A useful AI video prompt is closer to a production brief than a slogan. It tells the tool who the video is for, what the viewer should understand, what each scene must show, and how the sequence should end. This framework keeps those decisions together without locking you into one video generator.
The reusable master prompt
Role: Act as an explainer-video storyboard writer.
Audience: The viewer is [specific audience].
Outcome: After watching, they should understand [one idea] and feel ready to [one realistic action].
Format: Create five scenes for a [30–60 second] camera-free explainer video.
For each scene: Provide one narration sentence, one simple visual action, and no more than six words of on-screen text.
Sequence: Use a recognizable problem, the key idea, the confusing old path, a clearer path, and one next step.
Guardrails: Do not invent statistics, testimonials, guarantees, prices, or product capabilities. Flag any fact that needs verification.
Add visual direction that explains—not decorates
Describe what changes on screen. “A tangled line becomes three numbered steps” gives the generator a visual job. “Beautiful professional animation” describes a mood, not an explanation. Use comparisons, arrows, labels, timelines, and before-and-after states when they genuinely clarify the narration.
Generate one scene at a time when consistency matters
Long prompts often produce inconsistent characters, colors, or layouts. First request the complete five-scene outline. Then generate each scene separately while repeating the same character description, palette, background, aspect ratio, and drawing style. Treat those repeated details as a small visual style guide.
A practical example
For a bakery explaining online preorders, the audience could be “busy local customers,” the outcome could be “understand how to reserve weekend pastries,” and the visual sequence could move from a sold-out display to a phone order, pickup-time selection, confirmation checkmark, and a labeled pickup shelf. The story remains useful even if the production tool changes.
Quality check before generating video
- Does every scene support the same viewer outcome?
- Can each visual be understood without a paragraph of text?
- Are product claims and prices verified against the current source?
- Is the final action proportionate to what the video explained?
- Would the outline still make sense with the sound turned off?
Put this into practice
Turn your topic into five clear scenes.
Use the free planner to create a useful first draft without signing up.
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