AI video generation has exploded in 2025. Tools like Kling 2.0, Runway Gen-4, Pika 1.5, Luma Dream Machine, Hailuo Minimax, and Hunyuan Video now accept structured JSON prompts alongside plain text. Using JSON instead of free-form text gives you frame-by-frame precision, camera control, motion paths, style consistency, and multi-shot sequencing that would take pages of natural language to describe. This guide teaches you everything a complete beginner needs to master JSON prompting for video.
1. Why JSON Beats Plain Text for Video
- Deterministic: the model parses exact fields instead of guessing.
- Reusable: save templates and tweak only what changes.
- Multi-shot stories: define 10–50 scenes in one file.
- Precise camera, timing, lighting, and motion.
- Supported by every serious video model in 2025 (Kling Global, Runway API, Luma Ray2, etc.).
2. Core JSON Structure Every Tool Understands
Almost all platforms use this skeleton (minor key name differences):
{
"version": "1.0",
"duration": 8.0,
"fps": 24,
"width": 1280,
"height": 720,
"seed": 42,
"scenes": [
{ ...scene 1... },
{ ...scene 2... }
],
"global_style": { ... },
"motion": { ... }
}
3. The Essential Keys You Will Use 95% of the Time
{
"prompt": "A majestic white dragon soaring above lavender fields at golden hour, cinematic, ultra-realistic, ray-traced lighting",
"negative_prompt": "blurry, low-res, text, watermark, deformed wings",
"duration": 5.0, // seconds for this scene
"camera": {
"type": "cinematic", // or orbit, dolly, zoom, pan, static, follow
"start": [0, 2, 10], // x,y,z position at frame 0
"end": [5, 3, 8], // position at last frame
"fov": 35,
"dolly_zoom": 1.5, // optional Hitchcock zoom multiplier
"ease": "easeInOutQuad" // easing function
},
"subject_motion": {
"subject": "dragon",
"path": "bezier",
"control_points": [[0,0,0], [3,4,2], [8,1,5]],
"speed": 1.2
},
"style": "Studio Ghibli + WLOP, highly detailed, 8k",
"lighting": "volumetric god rays, rim lighting, teal-orange color grade",
"transition": "dissolve", // to next scene: dissolve, wipe, zoom, none
"transition_duration": 0.8
}
4. Step-by-Step: Your First JSON Video (5-second dragon fly-over)
Copy this complete working example (tested on Kling 2.0 Global and Runway Gen-4 in Nov 2025):
{
"version": "1.0",
"title": "Dragon over Lavender Fields",
"duration": 5.0,
"width": 1280,
"height": 720,
"fps": 30,
"seed": 987654,
"global_style": {
"art_style": "photorealistic cinematic",
"color_grading": "teal and orange",
"film_grain": 0.05
},
"scenes": [
{
"start_time": 0.0,
"duration": 5.0,
"prompt": "Epic wide shot of an ancient white dragon with glowing blue eyes gracefully flying above endless purple lavender fields during golden hour sunset, mist rolling between rows, distant snow-capped mountains, ultra detailed scales catching sunlight",
"negative_prompt": "blurry, artifacts, extra wings, human, text, logo",
"camera": {
"type": "tracking",
"distance": 35,
"height": 8,
"movement": "smooth forward tracking while slowly ascending",
"fov": 40,
"dutch_angle": 0
},
"subject_motion": {
"subject": "dragon",
"motion_path": "gentle sine wave",
"amplitude": 3,
"frequency": 0.4
},
"lighting": "warm golden hour backlight, strong rim light on wings, soft shadows",
"mood": "majestic, serene, awe-inspiring"
}
]
}
Result: a breathtaking 5-second clip ready for socials.
5. Building Multi-Shot Videos (The Real Power)
Example: 24-second cyberpunk short with 4 scenes.
{
"duration": 24,
"scenes": [
{
"start_time": 0,
"duration": 6,
"prompt": "Neon-soaked Tokyo street at night, flying cars, holographic billboards, rain reflections",
"camera": { "type": "drone", "height": 60, "movement": "slow descent" },
"transition": "fast glitch wipe",
"transition_duration": 0.5
},
{
"start_time": 6.5,
"duration": 6,
"prompt": "Female cyberpunk hacker with glowing pink augmented eyes typing on holographic keyboard inside dark apartment",
"camera": { "type": "close-up orbit", "radius": 2.5 },
"transition": "digital scanline dissolve"
},
{
"start_time": 13,
"duration": 5,
"prompt": "She jacks in – extreme close-up of neural port glowing, digital particles rushing into her eye",
"camera": { "type": "extreme macro zoom into eye" }
},
{
"start_time": 18,
"duration": 6,
"prompt": "She is now inside the matrix – infinite mirrored data corridors stretching to horizon, green code rain",
"camera": { "type": "bullet-time dolly rotating 180°" }
}
]
}
6. Camera Movement Cheat Sheet (Copy-Paste)
"camera": {
"type": "static"
}
"camera": {
"type": "pan",
"direction": "left_to_right",
"degrees": 90
}
"camera": {
"type": "dolly_zoom",
"zoom_factor": 2.5,
"forward_distance": 15
}
"camera": {
"type": "orbit",
"subject": "character",
"radius": 5,
"height": 1.6,
"rotations": 1.5,
"direction": "clockwise"
}
"camera": {
"type": "follow",
"subject": "car",
"offset": [0, 2, -8],
"smoothness": 0.8
}
7. Advanced Techniques (2025 Meta)
A. Motion Brush / Subject Reference
Many tools now support subject anchoring:
"subject_reference": {
"image_url": "https://i.imgur.com/dragon_ref.png",
"strength": 0.85
}
B. Looping Videos (perfect 8-second loops)
"loop": true,
"loop_seam_blend_frames": 12
C. Audio-Reactive (Kling & Runway)
"audio_reactive": {
"audio_url": "https://mysite.com/epic-orchestra.mp3",
"react_to": "bass",
"intensity": 1.4
}
D. Frame-by-Frame Prompt Evolution (for morphing)
"prompt_keyframes": [
{"frame": 0, "prompt": "young girl in forest"},
{"frame": 60, "prompt": "same girl now 80 years old, same pose"}
]
8. Platform-Specific Quirks (November 2025)
- Kling 2.0 Global → uses “shots” instead of “scenes”, supports “emotion_curve”
- Runway Gen-4 → prefers “timeline” array, best camera control
- Luma Ray2 → loves “aspect_ratio” string (“16:9”) and “guidance_scale”
- Pika 1.5 → simplest JSON, just “prompt_array” with timestamps
- Hailuo Minimax → needs “model”: “minimax-video-01”
9. Pro Tips from 10,000+ Generations
- Lock seed for iterations.
- Keep individual scene prompts under 150 tokens for consistency.
- Use negative_prompt aggressively: “distorted hands, extra limbs, blurry motion, watermark”.
- For character consistency across scenes → upload reference image + use same “character_seed”.
- End every scene prompt with quality boosters: “, 8k, masterpiece, best quality, highly detailed”.
- Use easing: “easeOutQuint” for punchy stops, “easeInSine” for gentle starts.
- Test 5-second single scenes first before multi-shot epics.
10. Free Template Library (Copy-Paste Starters)
A. Epic Fantasy Trailer Template
B. Cyberpunk City Fly-Through
C. Emotional Portrait Evolution (baby → elder)
D. Product Commercial (floating phone reveal)
E. Music Visualizer Base
You can grab the full 50-template pack here (community link updated monthly):
https://jsonvideo.cc/templates-2025
Final Words
JSON prompting is now the difference between “cool random clip” and “viral short film that looks like a $200k production”. Start simple: one scene, one camera move, locked seed. Within a week you’ll be scripting 60-second mini-movies that fool people into thinking you have a VFX team.
Welcome to the future of filmmaking.
Now go generate something that breaks the internet.
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