Generative video rewards direction, not description. The teams getting cinematic results treat the model like a talented but literal crew: they set the scene, the lens, the motion and the mood explicitly.
Lead with intent and audience, then constraints, then references. A brief that names the emotion and the platform will out-perform one that lists ten adjectives.
Storyboard in shots, not paragraphs. Break the piece into beats and generate each with continuity cues so the cut feels authored rather than assembled.
Finally, plan for human polish. The best AI video pipelines still finish in the edit — grade, sound and pacing are where craft shows.