Step 05 — Making Your Prompts Actually Cinematic

Cinematic isn't just a fancy word – it's a specific visual quality that separates professional-looking images from amateur snapshots. It's about intentional choices: lighting, angles, composition, mood. Basically, thinking like a film director instead of randomly pressing buttons. You can't just write cinematic and hope for the best. Lighting is huge. Real cinematographers spend hours setting up lights. You need to do the same in your prompts. Not good lighting – that means nothing. Try dramatic side lighting creating strong shadows or soft window light with subtle rim lighting. Real cameras have physical properties that affect images. Terms like shallow depth of field, wide-angle lens, or low-angle shot makes AI images feel photographically authentic. These details add professional polish. Low-angle shot makes subjects look powerful and imposing. Cinematic imagery evokes emotion through atmosphere. Descriptors like tense atmosphere, dreamy mood, gritty realism guide the AI toward specific emotional tones. Combined with lighting and composition cues, these elements create images that tell stories.