How to prompt Kiwi

The rules that matter most

1. 1

   Name the light, the shot, and the camera

   Open with how it is filmed: "Medium shot, eye level, soft morning daylight, warm colors." Then end with one camera move.

2. 2

   Describe the motion: how big, how fast

   "Rolls a snowball clumsily forward" beats "plays in the snow". Say what moves, in what order, and what it does to the scene.

3. 3

   One scene per clip

   Kiwi makes a single shot, so a change of place inside one clip breaks it. Make each scene its own clip and join them in an editor.

4. 4

   Quote what is said

   A quoted line is spoken word for word, in the voice you describe: The old fisherman says in a slow, gravelly voice: "Tide's turning." Without one, Kiwi may make up speech.

5. 5

   With a start image, write only the motion

   The picture holds the subject, the place, and the style. Say what moves and how the camera behaves, and nothing about how things look.

Prompts to start from

• A playful moment with sound

  Medium shot, eye level, soft morning daylight, warm colors, center composition. A fluffy ginger kitten in a snowy back yard rolls a snowball with its front paws and pushes it forward clumsily. The snowball breaks apart; the kitten jumps back in surprise, sneezes, then creeps closer and nudges the pieces with its head, tumbling over. The camera tracks slowly at kitten height. The crunch of paws on snow, the swish of the rolling snowball, the crack as it breaks, a tiny sneeze, and a light, warm piano melody.

  Why it works: The look comes first, the motion is a clear chain with a beginning and an end, and every sound has a source. Set the length to 10 seconds.

• A character with one line

  Low angle, medium close-up, warm tones, mixed light from a green desk lamp and grey window light. In a cluttered detective's office, a fox in a brown trench coat and grey fedora sits in a leather chair turning yellowed pages. Rain streaks the window behind him. He raises his head, ears twitching, looks straight at the camera and says in a smooth, cynical voice: "The case was cold. Colder than a fish in winter." Steady rain on glass, pages rustling. No background music.

  Why it works: Two light sources set the mood, the line is short and quoted with its voice, and "No background music." keeps the rain and the pages clear.

• Bring a start image to life

  The camera pulls back slowly as the two men climb the stairs; the man on the left steadies the man on the right with his hand, and both pause on the landing to catch their breath. Footsteps on stone, heavy breathing.

  Why it works: Add the picture as the start image. The prompt names the men the way the picture shows them and spends every word on motion, camera, and sound.

• A water-level tracking shot

  Low angle at water level, overcast daylight, muted greens. A folded paper boat drifts down a rain-filled gutter, spinning slowly as it bumps past leaves and pebbles, rain dimpling the water around it. The camera tracks alongside it at the same speed. Realistic. Rain pattering, water trickling into a drain.

  Why it works: An unusual camera height makes an everyday subject interesting, and a camera that moves with the subject keeps it in frame.

• A stylized city

  Tilt-shift miniature look, high angle over a busy city intersection at night. Cars and pedestrians stream through in toy-like motion as the traffic lights change and shop signs flicker along both sidewalks. The camera holds still. Soft city hum, distant horns.

  Why it works: A named style changes the whole look in two words, and a still camera lets the motion in the scene carry the clip.