Introduction

Prompt engineering is the key to unlocking Sora2's full potential. While basic prompts can create decent videos, mastering advanced techniques will help you achieve professional-quality, cinematic results. This guide covers proven strategies from 2025 best practices that separate amateur from professional AI video creators.

1. Structure Prompts Like Shot Lists

The most reliable way to improve your Sora2 results is to structure your prompt like a professional shot list. Sora2 follows precise cinematic direction with higher fidelity than broad adjectives.

Bad Example (Vague)

A beautiful sunset scene with a person walking

Good Example (Shot List Style)

Wide shot: A lone figure in silhouette walking left to right across golden sand dunes. Camera: Locked-off tripod, eye level. Lighting: Golden hour, sun low on horizon camera right. Duration: 8 seconds. Subject reaches the crest and pauses.
Pro Tip: Include shot type, camera position, lighting direction, and timing information for each scene. This gives Sora2 the specific visual framework it needs.

2. Use Cinematic and Photography Terminology

Sora2 responds exceptionally well to professional cinematography language. Describe scenes as if you were a camera operator or director filming it in the real world.

Essential Cinematography Terms

Shot Types

  • Extreme Wide Shot (EWS): Shows the entire environment
  • Wide Shot (WS): Subject and surroundings visible
  • Medium Shot (MS): Subject from waist up
  • Close-Up (CU): Subject's face or important detail
  • Extreme Close-Up (ECU): Very specific detail

Camera Angles

  • Eye Level: Camera at subject's eye height
  • High Angle: Camera looking down
  • Low Angle: Camera looking up
  • Dutch Angle: Camera tilted to the side
  • Bird's Eye View: Camera directly overhead

Lens Specifications

  • Wide lens (24mm): Expansive view, slight distortion
  • Standard lens (50mm): Natural perspective
  • Portrait lens (85mm): Flattering compression
  • Telephoto lens (200mm): Strong compression, shallow depth

Example with Cinematic Terms

Medium close-up shot of a barista preparing espresso. 85mm lens, f/2.8 aperture creating shallow depth of field. Warm overhead pendant lights create soft highlights. Camera slowly dollies left as steam rises from the portafilter. Shot on Arri Alexa, filmic grain.

3. Encode Physics Details Explicitly

Sora2's 2025 system emphasizes physics grounding to reduce uncanny motion. The more explicit you are about materials, forces, and physical interactions, the more realistic your results.

Physics Elements to Include

Materials and Textures

Subject wearing a wet nylon jacket with visible water droplets, denim jeans with faded knees, leather boots with scuffed toes

Environmental Forces

8-10 mph crosswind from camera left, rustling leaves and causing the subject's jacket to ripple, hair blowing across face

Physical Interactions

Footfalls splashing in shallow puddles, creating circular ripples 6-8 inches in diameter, water spray catching backlight

Lighting and Shadows

Soft shadow penumbra on brick wall, diffused by overcast sky, ambient occlusion in doorway recesses
Key Insight: The 2025 version of Sora emphasizes physical realism. Being specific about physics helps the model generate more believable motion and interactions.

4. Focus on Audio Synchronization

Sora2 now includes native dialogue and sound effect synchronization. Describing audio elements helps create more immersive, realistic videos.

Audio Prompting Techniques

Dialogue

Woman turns to camera and says "Welcome home" with warm smile, voice slightly echoing in the hardwood hallway

Sound Effects

Footsteps crunching on gravel path, distant bird calls, gentle wind rustling through pine trees, camera microphone picking up natural ambience

Ambient Sound

Busy coffee shop atmosphere: espresso machine hissing, low murmur of conversation, occasional clink of ceramic cups, jazz music playing softly in background

5. Keep One Camera Movement Per Shot

For optimal results, limit yourself to one primary camera movement per shot. Combining multiple movements often leads to unstable or unrealistic motion.

Effective (Single Movement)

Slow dolly-in toward subject over 6 seconds, maintaining eye-level framing

Problematic (Multiple Movements)

Dolly-in while crane rising and panning left (TOO COMPLEX)

Common Camera Movements

  • Dolly In/Out: Camera moves toward or away from subject
  • Truck Left/Right: Camera moves sideways
  • Crane Up/Down: Camera moves vertically
  • Pan Left/Right: Camera rotates horizontally
  • Tilt Up/Down: Camera rotates vertically
  • Orbit: Camera circles around subject

6. Iterate with Variants

Professional workflow involves systematic iteration. Don't expect perfection on the first generation.

Recommended Iteration Process

  1. Generate 3-5 variants per shot at low resolution and short duration
  2. Probe composition, physics, and motion in each variant
  3. Keep a log of artifacts per variant (what worked, what didn't)
  4. Select winners that meet your acceptance criteria
  5. Regenerate at full resolution only for chosen variants
Time Saver: Starting with lower resolution and shorter duration lets you iterate quickly and save credits while perfecting your prompt.

7. Be Clear, Specific, and Focused

The foundation of all good prompting: clarity beats cleverness every time.

Clarity Checklist

  • What is the main subject?
  • What is the subject doing?
  • Where is this happening?
  • What is the lighting condition?
  • What is the camera doing?
  • What mood or atmosphere do you want?

Example: Vague vs. Specific

Vague

Nice city scene at night with lights

Specific

Wide shot of Tokyo's Shibuya Crossing at night. Neon signs reflect on wet pavement after rain. Camera locked off at eye level, capturing pedestrians crossing in synchronized waves. Bokeh from car headlights and streetlights. Shot with 35mm lens at f/1.8, cinematic color grading with teal and orange tones.

8. Optimize for Short-Form Content

In 2025, short-form content dominates social media. Sora2 renders shorter shots more cleanly and consistently.

Best Practices

  • One clear beat per shot: Single action or moment
  • 8-15 second shots: Sweet spot for quality
  • Strong opening frame: Hook viewers immediately
  • Clear subject focus: Avoid cluttered compositions

Complete Advanced Prompt Example

Here's a full example incorporating all the techniques:

Medium shot of a chef plating a dish in a professional kitchen. 50mm lens, f/2.0, shot on RED Komodo. Warm overhead tungsten work lights create hard shadows on stainless steel counter. Chef's hands move with practiced precision, placing microgreens with tweezers. Steam rises from the plated food, slightly out of focus in foreground. Camera slowly dollies right over 10 seconds, revealing organized mise en place. Sound of sizzling pans, ventilation fan hum, occasional clink of metal utensils. Shot has film grain and slightly desaturated color grade. Chef exhales with satisfaction as final garnish placed.

Why This Works

  • ✓ Specific shot type and lens
  • ✓ Clear camera movement (dolly right only)
  • ✓ Physics details (steam, shadows, metal surfaces)
  • ✓ Audio description (sizzling, ventilation, utensils)
  • ✓ Lighting details (tungsten, hard shadows)
  • ✓ Duration specified (10 seconds)
  • ✓ Style notes (film grain, color grade)
  • ✓ Clear action (plating a dish)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Overloading with Adjectives

❌ "Beautiful, stunning, amazing, gorgeous sunset"
✓ "Golden hour sunset, sun 5 degrees above horizon, warm orange and pink gradient sky"

2. Mixing Multiple Styles

❌ "Anime style realistic photographic cinematic cartoon"
✓ "Photorealistic, shot on Arri Alexa, cinematic color grading"

3. Impossible Physics

❌ "Person floating in air while running"
✓ "Person jumping, captured at peak of arc, feet 2 feet off ground"

4. Overly Long Prompts

Keep prompts focused. If your prompt is over 500 characters, consider breaking it into multiple shots using the storyboard feature.

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Rewrite Basic Prompts

Take this basic prompt and rewrite it using advanced techniques:

Basic: "A dog running in a park"

Exercise 2: Add Physics Details

Enhance this prompt with explicit physics:

Starting point: "Person walking in rain"

Exercise 3: Create a Shot List

Write a 3-shot sequence for "making coffee" using proper cinematic terminology.

Conclusion

Mastering prompt engineering for Sora2 is about combining storytelling with technical precision. Treat each prompt as if you're directing a film through written instructions. The more specific you are about cinematography, physics, and audio, the more consistent and professional your results will be.

Remember: successful Sora2 prompting in 2025 comes from treating the process like professional film production—planned, precise, and purposeful.