Troubleshooting Bad AI Video Results: How to Refine Your Prompts for Better Outcomes

PyxelJam

October 1, 2025

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Struggling with AI video results that miss the mark? The problem often lies in how prompts are written, not the technology itself. Poor prompts lead to generic, inconsistent, or irrelevant videos. But with clear, detailed instructions, you can transform your AI-generated videos into polished, professional content. Here’s the key:

• Common Issues: Generic content, visual glitches, jerky motion, and poor composition often stem from unclear prompts.
• Solution: Use structured, detailed prompts with specific goals, visual styles, and technical specs.
• Fix Problems: Identify issues in the output, adjust prompts step-by-step, and test variations.
• Save Time: Create reusable templates for consistent, high-quality results.

Refining your prompts isn’t just about fixing errors – it’s about giving the AI precise guidance to match your vision. Let’s dive into how to make that happen.

How to Write Perfect Prompts for AI Video with Gemini + Veo 2

How Prompts Affect AI Video Quality

Your prompt serves as the main control lever for determining whether your AI-generated video hits the mark or falls short. Think of it as giving instructions to someone who takes everything literally – if your directions are unclear or contradictory, the results will reflect that confusion. Incomplete or conflicting prompts can lead to videos that miss the intended message or visual style entirely.

This influence extends to critical aspects of video production, including content relevance, visual consistency, and the smoothness of motion.

Common Problems with AI Video Results

One of the biggest challenges with AI-generated videos is generic or irrelevant content. Ambiguous prompts often leave the AI defaulting to generic assumptions, which results in videos that feel uninspired and disconnected from your goals. As HeyGen points out:

"Poor inputs yield messy outputs, no matter how advanced the tool. If your prompts aren’t well-thought-out… you’ll get subpar scripts."

Visual inconsistencies are another frequent issue. Without clear guidance, videos may feature elements that flicker between scenes, characters whose appearances randomly change, or styles that shift unexpectedly. These inconsistencies can create a disjointed experience, undermining the professionalism of your video.

Motion problems often arise when prompts don’t include clear instructions about movement. This can lead to awkward, jerky animations or static scenes that lack the energy you envisioned. Without detailed motion descriptions, the AI struggles to bring your vision to life dynamically.

Poor visual quality is another common outcome of unclear prompts. When scene descriptions are overly complex or contradictory, the AI may produce blurry visuals, pixelation, or other artifacts. These issues occur because the AI cannot interpret vague or conflicting instructions effectively.

Lastly, camera and composition issues can detract from the storytelling. Prompts lacking specific framing details can result in unwanted camera movements, awkward angles, or poorly composed scenes. The AI may reinterpret visual elements incorrectly, especially when movements require adjustments to the composition.

How Clear Prompts Improve Output

The solution to these problems lies in creating clear, detailed prompts. A well-crafted prompt acts as a roadmap, giving the AI the guidance it needs to align with your vision. When you include specifics about subjects, context, actions, style, and technical details, the AI can produce results that are much closer to what you imagined.

Detailed visual descriptions – including textures, lighting, and camera angles – help minimize guesswork, reducing the likelihood of unwanted artifacts. This allows the AI to focus on rendering your vision accurately instead of struggling to interpret vague instructions.

Using a structured hierarchy of information ensures that the most important elements of your video are emphasized. Placing key details early in the prompt and repeating them where necessary helps the AI prioritize those aspects in the final output.

Providing contextual background is especially useful for more complex projects. For instance, if your video involves characters or a storyline, offering background details can help the AI maintain consistency across scenes and make better decisions about visuals.

Iterative refinement can also elevate the quality of your video. For example, Adobe Firefly’s 2025 showcase started with a simple prompt – “giant mech in the street” – and gradually refined it into a cinematic scene featuring black and yellow mechs, volumetric lighting, and a dystopian atmosphere. Each iteration added layers of detail, resulting in a visually stunning final product.

Ultimately, the quality of your prompt directly affects the quality of the video. Clear, structured, and detailed instructions lead to polished, professional results. On the other hand, vague or poorly planned prompts often result in videos that require significant editing or even a complete redo. With a solid understanding of how prompts shape outcomes, let’s dive into strategies for crafting better AI video prompts.

How to Write Better AI Video Prompts

Crafting effective AI video prompts is all about turning your creative ideas into clear and actionable instructions. By including specifics – like visual style, camera angles, shot distance, effects, and color grading – you can guide the AI to produce videos that align with your vision. The more structured and detailed your input, the closer the final video will match your goals. Start by defining the purpose of your video to shape your prompt accordingly.

Set Clear Goals for Your Video

Before diving into the details, clarify what you want your video to achieve. Whether you’re creating something promotional, educational, entertaining, or professional, start with a concise statement that defines your objective, audience, and tone. This will form the foundation for the rest of your prompt.

For promotional videos, focus on the emotional response you want to evoke and the action you want viewers to take. For example:
"Create a 15-second testimonial-style video featuring a female avatar sharing her experience with a skincare serum. Use soft pastel visuals and upbeat background music."

Educational videos should prioritize clarity and logical progression. A tutorial prompt might look like this:
"Use a friendly avatar to guide viewers step-by-step, from logging in to completing an export. Keep the language simple, include animated visuals, and incorporate screen mockups."

For entertainment content, emphasize mood, pacing, and visual appeal. Meanwhile, corporate videos should maintain a professional tone with clear messaging and a structured hierarchy.

Add Specific Details and Requirements

The secret to turning a generic AI output into something polished and professional lies in the details. Many AI video tools can handle elements like lighting, camera motion, animation timing, and overall style when provided with precise instructions.

Visual style and camera work should be described in detail. If you’re aiming for a cinematic feel, you might say:
"Close-up of a golden retriever in a sunflower field at golden hour, with soft backlighting and a subtle lens flare."
Or for a more atmospheric scene:
"A lonely cobblestone street with Victorian lamps at night, bathed in a warm yellow glow. The camera pans slowly from right to left, revealing an abandoned mansion in the distance."

Technical specifications are essential to ensure your video fits its platform. Include details like length, aspect ratio, and format. For instance:
"30-second video for a summer fashion sale, featuring vibrant clothing, fast cuts, upbeat music, and bold text reading ‘Up to 50% Off.’"

Motion and timing elements bring your vision to life. Use action-oriented verbs and descriptive language to guide the pacing and rhythm. For example, you might specify environmental effects like "a foggy morning" or "an approaching thunderstorm."

Include Context and Examples

Context adds depth to your prompt, helping the AI understand not just what you want but why you want it. This influences everything from visual choices to pacing and tone.

Audience context is key to tailoring your video. For Gen Z, you might focus on fast-paced editing, bold graphics, and trendy music. For a professional audience, you’d emphasize polished visuals, clear narration, and a corporate aesthetic.

Brand context ensures your video aligns with your overall marketing strategy. Include details about your brand’s personality, color palette, and messaging style. For example, a sustainable water bottle brand might specify:
"Highlight eco-friendliness and compact design. Use lifestyle footage with a playful voiceover and bold text emphasizing BPA-free and leakproof features."

Reference examples can further clarify your vision. For instance:
"Imagine an underwater library with glowing books and jellyfish swimming around, evoking a deep-sea surrealism."

Pain point context is especially useful for marketing videos. By addressing specific challenges your audience faces – like limited video editing skills or time constraints – you can guide the AI to create content that resonates more deeply.

To create the most effective prompts, follow a structured formula: objective + format + audience or style + key elements + platform requirements + call-to-action. This approach ensures your video aligns with your goals while providing the AI with enough detail to deliver professional-quality results.

Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing AI Video Prompts

Now that we’ve touched on the importance of clarity in prompts, let’s dive into a practical, step-by-step guide to refining AI video prompts. When your AI-generated videos don’t hit the mark, there’s no need to start over. Instead, take a structured approach to identify what went wrong and make adjustments. This method not only saves time but also helps you create prompts that consistently deliver the results you’re aiming for.

Review Initial Results to Pinpoint Issues

Start by analyzing the video output and comparing it to your original prompt and objectives. Look beyond surface-level dissatisfaction and focus on specific problem areas.

• Content gaps: If the video feels disjointed, skips key scenes, or doesn’t follow the intended narrative, the prompt may lack detailed guidance for scene transitions or visual continuity.
• Tone and style consistency: Watch for shifts in tone or style across the video. If the same prompt produces inconsistent results on different attempts, it’s a sign that the input lacks structure or sufficient context. As Emily Hilton from GSDC notes, "The most common problem most users experience is the inconsistency of tone or style in the responses."
• Overly complex prompts: If the video feels unfocused or skips critical details, your prompt might be trying to tackle too many tasks at once.
  

  "Excessively long prompts can introduce complexity and confusion, potentially causing the model to lose focus or misinterpret the core request." – MLOps Community

• Factual inaccuracies and misleading visuals: Check for any confidently presented errors or fabricated details in the content. AI models sometimes hallucinate, and better guidance can help reduce this.
• Technical specifications: If the video doesn’t meet the desired length, aspect ratio, or style, the instructions in your prompt might be unclear. Also, be mindful of bias – content that perpetuates stereotypes or unfair representations may reflect issues in the training data.

Here’s a quick reference table to help identify common challenges:

Once you’ve identified the issues, you can move on to refining your prompt.

Test and Adjust Prompts

After spotting the problem areas, make targeted adjustments to your prompts. Instead of starting from scratch, refine specific elements to see what drives better results.

• Tackle one issue at a time: For generic outputs, add more specific details like camera angles, visual elements, or mood descriptors. If tone inconsistency is the issue, provide clearer context and tone instructions. For overly complex prompts, break them into smaller, more focused requests.
• Systematically add missing elements: If the video lacks emotional impact, include mood indicators or desired audience reactions. For educational videos that feel unclear, add pacing and structure instructions.
• Focus on problem definition: Go beyond minor wording tweaks. As O. A. Acar explains, "Prompt engineering focuses on crafting the optimal textual input by selecting the appropriate words, phrases, sentence structures, and punctuation. In contrast, problem formulation emphasizes defining the problem by delineating its focus, scope, and boundaries."
• Test variations methodically: Adjust one element at a time and observe the results. Francesco Alaimo highlights, "Effective prompt engineering is usually not a static, one-time interaction. It’s a learning process where testing and refining your prompts is essential to achieve outputs that align with your needs."
• Keep detailed notes: Document every change you make and its impact. This habit will save you time on future projects and help you understand what works best for different scenarios.

Save and Reuse Working Prompt Templates

Once you’ve perfected a prompt, turn it into a reusable template. This not only saves time but also ensures consistent quality across your projects.

• Create templates with variables: Design prompts with placeholders like [feature], [audience], [time], [tone], and [CTA] that can be easily customized. For example: "Explain [feature] to [audience] in [time] using a [tone] voice. End with [CTA]."
• Build frameworks for specific video types: Develop templates tailored to promotional videos, educational content, testimonials, or corporate communications. Each framework should reflect the unique requirements of that category.
• Use prompt management tools: Platforms like PromptSave, Amazon Bedrock‘s Prompt Management, or PromptFolder can help you organize and manage your templates. These tools offer features like libraries, customizable templates, and search functionalities.
  

  "Your AI prompts, perfectly organized. Create your personal prompt library, use smart templates, and share with one click. Simple. Fast. Unlimited." – Prompt Save

• Implement version control: Save different iterations of successful prompts and note any refinements. This practice helps track what works and supports ongoing improvements.
• Share templates with your team: Create a shared repository where team members can access and reuse templates. This ensures consistency across your organization’s video content. As PerspectiveGrand716 from r/perplexity_ai puts it, "The best way to boost your productivity with AI is to save and optimize ur prompt templates instead of starting from scratch each time."
• Incorporate brand guidelines: Develop templates that align with your brand’s voice, preferred phrasing, and style. This ensures that all AI-generated scripts remain on-brand and cohesive.

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Using PyxelJam‘s Tools to Improve Results

Building on refined prompt strategies, PyxelJam’s tools make video creation more efficient and effective. These features work together to simplify your workflow and improve video performance in measurable ways.

Interactive Prompt Editor with Real-Time Previews

The interactive editor transforms the trial-and-error process into a smooth, visual experience. You can see exactly how changes to prompts affect video output – instantly.

The editor also flags potential issues and suggests clear solutions. Whether you’re tweaking tone descriptors, adjusting camera angles, or refining scene transitions, preview thumbnails update immediately to reflect those changes. This real-time feedback saves you from the frustration of discovering problems only after rendering the full video.

For complex scenes, these previews are a game-changer. You can test different prompt structures, compare variations side by side, and make confident decisions before committing to a full render. This not only saves time but also reduces computational costs, ensuring your prompts are on point from the start. By enabling instant visual adjustments, the editor supports smarter, data-driven decisions.

Data-Driven Insights for Engagement Optimization

PyxelJam’s analytics tools provide detailed metrics – such as view duration, social shares, and conversion rates – to help you fine-tune your video strategy.

The platform tracks view duration to measure how long viewers stay engaged, social shares to assess how far your content spreads organically, and conversion rates to gauge how well your videos drive actions like purchases or sign-ups. It also monitors comments for audience feedback and returning viewership to evaluate how memorable your content is.

"To measure the ROI of corporate videos effectively, focus on key performance metrics that align with your business goals. These include view duration, which shows how engaged your audience is; social shares, which expand your video’s reach; and conversion rates, which reveal how well the video drives actions like purchases or sign-ups. Additionally, monitor comments for audience feedback and engagement, and track returning viewership to gauge how memorable and impactful your content is. By analyzing these metrics, businesses can better understand the effectiveness of their videos and optimize future campaigns for improved results." – PyxelJam

A/B testing is another powerful feature, allowing you to compare different prompt variations to determine which ones drive better engagement. This approach provides valuable insights into what works and why. For example, analytics might reveal that videos with specific call-to-action phrases result in 380% higher conversion rates compared to other methods. These metrics validate the importance of refined prompts and guide future content creation.

Ready-Made Templates for Different Video Types

Unlike platforms that rely on templates, PyxelJam takes a custom-first approach by crafting unique video scripts tailored to your specific goals. The platform explicitly offers "NO Templates", instead focusing on creating 100% custom scripts and video content designed to meet individual business needs.

This personalized process ensures that every video is built from scratch, addressing the specific motivations, challenges, and aspirations of your target audience. PyxelJam prioritizes a transparent video creation process, encouraging real-time communication and feedback to ensure the final product aligns perfectly with your expectations and objectives.

This custom approach is especially valuable for businesses with unique needs or niche audiences. Instead of working around the constraints of pre-made templates, you receive content designed specifically to achieve your goals and reflect your brand’s voice. This tailor-made strategy builds on earlier steps, delivering content that matches your vision and resonates with your audience.

Comparing Different Prompt Methods

Building on our guide to refining prompts, let’s dive into specific strategies that can help you tailor your approach. Each method has its strengths and is suited for different video goals. Knowing when and how to use these strategies can save you time and reduce frustration, ensuring your results align with your vision.

Structured prompts are all about precision. They break down your video requirements into clear categories like subject, action, environment, camera angle, lighting, and style. This approach is ideal when you need consistency, such as for a series of videos or technical content. It aligns perfectly with the goal-oriented prompting techniques we discussed earlier, giving you exact control over the outcome.

Creative prompts, on the other hand, take a more free-flowing, natural language approach. They’re great for artistic projects where you want the AI to interpret your ideas with a touch of creativity. While this method can produce unique results, it sometimes lacks consistency, especially if you’re working on multiple videos with a unified theme.

Iterative prompting is a step-by-step process where you refine your prompts based on the AI’s responses. This method focuses on continuous improvement and allows you to align the output more closely with your expectations.

"Our findings confirm that single-shot prompting often falls short when aiming for a precise target visual; in contrast, iterative prompt refinement offers a more positive path to alignment." – Khoi Trinh et al., University of Oklahoma / University of Texas at San Antonio

Template-based approaches rely on pre-designed frameworks created by experts. These are quick and reliable, making them perfect for routine tasks. However, overusing templates can lead to generic-looking results.

Finally, custom prompts give you complete control over the creative process. They allow for highly personalized results but require more time, effort, and skill to craft effectively. Similar to our earlier discussions on tailored fixes, crafting custom prompts demands careful attention to detail to capture your unique vision.

Comparison Table of Prompt Methods

Often, the best results come from combining methods. For example, blending structured prompts with creative phrasing can balance control and originality.

"The best approach? A hybrid one. Many expert users blend structured elements with natural phrasing to maximize creativity and control." – Samuel Y., Author, LinkedIn

Choose your approach based on your goals: structured prompts for precision, creative prompts for storytelling, iterative refinement for accuracy, templates for efficiency, and custom prompts for unique projects.

Conclusion: Getting Better AI Video Results

Creating high-quality AI videos starts with mastering the art of refining prompts. Clear and detailed prompts form the backbone of successful AI video generation. The difference between average results and truly impressive ones often lies in how effectively you communicate your vision to the AI.

AI video generators don’t "guess" your intentions – they rely on precise instructions. This means your ability to break down your creative ideas into clear, actionable steps is critical. As one expert puts it:

"Effective communication with AI video generators involves translating abstract concepts into specific visual details, ensuring that prompts are clear and actionable."

Refining prompts can elevate simple instructions into polished, professional-quality outputs. To achieve this, start with well-defined goals, break complex scenes into smaller, manageable pieces, and use concrete descriptions. For instance, instead of saying "dramatic lighting", specify something like, "Light the subject from a 45-degree angle with strong contrast between shadows and highlights". These techniques are at the heart of what tools like PyxelJam offer.

PyxelJam simplifies this process with tools designed for precision and efficiency. Drawing on over 22 years of expertise in online marketing and branding, they craft fully custom scripts that resonate with your audience’s needs and aspirations. By combining advanced AI capabilities with smart storytelling, PyxelJam delivers professional-grade videos without the usual costs and time commitments of traditional production methods.

The formula for success is straightforward: set clear objectives, refine your prompts with specific details, and iterate as needed. Whether your focus is commercial, artistic, or technical, these principles remain the same. The key is to practice, adjust, and build a repertoire of templates that work for you.

Start now – evaluate your prompts, apply these strategies, and develop a system that consistently delivers results. With the right approach and tools, you’ll soon create AI videos that surpass your expectations.

FAQs

How can I make sure my AI-generated video has a consistent visual style?

To create a cohesive visual style in your AI-generated video, it’s important to start with detailed and specific prompts. Clearly outline the style you’re aiming for, including elements like color schemes, textures, and overall visual themes. The more precise you are, the better the AI can align with your vision.

Another effective approach is to use reference images. These provide the AI with concrete examples of the look and feel you want, making it easier to replicate your desired style across the entire video. If possible, you can also train the AI using brand-specific assets or custom data, which helps tailor the results to match your unique branding needs.

Once the video is generated, take the time to review and refine. Small tweaks to your prompts or minor adjustments during testing can significantly improve consistency and ensure that every scene feels like part of a unified whole.

What details should I include in my AI video prompts to improve animation and motion quality?

To improve the quality of motion and animation in AI-generated videos, it’s essential to include clear and detailed instructions in your prompts. Be specific about how you want the movement to look – mention things like speed, direction, and how fluid or dynamic the motion should be. For instance, you might specify whether the action should feel slow and intentional or quick and energetic.

You can also describe natural movements, such as walking, running, or interacting with objects, and include details about timing and how the motion should sync with audio or other visual elements. If you’re aiming for a more lifelike result, consider adding details about effects like smooth transitions or realistic physics. These extra specifics help the AI deliver animations that are polished, engaging, and closer to what you envision.

How can I refine AI video results step-by-step without starting over?

Refining AI-generated video content through iterative prompting is all about making small, focused adjustments to your prompts based on the output you receive. Instead of scrapping everything and starting fresh, you work with what you’ve got, gradually improving the video’s quality, relevance, and overall impact.

The process is straightforward: review the AI’s output carefully, pinpoint areas that could use improvement – whether it’s adding more details, clarifying your objectives, or fine-tuning the tone – and then tweak your prompt accordingly. With each round, you steer the AI closer to your vision, saving time while achieving more polished and accurate results.

Related Blog Posts

• How to Write Detailed Prompts for Character Animation in AI-Generated Videos
• 10 Best Practices for Writing Effective AI Video Prompts
• Common Mistakes to Avoid When Creating AI-Generated Videos
• Prompt Engineering for AI Video: The Complete Guide to Getting the Results You Want