How to Make an AI Video from a Text Prompt Text-to-video generation turns a written description into a short video clip. You type what you want to see, the model interprets it, and a few moments later you have moving footage that never existed before. It sounds simple, and the basic workflow is, but the gap between a muddy, confusing clip and a clean, usable one almost always comes down to how you write the prompt and how you iterate. This guide walks through the process step by step. Step 1: Decide what the clip is for Before you write anything, know where the video will end up. A clip for a vertical social feed, a background loop for a website hero section, and a B-roll shot for a YouTube explainer all call for different choices. Ask yourself: • What is the single idea of this shot? AI video works best when each clip shows one clear moment, not a whole story. • How long does it need to be? Short generated clips are the norm; plan to combine several if you need more. • What format? Vertical (9:16) for Reels, Shorts and TikTok; horizontal (16:9) for YouTube and websites; square for some feeds. Step 2: Write the prompt in layers A strong text-to-video prompt usually has four layers. You do not need all of them every time, but thinking in layers keeps prompts focused. 1. Subject – who or what is on screen. "An elderly fisherman," "a red vintage car," "a cup of coffee." 2. Action – what is happening. "Mending a net," "driving along a coastal road," "steam rising slowly." 3. Setting – where and when. "On a wooden pier at sunrise," "in light rain at dusk." 4. Style and camera – how it looks. "Cinematic, shallow depth of field, slow push-in, warm golden light." Put together: *"An elderly fisherman mending a net on a wooden pier at sunrise, gentle waves in the background, cinematic, shallow depth of field, slow push-in, warm golden light."* That prompt is specific without being overloaded. Notice there is only one subject and one action. Asking for three characters doing three different things in one short clip is the most common reason generations fall apart. Step 3: Describe motion explicitly Still-image prompts can get away with describing a scene. Video prompts need to describe change over time. Useful motion words include: • Camera: pan left, tilt up, dolly in, tracking shot, aerial drone shot, static tripod shot. • Subject motion: walking toward camera, turning head, hair blowing in the wind, leaves falling. • Pacing: slow motion, gentle, subtle, fast-paced. If you leave motion out, the model has to guess, and guesses tend to be either too static or chaotic. Step 4: Generate, review, and change one thing at a time Your first generation is a draft. Watch it a few times and note what is off: is the lighting wrong, is the motion too fast, did the subject drift? Then change one part of the prompt and generate again. If you rewrite everything at once you cannot tell which change helped. A practical loop looks like this: 1. Generate with your layered prompt. 2. Fix the biggest problem first (usually subject or composition). 3. Then refine motion. 4. Then refine style and lighting. Keep a simple text file of prompts that worked. Over time that file becomes your most valuable asset, because good prompt structures transfer between projects. Step 5: Keep clips consistent across a sequence If you are building a longer video out of several clips, consistency matters. Reuse the same style descriptors in every prompt ("cinematic, warm golden light, 35mm film look") so the shots feel like they belong together. Describe recurring characters with the same wording each time. Small wording changes can produce noticeably different results. Step 6: Finish in an editor Generated clips are raw material. Bring them into any video editor to trim the strongest seconds, add music and captions, and put them in order. Even a basic cut with a soundtrack makes AI footage feel far more intentional. Common mistakes to avoid • Too many ideas in one prompt. One subject, one action, one setting. • No camera direction. Always say how the camera behaves. • Contradictory styles. "Photorealistic anime watercolor" confuses the model. • Expecting readable text. On-screen text inside generated video is often garbled; add titles in your editor instead. • Giving up after one try. Iteration is the normal workflow, not a sign of failure. Trying it yourself If you want to practice this workflow, Everygen AI offers text-to-video generation in the browser: type a prompt, generate, and refine. It works on paid credits rather than a free tier, with a credit pack starting at $9.90, so it pays to plan your prompts using the layered approach above before you start generating. The core skill is the same on any tool: be specific, describe motion, change one thing at a time, and treat each clip as one shot in a larger story. Once that habit sticks, text-to-video stops feeling like a slot machine and starts feeling like directing. Guide by Everygen AI https://everygenai.org