AI video generation is getting better fast — but your results still depend heavily on one thing:
creative direction.
When you generate video from a product photo, you're not "editing" a timeline. You're guiding a model to make decisions about:
- what the camera does
- how the product moves (or doesn't)
- the vibe (UGC vs studio)
- lighting, environment, and pacing
This post is a practical guide to writing prompts that produce videos you can actually use.
Start with the outcome (not the effect)
Before you prompt, decide where the video will live:
- TikTok / Reels (native, handheld, fast)
- Product page (clear, close-up, trust-building)
- Ads (attention hook + clarity)
Prompt toward the "final use", not just "make it cinematic".
A prompt template that works
Use a structure like:
- Format: vertical 9:16, 6–10 seconds
- Style: UGC handheld OR clean studio
- Camera: slow push-in, subtle pan, close-up detail
- Motion: gentle rotation, product reveal, light bounce
- Lighting: soft natural light OR crisp studio lighting
- Background: minimal, lifestyle context, or gradient
Example prompts
UGC-style (native TikTok feel)
"Vertical 9:16, UGC handheld style, natural indoor lighting, quick product reveal, subtle camera shake, close-up details, casual vibe, 8 seconds."
Studio-style (clean and trust-building)
"Vertical 9:16, clean studio product video, crisp lighting, slow push-in, smooth motion, clear product focus, minimal background, 8 seconds."
Lifestyle-style (aspirational context)
"Vertical 9:16, lifestyle vibe, soft natural light, product in a real environment, gentle camera pan, premium feel, 8 seconds."
How to create variations without losing clarity
The fastest way to improve results is to generate small, controlled variations:
- keep the same style, change only the camera (push-in vs pan)
- keep the same camera, change only lighting (natural vs studio)
- keep everything the same, change only vibe (UGC vs studio)
This makes it easy to compare outputs and find what works.
Try AI Video Studio
If you want to generate product videos from photos and iterate quickly with different styles and prompts:
Try Tellos AI Video Studio — create your first video for free