palmier-io Cinematic Motion
Pretty stills go fake when motion is generic or invisible. The job is a readable camera + subject change that still feels handheld — not a dense effects essay the model ignores.
Prereqs: approved still from character-pipeline (or an existing plate). Authority rules from video-prompting.
Bakeoff lesson (Flux draft, loft still)
A/B on the same start frame:
| Prompt | Result |
|---|---|
| Long LOW→HIGH→LOW micro-score (grip tilt, 4–5cm drift, settle) | Often looks near-static vs control |
| Naive “slow cinematic push-in…” | More visible motion; sometimes preferred |
Implication: micro-only recipes fail if the model under-delivers them. Always include one obvious, named camera move (push-in, lateral reframe, tilt recover) that a viewer can see in 6s. Texture (handheld / corrections) wraps that move — it does not replace it.
Design principles
- Lead with visible motion — one clear camera verb in the first lines of the prompt
- Camera has a body — that move is imperfect (breathing, micro-corrections), not a gimbal slide
- One signature beat — subject micro-action or a motivated push/tilt peak (1–2s)
- Density — still open/close briefly, but don’t spend half the clip on LOW settle
- End near the still — land close to start frame / fidelity image without freezing early
Call pattern
list_models({ type: "video" })
# Iterate: flux-3 draft:true | seedance-2-mini | hailuo-03
# Final: seedance-2 | hailuo-03 | Flux enhanceDraftMediaRef (not upscale_media)
generate_video({
model: "flux-3",
draft: true,
prompt: "<motion-first brief>",
duration: 6, // or model-allowed
aspectRatio: "9:16",
resolution: "720p",
startFrameMediaRef: "<scene still>",
folder: "Character/Takes"
})
Seedance: framesAndReferencesExclusive — prefer startFrameMediaRef alone for plate lock; keep prompt on change.
If using refs (when allowed): @Image1 env/scene · @Image2 sheet · @Image3 fidelity face — declare jobs. Don’t dump long inventories Flux will ignore.
Prompt structure (short > encyclopedic)
[CHANGE] // first — what moves
One clear camera move + one subject beat
[TEXTURE]
Handheld / corrections / how the move is imperfect
[LAND]
Settle near start frame in the last ~1s
[NEGATIVES]
No orbit, no drone, no look-at-camera (if off-axis), no face/wardrobe drift, no gimbal perfection
Optional short timed blocks after the CHANGE line — not instead of it. Cap inventory at ~4 named effects.
Default 6s recipe (single-subject)
Visible spine: slow unstable push-in (or lateral reframe) across most of the clip.
| Time | Job |
|---|---|
| 0–0.5s | Already mid-roll; handheld correcting into frame |
| 0.5–4.5s | Push-in / reframe continues — imperfect, breathing; one subject micro-gesture mid-way; camera slightly late |
| 4.5–6s | Ease off the move; hold near start-frame composition |
Signature options (pick one): weight shift, hand to pocket/hair, chin toward light, gaze adjust — plus the camera move, not instead of it.
Writing subject + camera
- Gaze rule: never look at camera or always on lens — pick one and stick
- Contacts: pocket, chair back, window sill — tangible
- Camera: “slow unstable push-in ~8–12% tighter by end”, “2–4° tilt recovers”, “brief shake then continues push” — magnitudes a viewer can see
- Avoid: orbit, drone, perfect dolly, vibe-only “cinematic camera movement” with no verb
- Also avoid: only “4–5cm drift” / “micro chin ease” as the whole brief — too small for many models
Anti-patterns
- Effects timeline with no visible camera verb (loses to naive push-in)
- Five big moves in 6 seconds
- Half the clip reserved for LOW settle / breath hold
- Subject and camera both idle
- Ending on a different face than the start frame
upscale_mediainstead ofenhanceDraftMediaReffor Flux drafts
Mini template
[CHANGE]
Slow unstable handheld push-in from the start frame (~10% tighter by 0:05).
Mid-clip: she shifts weight / hand settles in pocket; camera chases slightly late.
[TEXTURE]
Breathing handheld, small corrections, 2–3° grip tilt once at the peak of the push.
No gimbal smoothness.
[LAND]
0:05–0:06 ease the push; hold near the start still. Off-axis gaze held (not into lens).
[NEGATIVES]
No look-at-camera, no wardrobe/face drift, no orbit/drone, no text/watermark.
Validation
When testing this skill, always A/B against a naive control on the same plate (or same T2V brief) / model / duration. If control has clearer motion, the skill prompt was too soft — rewrite CHANGE first, then re-roll.
Bakeoff notes (T2V, cheap 480p/720p, Aug 2026)
Project: Skill Bakeoff CM+VP · timelines Cinematic Motion Bakeoff.
| Finding | Implication |
|---|---|
| Skill push ≈ naive “slow cinematic push-in” on Seedance Mini (beauty loft) | Structure alone doesn’t beat a clear verb; keep CHANGE short |
| Soft micro-only (hair tuck, no push) reads nearly static | Never ship micro-only as the whole brief |
| Tilt-up hands→face, chase-behind, neon alley push, product push all read clearly | Prefer framing-changing verbs over texture adjectives |
| Models often ignore “unstable / handheld / grip tilt” and still deliver smooth push | Texture is optional garnish; the verb is the product |
| Flux dialogue: long exact line mangled; shorter naive line cleaner | Short spoken lines; re-pin voice every call |
| 9:16 / 1:1 skill recipes work | Aspect is independent of motion craft |