# Video Style Prompt Template

**Purpose:**  
Copy this file for the website or for a specific client. Fill in the custom sections, then paste the full prompt into Grok Animate (or similar AI video tools).

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## Base Style (Website / Brand Voice)

**Overall aesthetic:**  
Clean, modern, purposeful motion. Avoid flashy or overly commercial energy. Think thoughtful, human, high-craft. Movement should feel intentional and calm rather than energetic or trendy.

**Color direction:**  
Use the site's natural palette. Favor desaturated tones with occasional warm accents. High contrast where needed for clarity. Subtle gradients and soft lighting preferred over saturated or neon looks.

**Typography & text on screen:**  
When text appears, use clean sans-serif with generous tracking. Keep on-screen text minimal and highly legible. Text should feel integrated into the scene rather than overlaid as an afterthought.

**Pacing & rhythm:**  
Deliberate and unhurried. Give the viewer time to absorb each shot. Prefer slow, smooth camera moves over quick cuts. Hold on meaningful moments.

**Camera language:**  
- Start with wider establishing shots when possible.
- Use gentle dolly or tracking movements.
- Avoid handheld or shaky motion unless it serves a specific storytelling purpose.
- Thoughtful use of depth of field to guide attention.

**Motion style:**  
Subtle, organic motion. Objects and elements should feel grounded. Avoid overly physics-heavy or cartoonish movement. Kinetic typography should be restrained and elegant.

**Music / sound direction:**  
Minimal, atmospheric, or acoustic-leaning. Music should support the message without overpowering it. Silence or very subtle ambient sound is often preferable to busy tracks.

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## Project-Specific Details (Replace These)

**Subject / Message:**  
[Describe what the video is about — e.g., "A 45-second hero video introducing our new strategic planning process for museums"]

**Key visuals / scenes to include:**  
- [Scene 1 description]
- [Scene 2 description]
- [etc.]

**Tone / Emotional goal:**  
[Example: "Thoughtful and hopeful, with a quiet sense of expertise and care"]

**Specific style references (if any):**  
[Example: "Similar pacing to the 'Building the Cable Center VR Archive' video but more minimal and modern"]

**Length target:**  
[Example: 30–45 seconds]

**Text / Voiceover notes:**  
[Include any required on-screen text or voiceover direction]

**Logo / Branding requirements:**  
[Example: "Subtle logo reveal at the end only. No watermarks."]

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## Usage Instructions

1. Duplicate this file (e.g., `museum-client-2026-video-style.md`).
2. Fill in the **Project-Specific Details** section.
3. Copy the entire content (or just the relevant prompt block) into Grok Animate.
4. Generate 2–3 variations and iterate using follow-up prompts like:
   - "Slow the camera move on the second shot by 30%"
   - "Make the color grade slightly warmer"
   - "Add a very subtle particle effect on the final logo reveal"

5. Save successful prompts + final video links back into the project folder for future reference.

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## Tips for Consistency Across Videos

- Always start prompts with a short "Style Reference" block pulled from this template.
- Keep a "Do / Don't" list at the bottom of client-specific templates.
- When a new video works particularly well, copy the exact prompt that produced it into a `successful-prompts/` folder.

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**Last updated:** [Add today's date when you customize this file]

This template is intentionally flexible. The goal is speed + consistency, not rigidity.