One of the biggest giveaways of AI-generated video is a static, lifeless camera. To transition from "AI generation" to "AI Filmmaking," you must master the language of cinematography. The camera tells the audience how to feel.

In this guide, we break down 38 essential camera movement techniques categorized for easy reference. We have included the exact prompt structures you can copy and paste into your AI video generator today.

Why Camera Prompts Matter in AI Video

By separating your Camera Prompt from your Subject Prompt, you give the AI model clear instructions on spatial movement, preventing hallucinations and weird morphing artifacts.

Category 1: The "Dolly" Moves (Depth)

Best for: Establishing intimacy or introducing a location.

1. Slow Dolly In
Moves the camera physically toward the subject.

Prompt: CAMERA: SLOW DOLLY IN (PUSH). The camera physically moves forward through space toward the subject. The background perspective widens and depth increases.

2. Slow Dolly Out
Moves the camera backward, revealing the environment.

Prompt: CAMERA: SLOW DOLLY OUT (PULL). The camera physically moves backward away from the subject. The subject becomes smaller in the frame as more of the environment is revealed.

3. Fast Dolly In (The Rush)
Creates urgency or shock.

Prompt: CAMERA: FAST DOLLY IN / RUSH. The camera moves rapidly forward toward the subject's face, creating a sudden sense of urgency.

4. The "Vertigo" Effect (Dolly Zoom / Zolly)
The classic Hitchcock effect. The camera moves back while the lens zooms in.

Prompt: CAMERA: DOLLY ZOOM (ZOOLLY). The camera physically moves BACKWARD while simultaneously the lens Zooms IN. The background warps and compresses wildly while the subject size remains constant.

Category 2: Infinite Scale Continuity

Best for: Sci-fi, transitions, and showcasing detail.

5. Extreme Macro Zoom
From face to microscopic level.

Prompt: CAMERA: EXTREME MACRO ZOOM (FACE/BODY TO MICRO). The camera begins with a detailed portrait view and zooms in continuously with extreme magnification. It pushes past skin pores, dives deep into the iris and pupil.

6. Cosmic Hyper-Zoom
From outer space to street level.

Prompt: CAMERA: COSMIC HYPER-ZOOM (SPACE TO STREET). The shot begins in outer space viewing Earth. The camera zooms in with extreme continuous speed, plunging through atmosphere layers and clouds, resolving the city structure, diving down between buildings.

Category 3: Character Mounted Framing

Best for: Narrative storytelling and dialogue scenes.

7. Over-The-Shoulder (OTS)
Establishes a relationship between two characters.

Prompt: CAMERA: OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT. The camera is positioned behind a second person's shoulder (blurred in foreground), looking at the main subject.

8. Fisheye / Peephole
Creates a distorted, voyeuristic, or horror vibe.

Prompt: CAMERA: FISHEYE LENS. Extreme wide-angle distortion, bulging in the center. Resembles a security camera or peephole view.

Category 4: Obstacle & Environmental Interaction

Best for: Adding depth and realism to the scene.

9. Reveal From Behind (Wipe)
Using a foreground object to transition.

Prompt: CAMERA: SLIDING REVEAL. The camera starts blocked by a foreground object (a wall or pillar). It slides laterally to reveal the subject hiding behind it.

10. The "Through" Shot
Passing through solid objects (glass, windows).

Prompt: CAMERA: FLY THROUGH. The camera physically flies through a small gap or window to reveal the subject behind it.

Category 5: Focus & Lens Manipulation

Best for: Directing the viewer's eye.

11. Reveal from Blur (Fade In)
Starting with bokeh and finding focus.

Prompt: CAMERA: FOCUS PULL REVEAL. The video starts completely out of focus (bokeh). The lens slowly pulls focus until the subject is razor-sharp.

12. Rack Focus
Shifting attention from foreground to background.

Prompt: CAMERA: RACK FOCUS. The shot begins with the subject in sharp focus and the background blurry. Halfway through, the focus shifts: the subject becomes blurry and the background becomes sharp.

Category 6: The "Tripod" Moves

Best for: Stable, professional-looking footage.

13. Tilt Up
Revealing a character from boots to head.

Prompt: CAMERA: SLOW TILT UP. The camera tilts vertically upwards on a fixed axis, starting frame at the boots and ending on the face.

14. Tilt Down
Revealing from head to toe.

Prompt: CAMERA: SLOW TILT DOWN. The camera tilts vertically downwards on a fixed axis, starting frame at the face and revealing the outfit down to the boots.

Category 7: The "Slider" Moves (Lateral)

Best for: showcasing a subject's profile or environment width.

15. Lateral Truck Left

Prompt: CAMERA: TRUCK LEFT. The camera physically slides sideways to the left on a track. Strong parallax effect where the foreground subject moves against the background elements.

16. Lateral Truck Right

Prompt: CAMERA: TRUCK RIGHT. The camera physically slides sideways to the right on a track. Strong parallax effect.

19. Slow Cinematic Arc
A subtle curved movement (often categorized here or in orbitals).

Prompt: CAMERA: SLOW ARC SHOT. The camera moves in a gentle, wide curve around the subject, revealing their side profile slowly.

Category 8: Orbital Movements

Best for: Hero shots and highlighting attire/armor.

17. Orbit 180 (Half Circle)

Prompt: CAMERA: HALF ORBIT. The camera travels on a curved track 180 degrees around the subject, moving from a front view to a back view.

18. Fast 360 Orbit (Spin)

Prompt: CAMERA: FAST 360 ORBIT. The camera continuously circles the subject in a full loop. The background spins rapidly behind them.

Category 9: Vertical Movements (Crane/Pedestal)

Best for: Changing perspective height.

20. Pedestal Down
Lowering the camera body straight down.

Prompt: CAMERA: PEDESTAL DOWN. The entire camera body physically lowers vertically straight down from eye level to waist level.

21. Pedestal Up
Raising the camera body straight up.

Prompt: CAMERA: PEDESTAL UP. The entire camera body physically rises vertically straight up from waist level to eye level.

22. Crane Up (High Angle Reveal)
A sweeping upward motion, looking down.

Prompt: CAMERA: CRANE UP. The camera soars upward and backward on a jib arm, ending in a high-angle overhead shot looking down.

23. Crane Down (Landing)

Prompt: CAMERA: CRANE DOWN. The camera descends smoothly from a high bird's-eye view down to the subject's eye level.

Category 10: Optical Lens Effects (Zoom)

Best for: changing field of view without moving the camera.

24. Smooth Optical Zoom In

Prompt: CAMERA: SMOOTH LENS ZOOM IN. The camera position is absolutely fixed, but the lens focal length increases.

25. Smooth Optical Zoom Out

Prompt: CAMERA: SMOOTH LENS ZOOM OUT. The camera position is fixed, but the lens zooms out to a wide angle.

26. Snap Zoom (Crash Zoom)
Specific to action movies or comedy.

Prompt: CAMERA: SNAP ZOOM. A sudden, extremely rapid zoom directly into the subject's eyes. High impact, instantaneous framing change.

Category 11: Drone and Aerial Views

Best for: Establishing shots and epic landscapes.

27. Drone Flyover (High Altitude)

Prompt: CAMERA: HIGH ALTITUDE DRONE FLYOVER. A smooth, steady aerial shot moving straight forward, passing high over the subject and the vast landscape below.

28. Epic Drone Reveal

Prompt: CAMERA: EPIC DRONE REVEAL. The camera starts low behind a mountain ridge, then rises vertically (pedestal up) while tilting down to reveal the subject and the horizon.

29. Large Scale Drone Orbit

Prompt: CAMERA: WIDE DRONE ORBIT. A massive, sweeping aerial circle around the subject, showing the immense scale of the environment.

30. Top-Down (God's Eye View)

Prompt: CAMERA: TOP-DOWN DRONE SHOT (GOD'S EYE). The camera is positioned directly overhead pointing straight down (90 degrees), slowly twisting.

31. FPV Drone Dive
Aggressive, fast, falling motion.

Prompt: CAMERA: FPV DRONE DIVE. Fast, aggressive, agile camera movement diving rapidly down the side of a building towards the subject.

Category 12: Stylized & Dynamic Movements

Best for: Action, horror, or indie film aesthetics.

32. Handheld (Documentary Style)

Prompt: CAMERA: HANDHELD CAMERA. The camera moves with organic human jitters, slight instability, and subtle "breathing" motion. Not perfectly smooth.

33. Whip Pan
Fast transition between two points.

Prompt: CAMERA: WHIP PAN LEFT. The camera whips violently to the left with extreme directional motion blur, blurring the transition between two points.

34. Dutch Angle (Roll)
Unsettling, tilted horizon.

Prompt: CAMERA: DUTCH ANGLE / CAMERA ROLL. The camera is permanently tilted sideways on its Z-axis, making the horizon line diagonal.

Category 13: Subject Tracking

Best for: Walking scenes and following action.

35. Leading Shot (Backward Tracking)

Prompt: ACTION: WALKING FORWARD. CAMERA: LEADING SHOT. The subject walks forward toward the camera at a steady pace. The camera moves backward at the exact same speed.

36. Following Shot (Forward Tracking)

Prompt: ACTION: WALKING AWAY. CAMERA: FOLLOWING SHOT. The subject walks away from the camera. The camera follows behind them at the same speed.

37. Side Tracking (Parallel)

Prompt: ACTION: WALKING SIDEWAYS. CAMERA: SIDE TRACKING PARALLEL. The subject walks from left to right. The camera trucks alongside them, keeping them in profile view.

38. POV Walk
First-person perspective.

Prompt: CAMERA: FIRST PERSON POV WALK. The camera moves forward with the slight bobbing and swaying motion of a person walking, approaching the subject.

3 Tips for Mastering AI Camera Prompts

1. Separate the Prompts: When prompting in Atlabs or other tools, keep your "Subject/Environment" prompt separate from your "Camera" prompt. This prevents the AI from getting confused.

2. Iterate: AI filmmaking is a game of probability. If a "Crane Up" looks like a "Drone Flyover," re-roll the generation.

3. Combine Carefully: You can combine moves (e.g., Truck Left + Pan Right), but be careful not to overload the prompt, or the AI may default to a static shot.

Ready to start filming?
Take these prompts and test them out in atlabs.ai today to see the difference cinematic movement makes in your storytelling.