Video Prompting Guide
Welcome to the Video Prompting Guide. This document aims to help you craft effective prompts for generating perfect timelines using our Timeline Tool. By understanding how to communicate your intentions clearly, you can leverage the full potential of our video processing capabilities.
Table of Contents
- Introduction to Video Prompting
- Understanding the Timeline API
- Guidelines for Crafting Effective Prompts
- Examples of Effective Prompts
- Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
- Refining Your Timeline
- Conclusion
- Additional Resources
Introduction to Video Prompting
Video Prompting is the process of using natural language descriptions to guide the generation of video timelines. By providing clear and detailed prompts, you can instruct the Timeline Tool to create, modify, or refine timelines according to your creative vision.
Whether you're creating highlight reels, focusing on specific subjects, or editing for a particular emotional impact, effective prompting is key to achieving the desired results.
Understanding the Timeline Generation Process
The Timeline Prompting Tool allows you to:
- Generate new timelines based on your prompts and specified assets.
- Refine existing timelines with additional instructions.
- Export timelines in various formats like OTIO and FCP_XML.
The Prompting Tool interprets your prompts and processes the provided video assets to produce a timeline that matches your description.
Guidelines for Crafting Effective Prompts
1. Be Clear and Specific
Clearly state what you want the timeline to include. Vague prompts can lead to unexpected results.
Do:
"Create a timeline featuring all scenes where the protagonist is in a desert environment."
Don't:
"Make an interesting timeline."
2. Use Descriptive Language
Use adjectives and descriptive terms to convey the mood, style, or specifics of the scenes you want.
Example:
"Include intense action scenes with fast-paced music."
3. Provide Context
If the API needs to understand the storyline or characters, provide context in your prompt.
Example:
"Focus on the journey of the main character, highlighting their transformation from a novice to a master."
4. Define the Desired Outcome
Specify what you expect the final timeline to achieve.
Example:
"Create a promotional trailer that builds excitement for the upcoming release."
5. Mention Specific Subjects or Keywords
List any specific subjects, keywords, or phrases that are important.
Example:
"Extract all interviews where 'climate change' is discussed."
6. Avoid Ambiguity
Avoid using terms that can be interpreted in multiple ways.
Ambiguous:
"Highlight cool scenes."
Clear:
"Highlight scenes with aerial drone footage over mountains."
7. Follow the Prompt Pattern
When crafting your prompts, consider using the following general pattern:
Create <VideoType>, about <topic>, doing <context>, end with <ending>, make it <duration, number of clips, or other specifications>
This pattern helps structure your prompt in a way that's clear and easy for the API to interpret.
Examples of Effective Prompts
Example 1: Creating a Highlight Reel
Prompt:
"Create a 2-minute highlight reel showcasing the most exciting moments from the sports event, focusing on goal scores, crowd reactions, and celebratory moments."
Why It's Effective:
- Specifies duration (2 minutes).
- Identifies key moments to include (goal scores, crowd reactions).
- Uses descriptive terms (exciting moments, celebratory).
Example 2: Focusing on a Specific Person
Prompt:
"Generate a timeline that includes all appearances of Dr. Jane Smith, especially when she's presenting data on renewable energy."
Why It's Effective:
- Specifies the person (Dr. Jane Smith).
- Highlights specific content (presenting data on renewable energy).
Example 3: Editing with Emotional Tone
Prompt:
"Edit a trailer that evokes a sense of mystery and suspense, using scenes with dark lighting, ambiguous dialogues, and tension-building music."
Why It's Effective:
- Describes the desired emotional tone (mystery and suspense).
- Specifies visual and audio elements (dark lighting, tension-building music).
Example 4: Using the Prompt Pattern
Here are some sample prompts that follow the recommended pattern:
-
Startup Summit Highlight Reel:
"Create a highlight reel for a startup summit, about people laughing, discussing, and presenting. Alternate between people having fun / partying and business. End with a 'work hard, play hard' message. Make it at least 2 minutes long."
-
TEDX Talk Summary:
"Create a short clip, about the key points of the TEDX Talk, focusing on the Dangers of Silence. Make it concise and impactful."
-
Extreme Sports Highlight Reel:
"Create an extreme sports highlight reel, introducing the riders first and then showing them in action. Use 4 clips."
-
Farming Business Ad:
"Create a farming business ad, about people discussing agricultural topics. Include agricultural b-roll footage. Make it 2 minutes long."
-
Skater Highlight:
"Create a compilation of all segments featuring the skater in black with the black helmet doing tricks. Include all files, with multiple segments per file if necessary. Focus only on the skater in black. Use a minimum of 5 clips."
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
- Vagueness: Be as specific as possible to avoid generic timelines.
- Overcomplicating Prompts: Keep prompts concise and focused on key instructions.
- Assuming Context: Don't assume the API knows details not provided in the prompt.
- Ignoring Asset Readiness: Ensure all assets are processed and READY before prompting.
Refining Your Timeline
If the initial timeline isn't perfect, you can refine it using the /timelines/{uuid}/refine endpoint.
Steps to Refine:
- Analyze the Initial Timeline: Identify what's missing or needs adjustment.
- Craft a New Prompt: Provide clear instructions on what to change.
- Send a Refine Request using the UI:
Example:
"Include more scenes of the protagonist's childhood to enhance the backstory."
Conclusion
Effective video prompting is an art that combines clarity, specificity, and creativity. By following the guidelines provided in this document, you can craft prompts that guide the Timeline API to produce timelines that match your vision.
Remember to:
- Be clear and specific.
- Use descriptive language.
- Provide context and desired outcomes.
- Refine your timeline as needed.