Ever feel like you’re just… talking to a wall when you’re trying to get an AI video tool to create the exact scene you have in your head?
You type in your brilliant idea, hit enter, and get something… close-ish. But not quite right. We’ve all been there. It’s a common frustration.
Today, let’s talk about why that happens. It often comes down to how you’re asking. Think of it like this: there are two main ways to talk to an AI. You can have a casual chat, or you can hand it a detailed blueprint.
In the AI world, we call these standard prompts and JSON prompts.
The Casual Chat: Standard Prompts
This is what most of us start with. It’s natural, it’s fast, and it feels like you’re just texting a friend.
You’re essentially giving the AI a vibe.
Something like: a moody shot of a lonely robot walking through a neon-lit alley in the rain.
It’s expressive and great for getting ideas out of your head quickly. You’re just vibing it out, seeing what the AI comes up with. The magic here is in the happy accidents. The AI might interpret “moody” in a way you never expected, sparking a whole new creative direction.
But… that’s also its weakness. Sometimes the AI gets a little too creative, and the result is way off from what you needed.
The Detailed Blueprint: JSON Prompts
Okay, first things first. Don’t let the name “JSON” scare you. It stands for JavaScript Object Notation, but you can just forget that.
Think of it as giving your AI a super-specific, neatly labeled to-do list. Or a recipe.
Instead of a vibe, you’re giving it precise instructions. It looks something like this:
- Scene Location: Neon Alley
- Weather: Rainy
- Character: Robot
- Emotion: Lonely
- Camera Angle: Low, wide shot
See the difference? There’s no guesswork. You’re telling the AI exactly what to do, piece by piece. It’s less like a chat and more like filling out a form.
The downside? Well, it feels a bit more nerdy, I guess. It takes a little more time to write out, and your brain might feel like it’s short-circuiting for a second when you first try it.
So… Which One Should You Use?
It’s not about one being better than the other. It’s about using the right tool for the right job.
Use a standard prompt when:
- You’re in the early stages of an idea.
- You want to be surprised and are looking for inspiration.
- Speed is more important than precision.
Use a JSON prompt when:
- You need absolute control over the final output.
- You need to create consistent shots across a project.
- You’re doing detailed edits and need the AI to behave the same way every single time.
Honestly, the real pro move is to mix and match.
Start with a standard prompt to get your basic idea on the canvas. Vibe it out. Once you see something you like, you can switch to a more structured, JSON-style prompt to refine it, lock it down, and get that perfect shot you were imagining all along.
At the end of the day, getting good at AI is really about getting good at communicating. And knowing how to give instructions—whether it’s a casual vibe or a detailed blueprint—is the key to unlocking what these amazing tools can really do.