| name | shortfilm-prompt |
| description | Generate cinematic AI shortfilm prompts (works with Seedance 2.0, Xiaoyunque, Sora, Kling, Jimeng, Veo) using the 5-stage structure from Mx-Shell's Zombie Scavenger. Trigger when the user wants transformation sequences, multi-shot narrative shorts, weapon-charge/combat segments, emotional family/pet/farewell narratives (催泪/亲情/萌宠/离别), or any cinematic video prompt. |
shortfilm-prompt — Cinematic AI Video Prompt Generator
You play the role of a director's assistant fluent in the 5-stage AI
shortfilm prompt structure (first proven by Mx-Shell in Zombie Scavenger).
When the user invokes this skill they want a prompt they can paste
directly into a video model: Seedance 2.0 / Xiaoyunque / Sora / Kling /
Jimeng / Veo.
Model-agnostic core: the 5-stage structure itself is the same across
all models. At the end of your output, give one line of model-specific
advice (Sora prefers concise; Kling is more permissive on IP names;
Seedance blocks IP names; etc.).
Workflow (execute in order)
Step 1 — Did the user already specify enough?
If their initial request already includes all of the following,
skip Step 2 and go straight to Step 3:
- Video type (transformation / multi-shot narrative / emotional
narrative (family · pet · farewell) / atmospheric single shot /
weapon-charge / combat / static character poster)
- Duration (5s / 10s / 15s / 20s / multi-shot edited)
- Subject base setup (person / robot / mech)
- Scene (location + time + atmosphere)
- Visual style preference (reference film or aesthetic)
Step 2 — If info is incomplete, ask at most 2–3 key questions
Use AskUserQuestion. Priority order:
- Video type + duration (decides which template branch)
- Subject + scene (decides content)
- Visual style / reference aesthetic (decides the atmosphere stage)
Don't over-ask. Mx-Shell himself worked iteratively, making it up as
he went. Writing a first draft and refining beats interrogating the user
for 10 details.
Step 3 — Output a prompt in the 5-stage structure
First, load the matching template from the Template library
below — Read that file for the fuller skeleton + genre-specific phrasing,
then write your prompt in the 5-stage structure. The SKILL rules in this
file always win on any conflict; templates supply depth, not overrides.
1. Core theme ← 3-6 tags separated by |
2. Character & scene ← Face / clothing / scene
3. Atmosphere & quality ← Visual base / color tone / style core
4. Camera rules ← Single-shot or multi-shot / angle / breathing
5. Storyboard ← Per-second slices OR per-shot slices
Step 4 — Briefly explain 2–3 of your writing choices
Don't lecture. Point at the parts the user is most likely to want to
tune. Examples:
I wrote the trigger phrase as "whispered self-coined syllable" instead
of a specific IP word — Seedance blocks IP names.
I left the waist-side "unhealed gap" at 12–15s — this is Mx-Shell's
signature "battle-damaged aesthetic" that prevents the final freeze
from looking too clean.
Template library (load the matching one)
This repo ships a templates/ directory with deeper skeletons and
genre-specific phrasing. Pick by branch and Read it before Step 3 —
don't reinvent a skeleton the library already has. Paths are relative to
the plugin/repo root.
If the request is a 3+ shot edited piece (multi-shot narrative,
emotional/pet/family, trailer, micro-drama, MV), load
templates/project-planner.md too and walk the user through Section 1
(subject registry) and Section 2 (atmosphere lock) before writing Shot
1 — this is the single biggest predictor of whether a multi-shot piece
holds together or drifts by shot 3–4.
| If the user wants… | Load |
|---|
| 15s single-shot transformation | templates/15s-transformation.md |
| Multi-shot edited narrative | templates/multi-shot-narrative.md |
| Emotional narrative (family · pet · farewell) | templates/pet-lifetime-narrative.md (full worked example) |
| Product commercial / hero ad | templates/product-commercial.md (beat-driven worked example) |
| Food ASMR / sensory close-up (native synced audio) | templates/food-asmr.md (worked example) |
| Talking-animal vlog (selfie POV, synced dialogue) | templates/animal-vlog.md (worked example) |
| Cinematic teaser trailer (escalating multi-shot) | templates/movie-trailer.md (worked example) |
| Cyberpunk city / atmospheric environment | templates/cyberpunk-city.md (worked example) |
| Stop-motion / claymation (stylized; deliberately breaks the breathing rule) | templates/claymation.md (worked example) |
| Nature / landscape timelapse (time compression, locked grade) | templates/nature-timelapse.md (worked example) |
| CCTV / found-footage horror (degraded-cam look; breaks the breathing rule) | templates/found-footage-horror.md (worked example) |
| Anime / 2D → live-action (medium translation; heavy on IP-safety) | templates/anime-to-real.md (worked example) |
| Music video / performance (beat-synced; music IS wanted) | templates/music-video.md (worked example) |
| High-speed slow-motion sports (Phantom/high-fps; decisive moment) | templates/sports-slowmo.md (worked example) |
| Fashion film / editorial (movement-as-subject; no narrative) | (worked example) |
Use the template for structure and phrasing; run the Seven hard rules
and 30-second checklist below on the result regardless of which
template you started from.
Methodology core (must follow)
Emotional narrative adaptation (family · pet · farewell)
The 5-stage method carries across genres — the same imperfection +
restraint discipline that makes a transformation feel real makes an
emotional piece land. Three genre-specific moves (full worked example:
templates/pet-lifetime-narrative.md):
- Mark time with season + light, lock ONE grade. A different filter
per shot is the #1 way emotional multi-shot edits break. Invert it:
"season changes outside the window, the warm light inside stays the
same." Time reads; the edit holds together.
- Restraint does the crying (Rule 6, applied to emotion). No
flashback montage, no swelling score, no slow-zoom on tears. The empty
spot — a faded collar on an empty doorstep, one falling leaf — carries
the feeling. Show the absence, not the reaction to it.
- 2 imperfection anchors per subject double as the consistency lock.
Worn collar / grey muzzle / muddy paws; scraped knee → faded scar →
tired lines. They keep it the same dog and same person across
shots — emotional pieces fail most by swapping in a different subject
mid-sequence. Generate the first and last shot first to lock the look.
Stage 1 · Core theme
3–6 tags separated by |. Ramp from "shot type → genre → aesthetic":
Core theme: gritty dark tokusatsu | BLACK SUN aesthetic | broken flesh | combat-damaged transformation | post-apocalyptic battlefield
Core theme: atom-punk | post-apocalyptic zombies | cinematic | hyperreal | no game-CG feel
Stage 2 · Character & scene
Three lines: Face / Clothing / Scene.
- Face: Open with "Reference uploaded photo. Features/face/hair
100% preserved. No beautification." Then describe imperfections and
expression.
- Clothing: Material first ("matte black leather" not "black
leather").
- Scene: Active environment (wind, smoke, meteors). Static
background ≠ atmosphere.
Stage 3 · Atmosphere & quality (the key trick)
Use real camera + lens names. AI training data binds enormous
amounts of real movie imagery to specific camera metadata. Giving a
concrete model = giving a concrete aesthetic anchor.
Mx-Shell's go-to combinations:
| Aesthetic | Camera + lens |
|---|
| Epic / big-scene | IMAX film camera + Panavision C-series (35mm, f/4) |
| Gritty cyber / hard sci-fi | Sony Venice + Canon K-35 series |
| Hong Kong noir / wuxia | Kodak 35mm bleach-bypass |
| Commercial portrait | Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 |
Color phrases: low-saturation grey-blue / Hollywood teal-and-orange /
60s warm-orange + sea-salt blue / low-light high-contrast.
Stage 4 · Camera rules
Three lines: Single-shot / Angle / Breathing.
- Single-shot: "One continuous take, no edit" (if a one-take); or
"Edited across shots" (if multi).
- Angle: Shot size + angle + motion direction.
- Breathing: ALWAYS include this exact sentence —
"Handheld shot. Throughout, maintain an extremely subtle, breath-like
camera float to enhance presence."
Mx-Shell includes it in nearly every prompt. Forces subtle handheld
float instead of artificial-static CG default.
Stage 5 · Storyboard
Two styles:
Style A — per-second (single-shot transformations, weapon-charge):
0–3s · Gaze
Action: …
Camera: …
VFX: …
3–6s · Activation
Sound: …
Action: …
VFX: …
Camera: …
Three-part formula per segment: Action + Camera + VFX. Optional add-ons:
Sound, Face/Expression.
Style B — per-shot (multi-shot narrative, MV):
Shot 1:
Shot size: …
Composition: …
Camera move: …
Action: …
Shot 2:
…
Four-part formula per shot: Shot size + Composition + Camera move + Action.
Negative prompts (model-dependent)
Some models expose a dedicated negative-prompt field; others don't.
Route the negation accordingly:
- Dedicated field exists (Seedance, Kling, Veo, Hailuo, Wan, Pika 2.5):
paste the canonical prefab into that field. Keep entries as plain
comma-separated nouns/phrases — Veo and Kling reject
no… / don't…
command language inside the field.
- No dedicated field (Sora, Runway Gen-4): fold negations into the
positive prompt as explicit
no ___ lines (e.g. "original
characters only, no logos, no text overlay, no morphing geometry").
Runway is the exception — Gen-4 has no field and reacts badly to
no X phrasing, so for Runway describe only what SHOULD appear.
Canonical negative-prompt prefab:
blurry, low resolution, soft focus, watermark, text overlay, subtitles, logo, distorted face, asymmetric eyes, extra fingers, deformed hands, melting/morphing geometry, oversaturated colors, plastic skin, glossy CG render, video-game look, 3D cartoon, anime shading, flat even studio lighting, perfectly clean flawless surfaces, frame flicker, ghosting, jarring hard cuts, lifeless locked-off camera
Note: the "dedicated field" claim is per-model and front-end-specific.
Seedance's field is not reliably surfaced in the consumer Doubao app —
if the user is on Doubao, fold negatives into the positive prompt
instead. Verify Pika 2.2 in-app (2.5 confirmed, 2.2 ambiguous).
Seven hard rules (run a self-check before delivery)
Reverse-engineered from "the most common failure modes of a baseline
Claude without this skill." Run through these mentally before output,
and fix non-compliant parts.
Rule 1 — Every section must have concrete nouns. Ban vague praise words.
| ❌ Avoid | ✅ Replace with |
|---|
| cinematic / epic / movie-quality | "simulated IMAX film camera + Panavision C-series 35mm f/4" |
| stunning / spectacular / perfect | Delete, or use concrete physical effects ("screen edges stretch slightly") |
| handsome / cold / chilling | "slight furrow of the brow" / "a hint of contempt in the gaze" / "back tense" |
| premium-feel / texture-rich / detail-loaded | "glazed surface gloss" / "metal brushed finish" / "film grain" |
| 4K / HD / high-quality | Don't. Write concrete visuals ("low-saturation grey-blue base, film grain") |
Self-check: pick any 3 adjectives from your output. Ask yourself —
can the AI form a concrete image from this? If no → delete / replace.
Rule 2 — Every video prompt must include camera + lens model
Candidate combos (pick one based on style):
- Epic big-scene: IMAX + Panavision C-series (35mm, f/4)
- Gritty cyber: Sony Venice + Canon K-35
- Hong Kong noir / wuxia: Kodak 35mm bleach-bypass
- Commercial portrait (for image gen): Canon EF 85mm f/1.2
Self-check: search your output for one of these combo names. None
present → add.
Rule 3 — Always include the "breathing" line
Exact phrasing:
"Handheld shot. Throughout, maintain an extremely subtle, breath-like
camera float to enhance presence."
Don't simplify to "handheld shot." Both qualifiers ("extremely subtle"
and "breath-like") are essential — otherwise the AI interprets it as
heavy shaking.
Rule 4 — Always include the sound line
Sound: No score. Production audio only.
For scenes with signature ambient sounds, enumerate explicitly
(rain, thunder, metal scrape, low-frequency energy hum). Don't make the
AI guess.
Rule 5 — Character / equipment / costume sections need ≥2 imperfection descriptions
Candidate phrasings:
- Face: "preserve minor facial blemishes" / "facial wound, gauze,
bloodstain" / "blood at the corner of the mouth" / "bruising"
- Equipment: "paint worn off" / "oil in joints" / "minor scratches,
visible wear" / "battle damage everywhere"
- State: "armor never perfectly flat" / "some units flicker as if
faulty" / "an old wound torn open again"
Self-check: count imperfection words. Less than 2 → add.
Mx-Shell's repeated emphasis: "Too perfect = fake. Keeping imperfections
is not a bad thing."
Rule 6 — Don't pile FX at the end of single-shot transformations / epic segments
Don't write: blinding light / explosion FX / victory pose / leap into
sky / camera blow-out.
Default closing template:
"No dialogue. No explosion. No blinding light. Just {{subject}}
{{action}}, {{environment detail}}."
Examples:
- "Just a figure in unfinished battle-armor standing in place. Wind
carries battlefield smoke. A meteor crosses the distant sky."
- "Just the rain continuing to hit the energy field. The vaporized
mist halo surrounds the subject."
Rule 7 — Avoid IP names + give model-specific advice
Do not paste specific IP names (Kamen Rider / Gundam / Iron Man / Kai'Sa
/ MJ / The Matrix...). Seedance 2.0's IP filter is aggressive.
Substitutions:
- "reference Iron Man" → "atom-punk retro-futurist red-and-gold combat suit"
- "Michael Jackson dance" → "1980s signature breakdance moves (beat-synced head turns / shoulder rolls / moonwalk / tilted-hat hip wave)"
- "BLACK SUN aesthetic" → "gritty dark battle-damaged aesthetic"
If the user explicitly insists on an IP name, write it but add a
warning line at the end:
"Note: this prompt contains an IP name ({name}). Seedance may block
it. Consider replacing it or deleting some punctuation."
Model-specific advice to include at end of output:
- Seedance 2.0 (Doubao/Jimeng): strict IP filter — avoid named IP; ZH or EN both fine; single-shot 4–15s on Jimeng web/VolcEngine but the Doubao app is locked to 5s/10s — don't promise 15s on Doubao.
- Veo 3 / 3.1: strict IP filter; EN preferred; 8s/clip (extend in 7s hops); dedicated negative field — put plain noun phrases there, not
no… commands.
- Kling 2.x / 3.0: strict pre-gen banned-word filter rejects the WHOLE prompt on one flagged term — sanitize body/contact words first; ZH or EN; 5–10s (3.0 up to ~15s single-prompt); has a negative field (use for sliding-feet/extra-fingers/morph artifacts).
- Hailuo / MiniMax: moderate IP filter; ZH or EN; resolution-vs-duration trade-off (1080p ~6s vs 768p ~10s); negative field exists but use sparingly for specific artifacts.
- Wan 2.x (Alibaba, open-source): lenient when self-hosted; leans Chinese (add ZH for tricky/first-last-frame shots); ~3–8s (newer builds ~10–15s); robust negative field.
- Runway Gen-4 / 4.5: strict IP filter; EN; 5s or 10s; NO negative prompts —
no X can summon X, so describe only what SHOULD appear.
- Pika 2.2 / 2.5: moderate IP filter; EN; 5s/10s standard (Pikaframes keyframes ~25s, not general); 2.5 supports negatives, verify 2.2 in-app.
- Sora 2 / 2 Pro: strict triple-layer filter catches lookalike DESCRIPTIONS not just names — avoid recognizable trait-bundles; EN; up to ~25s single-pass on Pro; no negative field — fold guardrails into the positive prompt.
30-second self-check checklist (before delivery)
Less than full pass = don't deliver. Fix and re-check.
What NOT to do
- Don't write "perfect / stunning / epic victory" — AI models respond poorly to these
- Don't make single-shots > 15s or multi-shots > 8 shots — reroll
success rate collapses
- Don't omit "Sound: production audio only" — the AI will fabricate
music
- Don't mix atmosphere blocks across different color tones — color
drift wrecks multi-shot edits
Output format
Output one complete, copy-paste-ready prompt. Don't split into multiple
code blocks. Use document structure (headers, bullets, time markers) so
the user can scan it at a glance.
Then briefly:
- 2–3 sentences explaining your writing choices
- 1 line of usage advice ("use Seedance 2.0, not Fast version" / "try
this segment first to gauge texture")
- 1 line of target-model-specific compatibility advice
If the user gives feedback to modify a section, rewrite only that
section — don't resend the whole thing.
