AI Image Prompts: From a Brief to a Usable Composition

Start with the job the image must do

An effective image prompt describes a usable frame: what must appear, where it sits, how it is lit, and what space the final layout needs. Choose the intended use before adding style words. A product detail image, a social cover and a video reference frame need different compositions.

The examples below are editorial templates, not tested outputs or guarantees. VidVid offers image generation modes through its model selector; available editing inputs and output controls depend on the selected model. Check those controls before planning a workflow around them.

Map the entities in your image brief

Entity	Decision to make	Example
Subject	What is the main object and which attributes must stay fixed?	One matte blue bottle, round cap, no invented branding
Composition	Where should the subject sit and how large should it appear?	Bottle in the right half, complete silhouette visible
Background	What context supports the subject?	Plain warm grey tabletop and wall
Lighting	Which direction and softness reveal the shape?	Soft window light from the left
Style	What visual treatment serves the task?	Studio product photograph
Layout space	Where will captions or graphics go later?	Empty left third for an added headline
Output	Which crop and details must survive delivery?	Portrait layout; cap and base remain inside crop

Aspect ratio describes the frame’s proportions; pixel dimensions describe its width and height. A portrait ratio alone does not specify export resolution. Use the actual controls offered by your model, then inspect the downloaded result.

Choose text input or an existing image

Use text input when the subject can be invented and you primarily need to explore composition. If a real product’s silhouette, a person’s identity or an existing design must be preserved, start from an authorized reference and check whether the selected model supports image editing or reference input. A prompt does not establish exact product fidelity.

Runway’s Image References documentation describes reference-based subject and style control for its own model. Its reference limits and controls are model-specific; they should not be assumed to apply to every VidVid model.

Copy a product-image brief

Studio product photograph of one matte blue reusable bottle with a round cap. Full bottle visible in the right half of the frame on a warm grey tabletop. Soft light from the left, gentle contact shadow, simple background. Leave the left third empty for a headline added during layout. Keep the cap, neck and base clearly separated from the background.

Replace the subject and fixed attributes with your actual brief. If the asset must match a real product, compare the output with the reference: cap shape, proportions, surface details and label placement. Reject changes that could misrepresent the product. Add verified brand text and prices in a layout editor, and check the final export for accuracy.

For a social cover, change the composition requirement rather than piling on adjectives: specify a single focal subject, a simple background and a clear area for the title. For an illustration, replace the photographic treatment with a defined illustration treatment while retaining the same layout requirements.

Revise one decision at a time

Save the prompt, selected model, available settings and the result you reviewed. Label the first accepted version A. If the image feels crowded, revise subject placement or background complexity first. If the subject is hard to read, revise lighting or separation. If a fixed detail is wrong, revise the reference or editing approach before adding more atmosphere words.

Compare A and B at the intended display size. Change one brief field per revision so the next decision has a clear reason. This is a review method, not a claim that rerunning a model will reproduce the same image.

Check the image before using it

• Subject: inspect shape, repeated objects, hands and required details.
• Layout: test the final crop and added headline without covering the focal subject.
• Text: verify every visible word and brand mark; correct inaccurate text before delivery.
• Lighting: inspect shadows and reflections for contradictions that distract from the subject.
• Rights: use source images you are authorized to use and confirm the intended use with the relevant terms.

Turn the still into a video reference

For animation, leave room around the subject for the intended movement and resolve visible defects first. Runway’s image-to-video guide separates the source image’s visual information from the prompt’s motion instructions. This is a useful planning distinction; results and supported controls still vary by model.

Continue with the reference-image preparation guide for cropping and source inspection, then use the storyboard workflow to divide a sequence into separate shots. Keep still-image composition in this brief and place subject movement and camera movement in the shot brief.