# Sora 2 prompting cheatsheet (motion, camera, audio cues that actually work)

**Source:** https://promtable.com/cheatsheet/sora-prompting-cheatsheet

> Production-tested Sora 2 prompt structure: subject + action + camera + lens + lighting + duration + audio. Plus the cues Sora 2 respects vs ignores.

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Production-tested Sora 2 prompt structure: subject + action + camera + lens + lighting + duration + audio. Plus the cues Sora 2 respects vs ignores.

**Tool:** Sora 2

## Seven-slot prompt template

Sora 2 follows natural language closely. Order matters less than completeness — every slot should be present.

| Item | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `1. Subject` | Who or what is in frame. | `A 60-year-old mechanic with grease-stained hands` |
| `2. Action` | What they're doing. Use a present participle. | `carefully tightening a bolt on an engine block` |
| `3. Camera move` | Dolly, push-in, orbit, handheld, locked-off, crane. | `slow orbit camera move counterclockwise around the subject` |
| `4. Lens / framing` | Wide, medium, close-up, macro. | `medium shot, 35mm equivalent, eye level` |
| `5. Lighting` | Source, direction, quality. | `warm tungsten overhead light, soft shadows` |
| `6. Duration` | Sora 2 supports up to 60s; specify if you want a long take. | `12-second continuous take, no cuts` |
| `7. Sound design` | Ambient + foley. Sora 2 does sound but not dialogue. | `subtle metallic clank, distant garage hum` |

## Cues Sora 2 respects

| Item | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `Camera direction` | Push-in, orbit, dolly out — usually executed precisely. |  |
| `Lighting source` | Window left, key from below, hard sun — strongly respected. |  |
| `Lens length` | Wide vs telephoto framing measurably changes output. |  |
| `Physical materials` | Wet, dusty, oily, foam, dust — Sora 2 simulates physics well. |  |

## Cues Sora 2 ignores (do not rely on these)

| Item | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `Synchronised dialogue` | Sora 2 will not lip-sync spoken lines in 2026. Use Veo 3 if you need speech. |  |
| `Exact text in scene` | Signs and screens often produce nonsense; pick frames where text is incidental. |  |
| `Brand logos` | Specific brand logos rarely render correctly; describe generically. |  |
| `Counts above 7` | 'A crowd of 20 people' becomes 'a crowd'. Don't expect exact counts above a handful. |  |

## Settings

| Item | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `Resolution` | 1080p default; 4K via post-upscale. Higher resolution adds cost, not adherence. |  |
| `Aspect ratio` | 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 supported natively. Decide before generating — recropping degrades quality. |  |
| `Seed` | Pin the seed when iterating phrasing. |  |

## FAQ

### Can Sora 2 generate dialogue?

Not in 2026. Sora 2 generates ambient sound and foley but not synchronised lip-synced dialogue. Use Veo 3 if you need talking characters.

### What's the max clip length on Sora 2?

60 seconds for a single continuous clip at 1080p. Longer compositions are achieved by chaining multiple clips.

### Does Sora 2 follow camera direction prompts?

Yes — push-in, orbit, dolly, handheld, locked-off — Sora 2 respects camera cues better than any other video model in 2026.

## Related

- [/compare/sora-vs-veo-3](https://promtable.com/compare/sora-vs-veo-3)
- [/glossary/diffusion-model](https://promtable.com/glossary/diffusion-model)
- [/best/best-ai-video-generators-2026](https://promtable.com/best/best-ai-video-generators-2026)

*Last updated: 2026-06-01*
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Original page: https://promtable.com/cheatsheet/sora-prompting-cheatsheet
Maintained by Promtable (https://promtable.com). Content: CC BY 4.0. Cite as "Promtable — https://promtable.com/cheatsheet/sora-prompting-cheatsheet".
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