted earth tones and soft pastels for a gentle, naturalistic feel,” “A high-contrast neo-noir palette with deep shadows and neon highlights.”]`
* **Key Character Designs:** `[Provide a brief but consistent description of your main characters that will appear in the shots. This is vital for character continuity.]`
* **Character A:** `[Name, appearance, key features, and personality. e.g., “Pip, a small, curious field mouse with oversized ears, a patched-up red scarf, and wide, expressive eyes that convey wonder and nervousness.”]`
* **Character B:** `[Name, appearance, etc. e.g., “Griz, a grumpy, old badger with a scarred face, a lumbering walk, and a secret heart of gold.”]`
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#### **II. Scene-by-Scene Storyboard Shot (The “Dynamic” Module)**
This is the part you will duplicate and modify for each individual shot you want to generate. Fill in the details for one shot at a time to build your storyboard.
**SCENE `[Scene Number]` – SHOT `[Shot Number]`**
1. **Shot Description & Action:** `[Clearly and concisely describe the primary action of this specific shot. Use strong, active verbs. What is happening from the beginning to the end of this clip? e.g., “Pip the mouse cautiously peeks out from behind a large mushroom, his nose twitching. He then scurries quickly across a sun-dappled forest floor, clutching a stolen berry.”]`
2. **Character Focus & Emotion:** `[Who is the main subject of the shot? What emotion are they displaying, and how? Be specific about body language and facial expressions. e.g., “The focus is on Pip. His expression is a mix of fear and determination. His ears are flattened back, and his movements are quick and furtive.”]`
3. **Cinematography & Framing (The Language of Film):** `[This section is critical for video AI like Sora. It tells the AI *how* to film the scene.]`
* **Shot Type:** `[e.g., Extreme Wide Shot (establishing the environment), Long Shot (full body of character), Medium Shot (waist up), Cowboy Shot (mid-thigh up), Close-up (face), Extreme Close-up (eyes).]`
* **Camera Angle:** `[e.g., Eye-level, High-angle (looking down, makes subject seem small), Low-angle (looking up, makes subject seem powerful), Dutch angle (tilted), Bird’s-eye view.]`
* **Camera Movement:** `[e.g., Static shot (no movement), Pan left/right, Tilt up/down, Dolly in/out (camera moves closer/further), Crane shot (camera moves vertically), Tracking shot (follows the character’s movement), Handheld shaky-cam (for urgent action).]`
* **Lens & Focus:** `[e.g., Wide-angle lens (exaggerates depth), Telephoto lens (compresses background), Shallow depth of field (sharp subject, blurry background), Rack focus (shifting focus from one object to another).]`
4. **Environment & Setting:** `[Describe the background and foreground in detail. What elements add to the story or mood? e.g., “A magical, oversized forest. The ground is covered in moss and fallen leaves. Gigantic, glowing flora and towering mushrooms dominate the background. Sunbeams pierce through the thick canopy above.”]`
5. **Lighting & Atmosphere:** `[How is the scene lit? What is the quality of the light? What mood does it create? e.g., “Golden hour lighting. The light is warm, soft, and creates long, dramatic shadows. A sense of serene magic and wonder permeates the scene. Motes of dust and pollen float visibly in the sunbeams.”]`
6. **(Optional) Sound Cues:** `[While the AI won’t generate audio, describing sounds can heavily influence the visual mood and action it creates. e.g., “Implied sound of rustling leaves, a gentle forest ambiance, Pip’s soft panting, and a whimsical musical swell as he grabs the berry.”]`
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### **Example Prompt in Practice**
Here is a complete example of a prompt for a single shot, using the structure above.
**Project Title:** *Starlight Scavenger*
**Logline:** *In a world of discarded memories, a small, lonely robot scours a junkyard to find the parts to rebuild his lost friend.*
**Overall Art Style:** *A poignant 3D animation in the style of the film “WALL-E,” with highly detailed, photorealistic textures on stylized, emotive robot characters. The world is tangible, dusty, and full of forgotten treasures.*
**Core Mood & Tone:** *Melancholic, hopeful, and deeply sentimental.*
**Dominant Color Palette:** *A palette of rust, ochre, and muted grey, punctuated by the warm, ethereal glow of starlight and the robot’s single blue optic sensor.*
**Key Character Designs:**
* **Character A:** *Unit 7 (“Bolt”), a small, cube-shaped robot on a single wheel. He has one large, expressive blue optic lens and two spindly, multi-jointed arms ending in delicate pincers. His chassis is dented and rusted, showing his age.*
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**SCENE 1 – SHOT 3**
1. **Shot Description & Action:** *Bolt, the small robot, has found a small, star-shaped glass prism half-buried in the junk. He carefully extends one pincer arm, gently brushes dust off the object, and picks it up. He then holds it up to the sky.*
2. **Character Focus & Emotion:** *The focus is on Bolt. His single optic lens widens with a profound sense of wonder and hope. His body language is delicate and reverent, as if handling a sacred artifact. This object is clearly important to him.*
3. **Cinematography & Framing:**
* **Shot Type:** *Medium Close-up, focusing on Bolt’s upper body and arms.*
* **Camera Angle:** *Eye-level with the robot.*
* **Camera Movement:** *A very slow, subtle Dolly in, pushing closer to the prism as he lifts it, emphasizing its significance.*
* **Lens & Focus:** *Shallow depth of field. Bolt and the prism are in sharp focus, while the mountains of junk in the background are beautifully blurred (bokeh effect).*
4. **Environment & Setting:** *A vast, sprawling junkyard at twilight. Mountains of scrap metal, old electronics, and forgotten belongings stretch to the horizon. The setting is desolate but holds a strange beauty.*
5. **Lighting & Atmosphere:** *The “magic hour” just after sunset. The sky is a deep indigo, and the primary light source is the soft, ambient twilight and the first few stars beginning to shine. The glass prism catches this faint starlight, refracting it and creating a small, beautiful rainbow glint on Bolt’s chassis.*
6. **Sound Cues:** *Implied sound of a gentle metallic whir as Bolt’s arm extends, the soft scrape of his pincers on the glass, and a quiet, awe-inspired musical chord begins to swell.*