Write a better video prompt

Before you write

Collect the approved facts and decide who the video is for. If accuracy depends on a webpage, document, transcript, screenshot, or recording, attach it instead of expecting the prompt to recreate it from memory.

Write the brief in seven parts

1. State the job: explain, demonstrate, announce, train, compare, or persuade.
2. Name the audience and what they already know.
3. Identify the source of truth and say which source wins if several disagree.
4. Choose the visible format, such as an explainer, screencast, avatar video, or social clip.
5. Set a target duration and aspect ratio when the destination requires them.
6. List the required facts, visuals, tone, and final call to action.
7. Separate must-haves from preferences so ngram knows what it may adapt.

A complete example

Create a 60-second product-demo video for customer-success leaders. Use the attached release notes and screenshots as the source of truth. Explain the new workflow in three steps, keep the tone direct and practical, and end with a CTA to try the feature. Use a clean 16:9 screencast style and do not invent customer results.

How much detail to include

Recent aggregate product usage shows that detailed briefs reach previews and exports more often than one-line requests. Prompts that name an audience are also associated with stronger export and positive-feedback patterns. This is guidance, not a guarantee: video difficulty, sources, plan, and selected settings also affect the result.

A compact paragraph or short structured brief is usually easier to follow than a wall of rules. Start with the outcome and must-haves. Add preferences only when they would materially change the result.

Ground factual videos

Attach the source or name it in the prompt when exact claims, product UI, legal wording, or customer quotes matter. Tell ngram which source wins when several files disagree.

Deep Research can add richer analysis, but it does not replace your responsibility to provide approved sources for private, regulated, or time-sensitive facts.

Avoid instruction overload

• Prefer positive priorities, such as “use only the attached approved facts,” over a long list of prohibitions.
• Do not specify tools, runtimes, or implementation technology; describe the visible result you need.
• If two requirements conflict, say which one has priority.
• Use PRO when a tightly controlled script or storyboard should be approved before visual generation.

If the first result misses

Do not rewrite everything immediately. Identify whether the problem is the overall brief, a source conflict, the story structure, or one scene. State what should remain, then request the smallest change that solves the mismatch.