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🎬Lesson 2 of 5

Motion Prompting

12 min
expert

Just as image AI responds to prompts, video AI responds to motion prompts. Describe what should move, how fast, and in what style. Motion prompting is a new skill that combines visual language with temporal language.

Key Concepts

  • 1
    Describe what should move
  • 2
    Specify motion intensity and speed
  • 3
    Use motion vocabulary: drift, sway, pulse, flow
  • 4
    Control camera movement separately from subject movement
  • 5
    Layer multiple motion types

Examples

Prompt
gentle parallax effect, clouds drifting slowly left to right, foreground leaves swaying subtly, soft focus shift
Result

Layered motion creating depth and atmosphere

Prompt
dramatic zoom in, rain falling intensely, lightning flashes, wind whipping trees violently
Result

High-energy dramatic animation

Pro Tips

"Subtle" and "gentle" prevent over-animation
Camera prompts: pan, zoom, track, orbit
Subject prompts: breathe, sway, flow, flutter
Combine: "slow zoom in while subject breathes gently"

Summary

Motion prompts control what moves and how. Learn the vocabulary of movement to direct AI animation.

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Image-to-Video Fundamentals
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Keyframe Generation