5 must-try Sora prompts for creating incredible AI videos

1. The duel

I wanted to jump right into the action with the first clip. So I asked Sora to generate a samurai duel set on a wooden bridge.

The generated clip features darker tones, with the camera immediately zooming in on our two main characters.

The samurai stand motionless, not yet engaged in battle, which piques my curiosity about what might happen next. The clip ends before either one can draw their weapon, meaning anything is still possible.

To produce something similar, you can use this prompt: "In an anime style, a tense standoff unfolds as two samurai meet on a rickety wooden bridge, suspended high above a deep canyon. The wind howls, swaying the unstable planks beneath their feet."

2. Morning Joe

Returning back to reality, I wanted Sora to conjure a scene in a café.

Our first video was created in an anime style, but remember, you can experiment with different styles within your text prompt. In this scenario, I requested a photorealistic style to capture a barista preparing a hot cup of coffee.

While the result is not quite perfect it’s still pretty impressive!

Try this prompt for your next AI video: "A focused barista carefully creates a steaming cup of coffee. Use a photorealistic style."

3. City chaos

I wondered what things would be like outside the confines of the coffee shop, so I asked Sora to generate a video of a city’s busy pedestrian crossing.

Curious about life beyond the coffee shop, I asked Sora to generate a video of a bustling city pedestrian crossing.

However, the pedestrians in our make-believe city must have been perplexed when they were led down a crosswalk that ended abruptly in the middle of street.

This is where Sora’s Remix feature comes in handy, allowing you to describe and apply the changes you want made to your video.

You can copy-paste this prompt: "In a cinematic style, create a birdseye view timelapse of a busy pedestrian crossing in a city."

4. Chasing a feather

For something calmer, I created a slow-motion video featuring a cat.

Similarly to how you can determine the style of your video, you can also give Sora instructions about specific camera movements or techniques you’d like to use.

In this five-second clip, Sora generated a black cat crouching low before pouncing at a feather it can’t seem to catch. Meanwhile, the feather drifts through the air, contorting with each little gust of wind.

Insert this prompt: "Slow-motion video of a cat chasing a feather. The sleek cat has its eyes locked onto the drifting feather that twists and turns in the air, evading each of the cat’s swipes."

5. An establishing shot of a luxury Malibu beach house

Sure, creating a full feature film solely with AI might be a stretch, but that shouldn’t stop you from using Sora-generated clips to complement real-world footage.

If your budget doesn’t allow you to rent a Malibu beach house for a scene, you can still ask Sora to generate an establishing shot—perfect for opening your sequence.

Perhaps I should have been more specific and mentioned in my prompt that I wanted the beach house to look like someone is living in it, since we can’t see any sort of furniture in the spacious room.

If you have a specific vision for your establishing shot, you can use the Storyboard tool in Sora. It helps you visualize the actions, sequence, and timing in your video.

With Storyboard you can use photos, videos, and text to describe each shot along a timeline before generating your final video.

Try out this Sora prompt: "In an establishing shot, the camera sweeps over the sun-drenched Malibu coastline, revealing a sleek, modern beach house. Its floor-to-ceiling windows are reflecting the endless ocean."