Time-lapse
How to prompt a time-lapse shot in AI video
Fixed camera while time races forward. To get it, describe your scene first, then add the recipe below as its own sentence. It names the move, its speed, what stays fixed and how the shot ends.
Best for: Compressing hours into seconds — skies, crowds, and construction.
The recipe
locked-camera time-lapse. Movement: hold one fixed camera position while time moves rapidly forward. Speed: fast time compression with a stable camera. Framing: keep the same composition and horizon as motion passes through the frame. End: finish from the same camera angle with visible passage of time.
How to prompt a time-lapse shot in AI video
- 01
Describe the shot
Write one or two sentences for the subject, setting and light before any camera language.
- 02
Add the time-lapse recipe
Append the recipe as its own sentence: "Camera: locked-camera time-lapse. Movement: hold one fixed camera position while time moves rapidly forward. Speed: fast time compression with a stable camera. Framing: keep the same composition and horizon as motion passes through the frame. End: finish from the same camera angle with visible passage of time."
- 03
Keep one move per shot
Remove any other camera instructions so the model commits to a single, readable move.
- 04
Generate and review the ending
Check the final frame matches the End line. If the move drifts, shorten the clip or restate what must stay fixed.