Sora 2 prompts that work

cinematic

Alien ship rises over Manhattan

“A massive alien spaceship, miles long and covered in glowing blue circuits, slowly rises from the East River in Manhattan. Wide shot, golden hour, dramatic backlight.”

Tip: Lead with the scale word ('massive', 'miles long'). Sora 2 listens for scale.

cinematic

Detective on a New Orleans porch

“Slow dolly-in shot, low angle, golden hour. A weathered detective in his 50s sits on a New Orleans porch and lights a cigarette. The camera holds. Light grain.”

Tip: Sora rewards a single, deliberate camera move. 'The camera holds' is a real instruction.

cinematic

Subway train, rain, neon

“Wide cinematic shot, anamorphic 2.39:1. A subway train pulls into a neon-lit Tokyo station in heavy rain. Steam rises off the tracks. Strangers watch through the windows.”