---
title: "Video prompt cookbook"
description: "Per-model prompt vocabularies for the i2v stack — kling, veo, seedance, hailuo. Cookbook content lands in 02.03.x; this page indexes what ships when."
---

<Note>
  The full video cookbook is in active work under [roadmap 02.03.01](https://github.com/alecs5am/ralphy/blob/main/roadmap/02-prompts-and-templates/SPEC.md). This page indexes the per-model patterns the agent already uses today and links to the per-model templates in `templates/`.
</Note>

## Default model

`kwaivgi/kling-v3.0-pro` is the default UGC i2v engine. Switch via `--model <id>`. Full per-model whitelist (durations / resolutions / aspect ratios / frame_images) appears in `ralphy generate video --help`.

## Model picks by use case

| Use case | Model | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Default UGC selfie / talking-head | `kwaivgi/kling-v3.0-pro` | EN-audio in-model, identity-locks via first-frame, broad supported aspect ratios |
| Horror / POV / walking / jump scares / non-default physics | `bytedance/seedance-2.0` | Better motion physics; rejects realistic-people i2v anchors though |
| Cinematic / wide-shot / commercial spot | `google/veo-3.1` | Higher resolution ceiling, native audio, 21:9 supported |
| Fixed-resolution news / broadcast | `minimax/hailuo-2.3` | 16:9 only, 6s or 10s duration; deterministic for "caught-on-TV" register |

## Camera + motion vocabulary

Kling, Veo, Seedance, and Hailuo all accept loose natural-language motion directives. The vocabulary that works across the four:

- **Camera moves:** `dolly in`, `dolly out`, `pan left/right`, `tilt up/down`, `crane up`, `handheld follow`, `static`, `whip pan`, `orbit around subject`
- **Subject motion:** `walks forward`, `turns to camera`, `gestures with hands`, `nods`, `smiles`, `picks up product`, `points to camera`
- **Tempo:** `slow motion`, `real-time`, `time-lapse`, `cut to`, `beat-snap transition` (not honored by all)

## Runnable snippet

```bash
ralphy generate video \
  --project espresso-001 \
  --slot scene-04-vid \
  --prompt "handheld follow as woman walks from kitchen counter to dining table, espresso cup steaming, morning light, eyes meet camera at the end, slight smile" \
  --duration 5 \
  --aspect-ratio 9:16 \
  --first-frame workspace/projects/espresso-001/assets/scene-04-bg.png \
  --model kwaivgi/kling-v3.0-pro
```

## Reference templates

The video cookbook material lives inside the 5 production templates under `templates/<category>/<slug>/composition.md`. Pick a vibe and copy patterns from there:

- [`b2b-saas/motion-design-ad`](https://github.com/alecs5am/ralphy/tree/main/templates/b2b-saas/motion-design-ad) — kinetic typography over UI
- [`dtc-commerce/before-after-product`](https://github.com/alecs5am/ralphy/tree/main/templates/dtc-commerce/before-after-product) — 5s pain → 1s reveal → 9s demo
- [`dtc-commerce/multi-scene-product-launch`](https://github.com/alecs5am/ralphy/tree/main/templates/dtc-commerce/multi-scene-product-launch) — 27-shot identity-locked launch
- [`entertainment-viral/caught-on-tv`](https://github.com/alecs5am/ralphy/tree/main/templates/entertainment-viral) — broadcast-realism 1:1 register
- [`creator-lifestyle/ugc-selfie-product-review`](https://github.com/alecs5am/ralphy/tree/main/templates/dtc-commerce/ugc-selfie-product-review) — handheld UGC selfie

Full template index: [`templates/CATEGORIES.md`](https://github.com/alecs5am/ralphy/blob/main/templates/CATEGORIES.md).
