12 Cinematic Style Prompts for AI Image and Video Generation

When creating visual prompts for AI tools like MidJourney, DALL-E, or others, using specific stylistic and technical descriptors can transform your output into a professional-quality image. Below is a breakdown of cinematic styles and tips, with prompt examples to inspire your creativity.

Unless otherwise noted, images below were generated through Dall-E. A few are from Midjourney.

Cinematic Styles

1. Cinematic

   Dramatic lighting, wide aspect ratio, carefully composed shots.

   

   Prompt example:

   Cinematic scene with a mysterious man in a dimly lit hallway. High contrast lighting with strong backlight creating a silhouette effect. Shallow depth of field focusing on the man's face. Dark, moody atmosphere with teal and orange color grading.
2. Film noir

   High contrast, deep shadows, often black and white, urban settings.

   

   Example:

   Atmospheric noir scene on a rainy night: Silhouetted man in fedora and trench coat standing under a street lamp on a wet, reflective sidewalk. Urban 1940s setting with tall buildings, illuminated windows, and vintage cars. High contrast black and white style with dramatic lighting.

3. Golden hour

   Warm, soft light just before sunset, creating a romantic atmosphere.

   

   Example:

   Romantic golden hour scene in a park: Silhouetted couple walking hand in hand through tall grass. Majestic trees frame the path, with a grand building visible in the background. Intense warm sunlight filtering through the trees, creating dramatic lens flares and golden haze.

4. Blue hour

   Cool, ethereal light just after sunset, often used for moody scenes.

   

   Prompt:

   Moody blue hour scene on a city bridge: A solitary figure stands contemplating the horizon, with the city's dimly lit skyline in the background. The cool, post-sunset light casts a serene, bluish glow over the scene, emphasizing a sense of solitude and reflection

   Here's Blue Hour example in MidJourney

   

   Prompt in MidJourney:

   Blue hour style, close-up of a big-eyed brunette young woman with a pony tail under a light rain, intense, moody.

5. Magic hour

   Similar to golden hour but with a slightly more mystical quality.

   

   Example prompt:

   Enchanting magic hour scene in a mystical forest: A young child chases glowing fireflies among ancient trees. The forest is bathed in a golden hue with rays of sunlight piercing through the foliage, creating a dreamlike atmosphere with elongated shadows and sparkling light particles.
6. Wes Anderson style

   Symmetrical compositions, pastel colors and quirky characters.

   

   Example:

   Quirky, symmetrically composed scene in a pastel-colored room: Two characters, each dressed in bright contrasting colors, face each other across a perfectly centered table. The room is filled with odd, colorful objects and furniture, all arranged with meticulous symmetry typical of a Wes Anderson film.

   Here is the same style in MidJourney.

   

   Prompt used in MidJourney:

   Wes Anderson style, Quirky, symmetrically composed scene in a pastel-colored room: in the center is a photorealistic cute 6 year old girl with red hair wearing grape-purple dress is jumping in the air, hair movement, mysterious, odd.
7. Cyberpunk

   Neon-lit urban dystopia and high-tech low-life aesthetic.

   

   For instance:

   Neon-lit cyberpunk market scene at night: A character in futuristic attire navigates a busy street crowded with neon signs and holograms. The urban dystopia is vivid with colors clashing against the dark, gritty background, highlighting the high-tech, low-life aesthetic of the cyberpunk genre.
8. Steampunk

   Victorian-era aesthetics mixed with anachronistic technology, lots of brass and steam.

   

   Prompt:

   Victorian-era steampunk workshop scene: A character clad in a leather apron and goggles works on a brass and copper machine amidst a clutter of steam-powered gadgets. The workshop is lit by the warm glow of oil lamps, with steam hissing from valves and gears turning in the background.
9. Documentary Style

   Captures events as they happen with a focus on realism and authenticity, often using natural lighting and handheld cameras to enhance the real-life feel.

   

   Example:

   Realistic and candid shot of a bustling city street market with diverse people engaging in daily activities, using natural lighting and a handheld camera effect.
10. Epic

    Characterized by vast, sweeping landscapes and grandiose scenes that emphasize scale and spectacle, often with rich colors and dramatic compositions.

    

    Sample prompt:

    A grand battlefield with hundreds of warriors, majestic mountains in the background, and dramatic skies, capturing the heroism and grandeur typical of epic cinema.
11. Expressionist Cinema (German Expressionism)

    Focuses on conveying psychological states and emotional experiences through stylized visuals, using distorted sets and stark contrasts.

    

    Prompt:

    A twisted urban landscape with exaggerated, distorted buildings and stark, contrasting shadows, using sharp angles and a monochromatic color scheme to enhance psychological impact.

    MidJourney's Example:

    

    MidJourney's prompt:

    German Expressionist Cinema style, short-haired woman looking intensely at me, over the shoulder.
12. Western Style

    Evokes the adventurous spirit of the Old West with visuals of rugged landscapes, cowboys, and iconic elements like wide-brimmed hats and lassos. 

    

    Prompt example:

    A rugged cowboy stands in a dusty, expansive desert landscape, with a dramatic sunset in the background, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, leather chaps, and carrying a lasso.

Mixing and Matching Styles

You can also experiment by combining unexpected elements for unique results. For instance:

Western style, Egyptian pharaoh is seen fighting a giant aggressive monkey as he's exiting a pyramid in the middle of a desert.

Such creative fusions can break traditional constraints and deliver surprising engaging visuals.

Last modified 15 January 2025 at 21:23