Stop Prompting the Picture—Start Directing the Scene

What I’m Learning About Creating Better AI Videos After 50

When I first started creating AI videos, I thought the hardest part was figuring out what to type into the prompt box. I would describe the woman, her outfit, and where she was standing. Then I would wait to see what happened. Sometimes I loved the result. Other times, I looked at it and thought, “That is not what I had in my head.”

I’m learning that a video prompt needs more than a description of how someone looks. It needs to explain what happens. A woman holding a journal is a picture. A woman pulling that journal from her tote, opening it, and smiling at something she wrote is a scene.

That difference matters to me because I love creating content, marketing, and promotion. In 2001, I owned a management and promotional business called MaddBody Entertainment and Promotion. I have more than 30 years of experience across management, customer relations, sales, marketing, promotion, and inventory. I may be learning new AI tools at 55, but I’m bringing that experience with me.

Give the Video Something to Do

Consider the prompt, “Create a woman promoting a journal.” AI knows the subject, but it still has to guess what she does, what the camera should show, and how the video should feel.

I can give it more direction in plain language: “Show a stylish Black woman in her 50s walking through an outdoor shopping district. She takes a journal from her tote, opens it, and turns a few pages. Show a close view of the journal in her hands. Use natural daylight and relaxed movement so the video feels warm and relatable.”

I haven’t used complicated filmmaking terms. I’ve simply described a short sequence. Now the woman has an action, the journal has a purpose, and the camera knows what I want viewers to notice.

Start With the Little Story

Before I write my next video prompt, I ask myself: What is happening here? Then I think about who is in the scene, where she is, what she does, what the viewer should notice, and how the finished video should feel.

I’m also learning to keep my directions realistic. A small glance, a natural step, or a close view of a product can say more than asking one short clip to do everything. If a result doesn’t match my idea, I can look at the directions I gave and decide what needs to be clearer.

That’s the part of learning AI I enjoy. I get to try an idea, see what happens, and use what I learned on the next one. I’m still figuring it out, one prompt at a time—and sharing the process as I go.

Try it with your next video: Before you describe how it should look, write one sentence about what actually happens. That sentence might be the beginning of a much better prompt.

I’m developing a beginner-friendly AI video prompt guide for creators 50+ with my SCENES Method, examples, worksheets, and a reusable prompt builder. For my latest guides and creator resources, visit The HERVYBE Bookstore.

HERVYBE Publishing
Where her voice becomes her story, one page at a time.