Sora 2 Prompting Guide: Write Better Prompts for OpenAI's AI Video Generator

The difference between a mediocre Sora 2 video and a stunning one is almost never about settings, resolution, or how much you pay for API credits. It is about the prompt. OpenAI's Sora 2 is the most powerful text-to-video model publicly available in early 2026, capable of generating professional-quality videos up to 25 seconds long with synchronized dialogue, sound effects, and music. But that power means nothing if you cannot tell it exactly what you want.

This guide is built from hundreds of hours of Sora 2 prompt testing. You will learn the five-component prompt structure that consistently produces the best results, see 20+ example prompts across every major ad and content category, understand how to use Sora 2's unique style presets and Extend feature, and learn the camera movement vocabulary that the model actually responds to. Whether you are creating product ads, brand stories, social content, or cinematic videos, the prompting principles here will immediately improve your output.

Why Sora 2 Prompt Quality Matters More Than Any Other Model

Sora 2 is not like prompting a text model or even an image generator. With text models, a vague prompt still produces a usable response. With image generators like DALL-E or Midjourney, a short prompt often delivers surprisingly good results because the model fills in reasonable defaults for composition, lighting, and style.

Video generation is different. Sora 2 must make decisions across multiple dimensions simultaneously -- subject appearance, motion physics, camera behavior, lighting evolution over time, audio synchronization, and temporal coherence across hundreds of frames. When your prompt is vague, the model is forced to guess on all of these dimensions at once, and the probability of it guessing correctly on every dimension is low.

Here is what this looks like in practice:

Vague prompt: "A woman walking through a city"

Result: Generic woman, unclear age and style, random city that could be anywhere, flat lighting, static or awkward camera, no audio direction, no mood. Technically a video of a woman walking through a city. Practically useless for any commercial application.

Detailed prompt: "A confident woman in her late 20s wearing a tailored camel overcoat walks through the cobblestone streets of Paris at golden hour. Camera tracks alongside her at shoulder height with a slight steadicam sway. Shallow depth of field keeps her sharp while the warm bokeh of cafe lights and street lamps blur behind her. Ambient city sounds -- distant conversations, a passing bicycle bell, her heels clicking on stone. Cinematic color grading with warm amber tones."

Result: A specific, usable, commercially viable video with controlled aesthetics, intentional camera work, and atmospheric audio. The difference is not marginal -- it is the difference between content you delete and content you publish.

Sora 2's February 2026 capabilities make prompt precision even more important. The model now generates synchronized dialogue and sound effects, meaning your prompt can direct audio as precisely as visuals. It supports six style presets that fundamentally alter the visual treatment. And with the Extend feature adding 10 additional seconds to any generation, your initial prompt sets the creative direction for up to 35 seconds of content. Getting the first prompt right cascades through everything that follows.

Sora 2 Prompt Anatomy: The 5-Component Structure

After extensive testing, the most reliable Sora 2 prompt structure follows five components. You do not need all five in every prompt, but including each one gives the model the clearest possible creative direction.

1. Subject

Who or what is the primary focus of the video? Be specific about appearance, age range, clothing, expression, and physical characteristics.

• Weak: "A man"
• Strong: "A bearded man in his early 40s wearing a fitted navy henley, rolled sleeves revealing a minimalist watch, with an easy confident smile"

For product shots, describe the product with equal precision -- material, color, size relative to the frame, surface texture, and any distinguishing details.

2. Action

What is happening? Describe the motion, interaction, or sequence of events. Sora 2 handles complex actions better when you break them into sequential beats.

• Weak: "Dancing"
• Strong: "Starts with a slow spin, then transitions into fluid contemporary dance movements, arms extending outward as the pace builds, finishing with a controlled freeze pose"

For product videos, describe how the product moves, is handled, or interacts with its environment -- a bottle being poured, a fabric being draped, a device powering on.

3. Environment

Where does the scene take place? Include lighting conditions, time of day, weather, and spatial details. Environment sets mood more powerfully than almost any other prompt element.

• Weak: "In a room"
• Strong: "In a sunlit loft apartment with exposed brick walls, large industrial windows casting long morning shadows across a polished concrete floor, a single monstera plant in the corner"

4. Camera

How does the camera behave? Sora 2 responds well to cinematographic language. Specify the shot type, movement, speed, and any transitions.

• Weak: (no camera direction)
• Strong: "Camera starts on a tight close-up of hands holding the product, then slowly pulls back to a medium shot revealing the full scene, with a gentle upward tilt at the end"

We cover the full camera vocabulary below -- this is one of the most impactful sections for improving your results.

5. Style and Mood

What is the visual and emotional tone? Include color grading, film stock references, genre references, and audio direction.

• Weak: "Cinematic"
• Strong: "Shot on 35mm film stock with natural grain, warm desaturated color palette reminiscent of a Wes Anderson film, soft ambient piano in the background, overall tone of nostalgic warmth"

Putting It All Together

Here is the five-component structure applied to a complete prompt:

Subject: A young woman with short natural hair wearing a moss-green linen dress

Action: Slowly turns a handmade ceramic mug in her hands, lifts it to take a sip, then looks toward the window with a content half-smile

Environment: A quiet Scandinavian-style kitchen, soft overcast light filtering through sheer white curtains, a wooden countertop with a small herb garden and a French press

Camera: Medium close-up, static camera with a very subtle slow push-in, shallow depth of field with the herb garden softly blurred in the foreground

Style: Soft naturalistic lighting, muted earth-tone color grading, gentle ambient sound of rain against the window, intimate and calm mood

Full prompt: "A young woman with short natural hair wearing a moss-green linen dress slowly turns a handmade ceramic mug in her hands, lifts it to take a sip, then looks toward the window with a content half-smile. Shot in a quiet Scandinavian-style kitchen with soft overcast light filtering through sheer white curtains, a wooden countertop with a small herb garden and a French press. Medium close-up with a subtle slow push-in, shallow depth of field with the herb garden softly blurred in the foreground. Soft naturalistic lighting, muted earth-tone color grading, gentle ambient sound of rain against the window. Intimate and calm mood."

This level of specificity consistently produces usable commercial content from Sora 2.

20+ Example Prompts by Category

These prompts are tested and optimized for Sora 2's current capabilities. Adapt them to your specific products and brand.

Product Ad Prompts

1. Hero product reveal:
"A sleek matte-black wireless earbud case sits centered on a dark slate surface. The case slowly opens on its own, revealing the earbuds inside with a soft interior glow. Camera starts overhead looking straight down, then smoothly arcs to a 45-degree angle as the case opens. Dramatic side lighting with a single warm key light, dark moody background. A subtle mechanical click sound as the case opens, followed by a soft electronic chime. Premium tech commercial style."

2. Skincare texture shot:
"A drop of translucent gold serum falls in slow motion onto a clear glass surface, spreading outward in a perfect circle. Macro lens perspective showing the viscosity and shimmer of the liquid. Bright clinical lighting with soft reflections on the glass. Camera holds static on an extreme close-up. Ambient spa music, soft and minimal. Clean beauty editorial style with high contrast and white negative space."

3. Fashion product in motion:
"A model in a flowing silk emerald dress walks through a long white corridor with floor-to-ceiling windows. Natural afternoon light creates shifting patterns on the fabric as she moves. The dress billows and catches the light with each step. Camera tracks alongside her at knee height, emphasizing the fabric movement. No dialogue, just the sound of fabric rustling and heels on marble. High fashion editorial, Vogue-inspired composition."

4. Food and beverage pour shot:
"A bartender's hands pour a deep amber craft cocktail from a mixing glass into a crystal coupe. Orange peel garnish is expressed over the surface, releasing a visible mist of citrus oil. Shot in a dimly lit craft cocktail bar with warm Edison bulb lighting. Extreme close-up, shallow depth of field, slow motion at 120fps. Sound of liquid pouring, ice clinking, and the soft snap of the orange peel. Moody, warm, premium."

5. Tech product unboxing:
"Hands carefully lift the lid of a minimalist white product box, revealing a rose-gold smartwatch nestled in molded packaging. The watch screen illuminates as it is lifted out, showing a soft gradient watch face. Close-up on hands and product, shallow depth of field, bright soft lighting from above. Camera pushes in slowly as the watch is revealed. Satisfying unboxing sounds -- cardboard sliding, the soft thud of the lid, a digital chime as the screen activates. Clean, premium, Apple-inspired aesthetic."

Testimonial and UGC-Style Prompts

6. Direct-to-camera testimonial:
"A woman in her early 30s with warm brown skin and curly shoulder-length hair sits in a naturally lit living room, speaking directly to the camera with genuine enthusiasm. She gestures with her hands as she talks. Medium shot, static camera at eye level, shallow depth of field with a bookshelf blurred in the background. Natural window light from the left side. Her voice is clear and conversational, with ambient room tone. Authentic UGC selfie-camera style with slight lens distortion."

7. Before and after transformation:
"Split screen showing a cluttered, dimly lit home office on the left transforming into the same space fully organized with warm lighting on the right. The split line moves from left to right over 5 seconds, revealing the transformation. Camera holds static at a wide angle showing the full room. Upbeat, optimistic background music with a satisfying whoosh sound as the split line moves. Bright, clean social media ad style."

8. Reaction-style product review:
"A young man in his mid-20s wearing a simple white t-shirt opens a delivery package at his kitchen counter. His expression shifts from curiosity to genuine surprise and delight as he pulls out the product. Handheld camera perspective, slightly shaky for authenticity, medium shot. Natural kitchen lighting. Sound of package opening, his natural reactions and exclamations. Raw TikTok UGC style, no color grading."

Brand Story Prompts

9. Origin story:
"A pair of weathered hands shapes wet clay on a potter's wheel in a rustic workshop. Shelves of finished ceramic pieces line the walls behind. Late afternoon light streams through a dusty window. Camera starts on an extreme close-up of the hands and clay, then slowly pulls back to reveal the full workshop. Gentle string music, the wet sound of clay spinning, the artist breathing steadily. Warm, artisanal, documentary-style color grading with lifted shadows."

10. Brand values montage:
"A sequence of three vignettes: first, hands planting a seedling in rich soil with morning dew visible on the leaves; second, a woman in a lab coat examining fabric under a magnifying glass in a bright modern lab; third, a diverse group of people laughing together at a long wooden table outdoors at sunset. Each vignette lasts 4-5 seconds. Camera moves gently in each scene -- a slow push-in, a tracking shot, a gentle crane up. Warm organic color palette, inspirational ambient music building across the sequence. Purpose-driven brand storytelling."

11. Founder spotlight:
"A woman in her late 30s with an assured presence sits at a large wooden desk in a bright, plant-filled office. She looks into the camera and speaks about her company's mission. Camera frames her in a centered medium shot with symmetrical composition. Soft key light from a large window to her right, fill light from the left. Her voice is warm and confident. Minimal background music, focus on her voice. Documentary interview style with subtle film grain."

Social Media Short-Form Prompts

12. Hook-driven Reel:
"Text overlay 'You've been doing this wrong' appears over a close-up of someone messily applying foundation with their fingers. Quick cut to the same person using a product applicator tool with a flawless result. Fast-paced, punchy editing rhythm. Bright ring light, selfie camera angle slightly above eye level. Trending upbeat audio track. Bold, high-contrast, Instagram Reels native style."

13. ASMR-style product showcase:
"Extreme close-up of fingers slowly unzipping a leather wallet, revealing card slots and a bill compartment. The camera lingers on the texture of the leather grain and the metal zipper teeth. Absolutely silent except for the amplified sounds of the zipper, leather creaking, and fingertips brushing the surface. Dark background, single directional light creating dramatic shadows. Slow and meditative pace. ASMR aesthetic."

14. Day-in-the-life montage:
"Quick-cut montage: alarm clock at 6 AM, coffee being poured, running shoes hitting pavement in morning light, laptop opening at a cafe, a creative brainstorming session on a whiteboard, golden hour rooftop moment with the city skyline. Each shot 2-3 seconds, fast transitions with motion blur. Energetic lo-fi hip hop soundtrack. Warm, slightly desaturated color grading. Aspirational lifestyle content for Gen Z audience."

Cinematic Prompts

15. Dramatic landscape:
"Aerial drone shot sweeping over a volcanic black sand beach in Iceland at sunrise. Turquoise waves crash against the dark shore, steam rises from geothermal vents in the distance. Camera moves forward and slightly downward, revealing the full coastline. Wind sounds, crashing waves, distant seabirds. Cinematic 2.39:1 aspect ratio, rich saturated colors, dramatic contrast between the dark sand and bright sky. Epic, awe-inspiring."

16. Noir-inspired scene:
"A man in a long coat walks down a rain-soaked city alley at night. Neon signs reflect in the puddles -- red and blue light playing across the wet pavement. He pauses under a streetlight, pulls a cigarette from his pocket, and looks over his shoulder. Camera follows from behind at a low angle, then cuts to a frontal medium shot as he turns. Rain sounds, distant jazz saxophone, the flick of a lighter. Black and white with selective color on the neon reflections. Film noir aesthetic."

17. Slow-motion beauty shot:
"A woman with long dark hair stands in an open field of tall golden grass. A gust of wind sweeps through, sending her hair and the grass flowing in the same direction. She closes her eyes and tilts her face toward the sun. Extreme slow motion at 240fps. Camera orbits slowly around her at eye level. Golden hour backlight creating a halo effect. Sound of wind rushing in slow motion, ethereal ambient pads. Dreamlike, transcendent mood."

18. Product launch countdown:
"A series of rapid-fire extreme close-ups: a button being pressed, gears turning, lights powering on in sequence, a digital display counting down from 5 to 1. On zero, a wide reveal shot of the complete product glowing on a pedestal with volumetric light. Fast pacing that slows dramatically on the reveal. Electronic build-up soundtrack that drops to silence on the reveal moment, then swells with orchestral bass. Futuristic tech launch, high production value."

Dialogue-Enabled Prompts (New Sora 2 Capability)

19. Two-person conversation ad:
"Two friends sit across from each other at a small cafe table. Friend 1, a man with glasses, says: 'I tried that new productivity app everyone's talking about.' Friend 2, a woman with a bright scarf, leans in and asks: 'And?' Friend 1 grins: 'I got three hours of my day back.' Natural cafe ambient sound -- clinking cups, murmured conversations. Medium two-shot, slight handheld movement. Warm natural lighting, casual and authentic tone."

20. Narrator-led product explainer:
"Close-up of a fitness tracker on a wrist during a morning run. A warm male narrator voice says: 'Your body is talking to you every second of every day.' Cut to the tracker's screen showing heart rate data. Narrator continues: 'Now you can finally listen.' Camera follows the runner from wrist level, then pulls back to show them running along a scenic waterfront at sunrise. Motivational orchestral music building underneath the narration. Premium brand commercial style."

21. Customer story dialogue:
"A small business owner stands in her bakery, dusting flour off her apron. She looks at the camera and says: 'Six months ago, I was posting one photo a week and wondering why nobody was finding us.' Cut to her phone showing a video ad playing. She continues: 'Now our videos get more engagement than the bakery down the street with ten times our budget.' She smiles and turns back to her work. Warm bakery lighting, documentary handheld style. Ambient kitchen sounds."

Sora 2's Style Presets and How to Leverage Them

Sora 2 now includes six built-in style presets that apply a comprehensive visual treatment to your generation. These are not simple filters -- they fundamentally alter the visual language, pacing, color science, and audio approach of the output. Understanding each one lets you choose the right starting point or explicitly override them in your prompt.

Thankful

A warm, emotionally resonant style with soft lighting, gentle color grading, and contemplative pacing. Works best for brand stories, testimonials, and emotional narratives.

Best for: Nonprofit campaigns, brand purpose content, customer appreciation videos, holiday messaging

Prompt tip: When using the Thankful preset, lean into personal stories and human moments. The style amplifies sincerity, so overly salesy language in dialogue will feel jarring against the visual warmth.

Vintage

Emulates analog film characteristics -- grain, color shift, light leaks, and slightly muted color science. Creates instant nostalgia and perceived authenticity.

Best for: Heritage brand content, throwback campaigns, fashion lookbooks, artisanal product showcases, any content targeting millennial nostalgia

Prompt tip: Vintage works exceptionally well with slow, deliberate camera movements and simple compositions. Avoid fast cuts and complex action -- let the style do the heavy lifting.

Comic

Transforms video into stylized comic book or graphic novel aesthetics with bold lines, cell shading, and dynamic compositions. Highly distinctive and attention-grabbing.

Best for: Entertainment promotions, youth-targeted campaigns, playful brand personalities, social media hooks that need to stop the scroll

Prompt tip: Exaggerate expressions and movements in your prompts when using Comic. The style amplifies bold gestures and dramatic moments. Subtle performances get lost.

News

Replicates broadcast news aesthetics -- clean lighting, professional framing, lower-third graphics style, and authoritative tone. Creates instant credibility.

Best for: Product announcements, industry updates, thought leadership content, comparison and review formats, any content that benefits from perceived authority

Prompt tip: Frame your subject in a centered medium shot with a clean background. Include specific dialogue or narration text -- the News preset makes talking-head content feel polished and credible.

Musical

Synchronizes visual movement and editing rhythm to music. Creates dynamic, rhythm-driven video content where the visuals feel choreographed to the audio.

Best for: Product launch teasers, social media Reels and TikToks, brand anthems, event promotion, any content where energy and rhythm are the primary communication tools

Prompt tip: Describe the energy and rhythm of the music you want, not just "upbeat music." Specify tempo, genre, and emotional arc. The model synchronizes visuals to the audio characteristics you describe.

Selfie

Emulates smartphone front-camera aesthetics -- slight wide-angle distortion, eye-level framing, handheld micro-movements, and the casual intimacy of self-recorded video.

Best for: UGC-style ads, testimonials, product reviews, day-in-the-life content, any content targeting platforms where authentic self-recorded video outperforms polished production

Prompt tip: This preset is powerful for creating AI talking avatar style content at scale. Write conversational, first-person scripts and pair them with the Selfie preset for the most authentic UGC results. You can combine Sora 2 generations with AdCreate's talking avatar pipeline for even more control.

Using the Extend Feature Effectively

Sora 2's Extend feature lets you add 10 additional seconds to any generated video, bringing the maximum length to 35 seconds (25 initial + 10 extended). This is enormously valuable for ad content, but it requires strategic prompting.

How Extend Works

After generating your initial video, you provide a continuation prompt that describes what happens next. The model uses the final frames of your original generation as the starting point and generates new content that maintains visual continuity.

Best Practices for Extend

Plan your extension from the start. Do not treat Extend as an afterthought. When writing your initial prompt, structure it so the video ends at a natural continuation point rather than a conclusion.

• Good initial ending for extension: Character reaches for a door handle (action in progress)
• Bad initial ending for extension: Character waves goodbye and the screen fades to black (concluded action)

Maintain visual consistency in your extension prompt. Reference the same lighting, color grading, and camera style from your initial prompt. Do not introduce wildly different aesthetics in the extension.

Use Extend for the CTA. A highly effective pattern for ad content: use the first 20-25 seconds for the story or product showcase, then use Extend for the call-to-action sequence. This gives you a natural two-act structure.

Example Extend workflow for a product ad:

Initial prompt (25 seconds): "A woman discovers a new skincare product on her bathroom counter. She examines the packaging, opens it, applies the product to her face, and looks in the mirror with growing satisfaction. Bright, clean bathroom lighting, medium shot, gentle push-in toward the mirror."

Extension prompt (10 seconds): "Continuing from the mirror shot, the camera pulls back slightly as text appears: product name and 'Your morning just changed.' She gives a knowing smile to the camera. Same lighting and color grading, soft closing music."

This two-phase approach lets you generate complete ad narratives with natural pacing.

Camera Movement Vocabulary for Sora 2

Sora 2 responds to specific cinematographic terms. Using the right vocabulary dramatically improves camera behavior in your generations.

Movement Types Sora 2 Handles Well

Push-in / Pull-back: Camera moves toward or away from the subject. Effective for building tension (push-in) or revealing context (pull-back).

"Camera slowly pushes in from a medium shot to a close-up over 8 seconds"

Tracking shot: Camera moves laterally alongside a moving subject. Excellent for walking scenes, product assembly lines, or any side-to-side movement.

"Camera tracks alongside the model as she walks left to right through the market"

Dolly shot: Similar to tracking but moves forward or backward along the subject's path. Creates a sense of journeying with the subject.

"Camera dollies forward through the restaurant, passing tables until reaching the hero dish"

Crane / Jib: Camera moves vertically, typically starting low and rising up, or vice versa. Powerful for reveals.

"Camera starts at ground level focused on shoes, then cranes up to reveal the full outfit against the city skyline"

Orbit / Arc: Camera circles around the subject. Creates dramatic 360-degree product reveals or character introductions.

"Camera slowly orbits 180 degrees around the perfume bottle, catching light reflections from every angle"

Static with subtle drift: Camera is essentially still but has minimal organic movement. Creates a naturalistic, observational feel.

"Static camera with barely perceptible handheld drift, observing the scene from a fixed medium distance"

Whip pan: Very fast horizontal camera movement, often used as a transition between subjects. Creates energy and urgency.

"Whip pan from the product on the table to the person reaching for it"

Steadicam follow: Smooth camera that follows a subject through a space. The signature look of walkthroughs, real estate tours, and intimate documentary.

"Steadicam follows the chef from behind as they move through the kitchen, weaving between stations"

Shot Size References

Sora 2 understands standard shot size terminology:

• Extreme close-up (ECU): Fills the frame with a detail -- an eye, a texture, a small product
• Close-up (CU): Face from chin to forehead, or a single small object filling the frame
• Medium close-up (MCU): Head and shoulders
• Medium shot (MS): Waist up
• Medium wide (MW): Knees up
• Wide shot (WS): Full body with environment context
• Extreme wide shot (EWS): Landscape or environment with the subject small in the frame

Lens References

You can influence the visual character by referencing lens types:

• "Shot on 85mm lens" -- Compressed perspective, beautiful portrait bokeh
• "Wide angle 24mm lens" -- Expansive, environment-emphasizing
• "Macro lens" -- Extreme detail, product textures
• "Anamorphic lens" -- Horizontal lens flares, cinematic widescreen bokeh
• "Tilt-shift lens" -- Miniature effect, selective focus

Common Prompting Mistakes and Fixes

Mistake 1: Over-Prompting Action Sequences

Problem: Describing 15 different actions in a 10-second video. The model tries to fit everything in, resulting in rushed, unnatural motion.

Fix: Limit yourself to 2-3 distinct actions per 10 seconds of video. Let each action breathe.

• Too much: "She walks in, sits down, opens her laptop, starts typing, picks up her coffee, takes a sip, looks at her phone, smiles, stands up, walks to the window"
• Better: "She walks into the bright office, settles into her chair, and opens her laptop with a focused smile. Her coffee steams on the desk beside her."

Mistake 2: Contradictory Descriptions

Problem: Prompts that contain conflicting instructions confuse the model.

Fix: Review your prompt for logical contradictions before generating.

• Contradictory: "A dimly lit scene with bright, even studio lighting"
• Better: "Low-key studio lighting with a single bright key light creating dramatic shadows"

Mistake 3: Ignoring Audio Direction

Problem: Leaving audio entirely to the model's default. Sora 2 generates audio, and undirected audio often produces generic or mismatched results.

Fix: Always include at least a basic audio direction -- ambient sound, music style, dialogue, or silence.

• Missing audio: "A person running through a forest"
• With audio: "A person running through a forest. Sound of footsteps on soft earth, breathing, distant birdsong, leaves rustling overhead. No music."

Mistake 4: Using Abstract Emotional Language Without Visual Anchors

Problem: Prompts like "convey a sense of innovation" give the model no concrete visual information.

Fix: Translate emotions into specific visual choices.

• Abstract: "A video that feels innovative and forward-thinking"
• Concrete: "Clean geometric architecture, cool blue and white palette, smooth robotic arm movements, holographic interface elements, electronic ambient soundtrack"

Mistake 5: Forgetting Temporal Flow

Problem: Describing a single static moment instead of a sequence. Video is time-based -- your prompt should describe how things change over the duration.

Fix: Include temporal markers: "starts with," "transitions to," "builds to," "ends with."

• Static: "A candle on a table in a dark room"
• Temporal: "A candle flickers on a wooden table in a dark room. The flame starts small, slowly grows taller and steadier, casting expanding warm shadows across the walls. A gentle draft causes the flame to dance before settling."

Mistake 6: Generic Style References

Problem: "Cinematic" and "professional" are the most overused and least useful style descriptors. They give the model almost no actionable direction.

Fix: Reference specific visual styles, directors, film stocks, or color palettes.

• Generic: "Cinematic professional quality"
• Specific: "Shot in the style of Roger Deakins -- naturalistic lighting, deep compositions, muted color palette with selective warm highlights, 2.39:1 aspect ratio"

Mistake 7: Neglecting Negative Prompting

Problem: Not specifying what you do not want. Sometimes telling the model what to avoid is as important as telling it what to create.

Fix: Add exclusions for common unwanted artifacts: "No text overlays, no watermarks, no artificial lens flares, no Dutch angles."

Sora 2 vs. Veo 3.1: Prompting Differences

If you are also working with Google's Veo 3.1, understanding the prompting differences helps you optimize for each model.

Where Sora 2 Excels

Dialogue and synchronized audio: Sora 2's native dialogue generation is ahead of Veo 3.1's current audio capabilities. If your prompt relies on spoken words, sound effects, or music synchronization, Sora 2 is the stronger choice and responds better to detailed audio direction in prompts.

Style presets: Sora 2's six style presets have no equivalent in Veo 3.1. If you want the Vintage, Comic, or News aesthetic, you must describe the visual characteristics manually in Veo 3.1 prompts, while Sora 2 applies them as a coherent system.

Character consistency with the Extend feature: Sora 2 maintains better character consistency when extending videos. If you are building a longer narrative, Sora 2's Extend produces more reliable continuity.

Where Veo 3.1 Excels

Photorealism in landscape and architecture: Veo 3.1 tends to produce more photorealistic environmental shots. For real estate, travel, or nature content, Veo 3.1 prompts can be slightly less specific about environment details and still produce excellent results.

Complex multi-subject scenes: Veo 3.1 handles scenes with multiple interacting subjects slightly more reliably. If your prompt involves three or more characters interacting, you may see fewer artifacts.

Prompting Adjustments Between Models

Sora 2 prompts should be more specific about audio and style. Veo 3.1 prompts can be slightly more concise on visual environment descriptions but need more explicit direction on style since they lack presets.

For advertisers creating content at scale, the best approach is generating on both models and letting performance data determine which outputs go to market. Tools like AdCreate's text-to-video feature abstract away some of these model differences by optimizing prompts for the generation backend automatically.

Disney Character Integration Prompts

One of the most significant Sora 2 developments in early 2026 is the Disney partnership that brings over 200 copyrighted characters into the model. This opens entirely new categories of commercial video content -- but it requires thoughtful prompting to produce usable results.

How Disney Character Access Works

The Disney character library is available through the Sora 2 API (Pro tier at $0.30/sec for 720p) and through the ChatGPT Pro subscription ($200/month). Characters must be referenced by their official names, and outputs include metadata watermarking for rights tracking.

Prompting Disney Characters Effectively

Be specific about character behavior that fits their personality. The model has deep training on these characters and will produce the most coherent results when the prompted action aligns with established character traits.

• Strong: "Buzz Lightyear stands heroically on a child's bedroom desk, scanning the horizon with his wrist communicator, dramatic backlight from the window"
• Weak: "Buzz Lightyear sitting quietly in a library" (out of character, likely to produce awkward results)

Specify the visual style era. Disney characters have appeared in different visual styles across decades. Specify whether you want classic animation style, modern 3D rendering, or stylized illustration.

• "Classic hand-drawn animation style Mickey Mouse" vs. "Modern 3D-rendered Mickey Mouse"

Combine characters with real-world settings for ad content. The most commercially interesting application is placing animated characters in real-world product contexts.

• "A 3D-rendered Elsa from Frozen stands in a modern kitchen, gesturing toward a refrigerator with a swirl of ice magic emanating from her hand. Photorealistic kitchen environment, character rendered in her Frozen 2 style. Cool blue and white color palette."

Important Limitations

Disney character outputs cannot be used in content that portrays characters in inappropriate, violent, or off-brand scenarios. The model includes built-in guardrails, and API outputs are reviewed through automated content moderation. Plan your creative concepts within Disney's brand guidelines to avoid generation failures.

Multi-Model Workflow: Sora 2 + AdCreate

Sora 2 is exceptional at generating raw video footage, but most advertising workflows need more than raw footage. They need formatted, branded, platform-optimized ad creative. This is where a multi-model workflow using Sora 2 for generation and AdCreate for production creates the best results.

The Workflow

Step 1: Generate hero footage with Sora 2. Use the prompting techniques in this guide to create your core video content -- product shots, lifestyle scenes, testimonials, or brand moments.

Step 2: Bring footage into AdCreate for ad production. Use AdCreate's AI ad generator to transform raw Sora 2 footage into platform-ready ad creative. This adds:

• Text overlays and headline variations
• Brand elements (logo, colors, typography)
• Call-to-action buttons and end cards
• Platform-specific formatting (9:16 for Reels/TikTok, 1:1 for feed, 16:9 for YouTube)
• A/B test variations

Step 3: Add talking avatar layers. For testimonial and UGC-style ads, use AdCreate's talking avatar feature to generate presenter content that introduces or reacts to your Sora 2 footage. This creates a natural hook-story-CTA structure.

Step 4: Generate variations at scale. Use AdCreate's video ad generator to create multiple variations of each ad -- different headlines, different CTAs, different aspect ratios -- for multivariate testing across platforms.

Step 5: Template and replicate. Save successful ad structures as templates for future campaigns. When you generate new Sora 2 footage for a new product or season, slot it into proven ad structures instantly.

Cost Optimization

Sora 2 API pricing (starting at $0.10/second for 720p) means a 15-second product video costs $1.50 to generate. Generating 10 variations of the same concept costs $15. Adding AdCreate's production layer on top through AdCreate's pricing plans starting at $23/month gives you the complete pipeline from raw generation to published ad creative. Compare this to traditional video production costs of $2,000-$10,000 per finished ad, and the economics are transformative.

When to Use Which Tool

Need	Best Tool
Raw cinematic footage	Sora 2
Product showcase from existing images	AdCreate image-to-video
Talking head / testimonial	AdCreate talking avatar
Text overlay and branding	AdCreate AI tools
Platform formatting	AdCreate
A/B test variations	AdCreate
Disney character content	Sora 2 (Pro API)
Rapid UGC-style content	AdCreate + Sora 2 Selfie preset

Sora 2 Pricing Quick Reference (February 2026)

Understanding the pricing helps you plan your prompting workflow efficiently -- you want to get the best output on the fewest generations.

• ChatGPT Plus ($20/month): Unlimited 480p video generations. Best for prompt testing and iteration before generating at higher resolutions.
• ChatGPT Pro ($200/month): 10,000 credits, up to 1080p resolution. Best for final production-quality output.
• API Standard: $0.10/second at 720p. Best for automated pipelines and batch generation.
• API Pro: $0.30/second at 720p, $0.50/second at 1024p. Best for commercial-grade output with highest quality.
• Free tier: Video generation is no longer available for free users as of January 10, 2026.

Cost-saving tip: Use ChatGPT Plus for prompt iteration. Generate 5-10 versions at 480p to refine your prompt until the composition, motion, and timing are right. Then generate the final version at full resolution through Pro or API. This approach can reduce your costs by 60-80% compared to generating every attempt at maximum quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can Sora 2 videos be?

Sora 2 generates videos up to 25 seconds from a single prompt. Using the Extend feature, you can add 10 more seconds for a maximum of 35 seconds per generation chain. For longer content, you can generate multiple clips and edit them together. The 25-second base generation is long enough for most social media ad formats -- TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook Feed ads all perform well in the 15-25 second range. For longer narratives, plan your prompts as sequential scenes and assemble them in post-production or through AdCreate's video tools.

Can I use Sora 2 videos for commercial advertising?

Yes. Sora 2 outputs generated through paid plans (ChatGPT Plus, Pro, or API) include commercial usage rights. You own the generated content and can use it in paid advertising, social media, websites, and other commercial applications. The exception is Disney character content, which is subject to additional licensing terms detailed in OpenAI's partnership agreement. Always check the latest terms of service for any updates to usage rights.

What resolution should I generate ads at?

For social media advertising on TikTok and Instagram Reels, 720p is sufficient -- these platforms compress video heavily, and the visual difference between 720p and 1080p is negligible after platform compression. For YouTube pre-roll ads and website hero videos where quality is more visible, 1080p is worth the additional cost. For prompt testing and iteration, 480p on ChatGPT Plus is the most cost-effective option.

How do I maintain brand consistency across multiple Sora 2 generations?

Create a master prompt template that includes your consistent elements -- color palette, lighting style, camera preferences, and audio direction. Use this template as the base for every generation, modifying only the subject and action components. For example, if your brand uses warm amber lighting, shallow depth of field, and acoustic guitar ambient music, bake those specifications into every prompt so every video feels like it belongs to the same brand world.

Can Sora 2 generate text and logos in videos?

Sora 2 can generate text in videos, but accuracy is inconsistent -- especially for specific brand names, URLs, or phone numbers. For any text that must be pixel-perfect (logos, brand names, calls to action, pricing), generate the video without text and add overlays in post-production. AdCreate's AI tools can add branded text overlays, logos, and CTAs to your Sora 2 footage with precision.

What is the difference between Sora 2's style presets and manual style prompting?

Style presets (Thankful, Vintage, Comic, News, Musical, Selfie) apply a comprehensive visual treatment that affects color science, camera behavior, pacing, and audio characteristics as a coherent system. Manual style prompting gives you more granular control but requires expertise to achieve the same level of coherence. For most users, starting with the closest preset and then refining with additional prompt details produces the best results. Presets and manual prompting can be combined -- you can select the Vintage preset and add specific instructions like "more saturated warm tones and heavier film grain" to customize it.

How does Sora 2 handle product shots compared to lifestyle scenes?

Sora 2 excels at lifestyle and narrative scenes but can struggle with precise product detail -- especially text on packaging, exact logo reproduction, and specific product proportions. For product-centric content, the best workflow is using image-to-video with real product photography as the starting point, which ensures product accuracy, then using Sora 2 for the lifestyle context around the product. Alternatively, generate the lifestyle scene in Sora 2 and composite accurate product shots in post-production.

Should I write prompts differently for the API vs. ChatGPT interface?

The underlying model is the same, but the interface differences matter. In ChatGPT, you can iterate conversationally -- generate, review, and refine in a dialogue. The API requires you to be more precise upfront since there is no conversational back-and-forth. For API usage, invest more time in prompt crafting and use the five-component structure rigorously. Also, the API allows programmatic prompt construction, so you can build template-based prompt systems that dynamically insert product names, features, and brand elements into a proven prompt structure.

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The gap between brands producing compelling video content and those struggling with it is no longer about budget, equipment, or production teams. It is about prompting skill and creative workflow. Master Sora 2 prompting with the techniques in this guide, then bring your generated footage into AdCreate to produce platform-ready ad creative at scale -- branded, formatted, and optimized for every placement. Start with 50 free credits and see the difference prompt quality makes.