How to write cinematic camera moves for AI video
Try it on one shot of your storyboard: change Medium shot to Low angle, medium shot, handheld following @Mara up the stairs and regenerate that segment.
Framing first
| Framing | Shows | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Wide shot | The whole place, people small | Where we are; scale; endings |
| Full shot | A whole person, head to feet | Entrances, action, costume |
| Medium shot | Waist up | Conversation |
| Medium close-up | Chest up | The important line |
| Close-up | The face, or one object | Reaction, emotion, the clue |
How to write one shot · the mistakes camera lines most often make.
Movement in plain words
| Move | Write it as | Feels like |
|---|---|---|
| Still | fixed camera | Calm, watching, tension |
| Handheld | handheld, following him through the crowd | Urgency, panic, documentary |
| Tracking | tracking alongside her as she walks | Journey, speed |
| Push in | a quick push in on her face | Realisation, shock |
| Pull back | pulling back to reveal the empty hall | Loneliness, a reveal |
| Aerial | high wide shot, moving forward over the rooftops | Opening, scale, “drone shot” |
Say which way a handheld camera moves; “slight handheld” tends to come out as a still shot. A very slow push can also come out still, so make the moves you care about clear and quick enough to see.
Angles that mean something
Low angle makes someone powerful; high angle makes them small; over the shoulder puts us in a conversation; eye level is neutral. Name who faces whom and the automatic staging puts the camera where that is true. Write positions · Why characters swap sides.
Cuts that change something
Two shots of the same people at nearly the same framing look like a jump, not a cut. Each cut changes the framing by at least a step, or changes the angle, or changes who we see; storyboards are checked for this when they are written, including across the join between segments. Shot-to-shot continuity.
A chase, shot by shot
| Shot | Camera |
|---|---|
| [Shot 1] 3s | High wide shot, moving forward over the market roofs; @Mara running below. |
| [Shot 2] 2s | Handheld, following @Mara as she cuts between the stalls. |
| [Shot 3] 2s | Low angle, close-up on her feet skidding on wet stone. |
| [Shot 4] 2s | Tracking alongside @Mara; the crowd blurring past. |
| [Shot 5] 3s | A quick push in on @Mara's face as she sees the dead end. |
Short shots, a different framing every cut, one move each. Shot seconds.
What not to write
Lens numbers, camera brands and strings of tags (“cinematic, 8K, anamorphic, masterpiece”) do little. Describe what it should look like instead: shallow depth of field, the background soft. No magic words.
Make it in SceneMixer, start to finish
- Script: paste your own on Upload Script, or write the brief above in AI Create and let it draft the episodes.
- Step 1: Type Film; Scene Style Street Life, Neon Nights; Costume Style Streetwear, Smart Casual; Visual Style Digital HD, Shot on Film; Target Region; dialogue language; 16:9 Landscape. Then read the script.
- Step 2: characters, locations and props as usual; the camera is written in the storyboard, shot by shot, not here. The first 15 setup images on an account are free.
- Storyboard: generate episode 1 first (free on your first drama) and read it before you render anything. One place per segment.
- Video: render on the default tier at 10 credits a second, fix single shots instead of whole episodes, then put the episode together and post. Before rendering, read each shot's framing and movement and edit the words where the camera should do something else.
| Moment | Framing | Movement |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Wide or aerial | Moving forward |
| Conversation | Medium, then medium close-up | Fixed |
| The reveal | Close-up | Quick push in |
| The chase | Full and close-up | Handheld, tracking |
| The ending | Wide | Pulling back |
FAQ
How do I write camera moves for AI video?
Start each shot with the framing, then the movement in plain words: fixed, handheld following someone, tracking, a quick push in, pulling back, aerial.
Do I have to say where the camera is?
No. Say who faces whom; the staging places the camera.
How do I get a drone shot?
Write it as a high wide shot moving forward over the place.
Why did my handheld shot come out still?
Say which way it moves, following which action; a vague or very slow move can come out still.
Why do my cuts look like jumps?
Two shots of the same people at the same framing; change the framing or the angle. Storyboards are checked for this.
Do lens and camera names help?
Rarely; describe the look you want instead.
Can I change the camera after the storyboard is written?
Yes. Edit the shot text and regenerate that segment.
Updated October 31, 2026