Video content creators often experience disappointment when it comes to transforming the image they have in mind into a realistic video sequence. In the past, this process took a while and required numerous adjustments due to technological limitations.
But what if today’s technological advancements allowed you to create a great video in a couple of minutes? What if all you needed to make a dynamic video was to type a short prompt like “a little white dog running through a forest?” That’s what Sora can do for you.
Whether you’re a content creator, marketer, or educator, Sora opens up possibilities that seemed like science fiction just months ago. Therefore, it would be a crime not to try using it or at least not to find out what it is.
What is Sora ChatGPT?
Let’s start the Sora ChatGPT onboarding with fundamentals. Sora is a system that can understand and generate content across different types of media.
Without going into too much technical detail (because you don’t need to know all the algorithms the system relies on to use it effectively), Sora can translate abstract concepts into visual content and ensure that objects, characters, and scenes remain coherent as they change throughout the video.
What’s all the fuss about?
If other similar AI-based tools can create videos, why is everyone so excited about Sora? Well, because unlike the tools that create basic animations, Sora can generate complex scenes featuring multiple characters with distinct personalities and detailed environments that change dynamically over time.
It understands concepts like lighting, shadows, reflections, and even abstract ideas like mood and atmosphere. When you ask Sora to create a video of “a cozy French coffee shop on a rainy evening,” it understands the interplay of warm interior lighting against gray outdoor light and the overall feeling such a scene should make you experience.
It understands the physical world’s properties
As you already know, AI models learn by analyzing the vast amounts of data that exist today, and Sora is no exception. It has processed numerous videos and can predict how objects should move, how light should behave, and how different materials interact with each other. That’s why we can talk about realistic and believable images and clips here.
For example, if you prompt Sora to show water being poured into a glass, it understands not just the visual appearance of the liquid, but also concepts like gravity, refraction, surface tension, and even the subtle sounds that might accompany this action.
What if you don’t need a realistic image?
Without a doubt, you might want to create an image or video that has nothing in common with the real world. Can Sora be your solid source of support then? Sure, it excels at creative and fantastical content too. Moreover, you can use it to blend realistic elements with imaginative concepts to create something astonishing and relatable at the same time.
This is a great chance for artists, filmmakers, and content creators who want to explore visual ideas that would be expensive or impossible to capture with traditional video production methods. To awaken your imagination and create interesting prompts for Sora, you can use this college essay topic generator and develop non-trivial ideas for your images.
Key points so far
So, what is Sora in ChatGPT’s ecosystem? Here are the three points you need to remember for now:
- What you provide: Text descriptions or image references.
- What you get: High-resolution video (typically 1 minute).
- The tool’s capabilities: Realistic motion, complex physics, and visual consistency.
To answer your question on how to use Sora ChatGPT when you already have images you want to turn into videos, it’s possible to do so by adding motion or effects, as well as by extending the scene beyond its original frame. You can also modify existing videos by changing styles or completely reimagining scenes.
Thanks to the language expertise of the OpenAI Sora text-to-video model, it can understand nuance and intent in prompts, which means that you can add layered instructions and indirect references when working on visual content creation. It’s one of the key functions that distinguishes Sora from simpler prompt-based tools.
How you can use it
Although Sora is still in limited access as of now, you can start using it if you have an active subscription to one of these premium OpenAI services:
- ChatGPT Plus. The standard premium subscription provides access to GPT-4 and priority access to new features, including ChatGPT Sora.
- ChatGPT Pro. This is a higher-tier subscription with enhanced capabilities and higher usage limits.
Now, it’s time for you to find out how to create videos much faster than you did before.
Sora step-by-step guide
Step #1. Choose your input method
Sora offers three ways to create videos:
- Text prompts
- Image uploads
- Video inputs
Note that when you use images as references, you need to be careful to avoid plagiarism issues. Just like when you use a plagiarism tool to detect references that you might have missed, you need to check whether your images or videos are unique enough.
Step #2. Craft your prompt
If you choose to upload textual instructions, make sure to write a detailed description of what you want to see. The more specific and descriptive you are, the better Sora can interpret your vision.
This is when your writing skills that you’ve been improving in college will come in handy. Just like when you ask a professor or an online tool to “grade my essay for clarity and structure”, crafting a well-written prompt for Sora requires thoughtful wording and attention to detail. The clearer your instructions, the more accurately Sora can bring your ideas to life.
Include details about:
- Scene setting and environment
- Characters or subjects and their actions
- Camera angles and movement
- Lighting and mood
- Style preferences
Example:
A golden retriever puppy playing in a sunlit meadow filled with wildflowers, shot from a low angle with warm afternoon lighting, the camera slowly panning to follow the puppy’s playful movements.
In addition, you can upload an image to accompany your prompt for Sora to create the desired:
- Setting
- Character design
- Color scheme
- Composition
This feature is useful for animating sketches or keeping brand visuals consistent.
Step #3. Configure video parameters
Select your preferred settings:
- Aspect ratio: Choose from widescreen (16:9), square (1:1), or vertical (9:16)
- Duration: Set the length up to the maximum allowed
- Resolution: Select your desired output quality (up to 1080p)
- Style Preferences: Choose any stylistic options that are relevant
Step 4. Generate and review
Keep in mind that generation times can vary depending on complexity and current system load. Once complete, review your video and decide whether you need to make any changes to it or if you are happy with the result.
Tips on creating prompts that work
It’s no secret that the effectiveness of AI-based tools depends on how well you write your prompts. Just like it’s impossible to craft an outstanding literary piece without using a grammar checker, you can’t create the video you want without listing clear and detailed instructions. Here are some recommendations on how to do it.
Be specific and descriptive
The key to success is to avoid being too vague.
- Vague: A cat playing
- Specific: A fluffy orange tabby cat batting at a dangling feather toy in a bright living room, with sunlight streaming through lace curtains, creating soft shadows on hardwood floors
Well-crafted prompts like this give Sora the detail it needs to generate vivid scenes. If you’re unsure about the clarity of your prompt, running it through a Chat GPT checker can help identify ambiguous language, just like proofreading an essay.
Include technical details
If you have a clear idea of what your video should look like from the technical viewpoint, you can specify camera work as well: “close-up shot,” “wide establishing shot,” “tracking shot,” or “bird’s eye view.” Additionally, you can mention lighting: “golden hour lighting,” “dramatic shadows,” or “soft diffused light.”
Set the scene
To get an image or video very similar to the one you want, you can describe the location, time of day, weather, season, and atmosphere.
Describe motion and action
Be clear about how subjects should move: “walking slowly,” “running energetically,” “floating gracefully,” or “spinning rapidly.” It is also possible to include camera movement: “camera slowly zooms in” or “steady tracking shot.”
Keep these three points in mind
- Start simple. Given the fact that you have never used Sora before, it’s a good idea to begin with straightforward prompts to understand how it interprets your descriptions. You can then gradually increase complexity as you become more familiar with the way everything works.
- Iterate and refine. One of the biggest mistakes that leads to disappointment is expecting perfect results on the first try. Sora will make many mistakes and misinterpret your instructions. Therefore, you can experiment with your feedback to see what works best.
- Save successful prompts. Keep a record of the prompts that produce desired results to create your own reference library for future projects.
What Sora can’t do
We’ve already mentioned Sora’s numerous benefits and capabilities, so you may naturally start to wonder if it has any limitations. And of course it does, just like any other tool that exists today. So, let’s consider some of these limitations.
Real person likenesses
If you wish to create a video where you and Justin Bieber are dancing together or where you meet with King Charles, Sora will not do that for you. It can’t generate videos featuring recognizable real people, including public figures, celebrities, and private individuals.
This limitation extends beyond exact likenesses, so you won’t be able to create a video using detailed physical descriptions of famous people. Therefore, you should be cautious about creating videos that mimic real people or copyrighted characters. While Sora can create original content, using real-world references might raise legal and ethical issues.
Explicit content
The platform also maintains strict policies against generating explicit, violent, or inappropriate content. These filters process information at multiple levels and block attempts to create such dangerous material.
Other limitations
Here are some more examples of why Sora is not perfect (yet):
- It may cause inconsistencies in long sequences.
- It may interpret ambiguous prompts in unexpected ways.
- Its real-world physics and object interactions are improving, but not flawless.
Mistakes to avoid
Even though you already know how to use Sora ChatGPT, some mistakes can stand in the way of creating incredible videos. Here are some of them:
Overly complex prompts
Don’t include too many elements in a single prompt, as it might be difficult for the system to decipher your message correctly. Remember that Sora performs better with focused descriptions rather than lengthy lists of requirements.
Inconsistent style references
Another thing you should not do is mixing conflicting style-related directions in the same prompt. Choose one primary visual style and support it consistently throughout your description.
Ignoring physical constraints
As you already know, Sora can create fantastical content. Nevertheless, completely ignoring physics or logical spatial relationships can result in unexpectedly strange results.
Generic descriptions
The last thing you want to do is ask Sora to create “beautiful” or “amazing” videos for you. This prompt will not get you very far. Instead, use specific descriptive language that gives the tool concrete visual direction.
Poor time management
Having access to the tool doesn’t mean that you will now generate videos within seconds. It still takes time to get the results you need. Therefore, leave time for multiple iterations and refinements so that you can engage in the creative process for as long as you need.
Neglecting platform requirements
Consider your intended platform’s specifications and audience expectations when crafting prompts. Without a doubt, content optimized for TikTok requires different approaches than YouTube or professional presentations.
Short summary
- Sora turns text (and images) into video. Now, every content creator can get access to visual storytelling without spending a fortune on the necessary tools.
- Detailed prompts lead to better results. Use the chance to think like a director when you describe your scene to Sora.
- Sora understands context, tone, and structure, which is much like ChatGPT, but video-based rather than text-based.
- You should use it responsibly to stay mindful of ethical concerns around realism, privacy, and content use.
- Sora is still evolving, so you can expect improvements, new features, and wider access in the future.
