My childhood memories are filled with memorable experiences of playing video games. I had all the free time in the world, and I would always set aside a portion of it to play games. The one that stuck with me the most is Diablo 2. The game features an incredible story, interesting features, and beautiful cinematics.
A lot of time has passed since Diablo 2 was released. Obviously, video game cinematics have drastically improved since then. But I distinctly remember how amazed I was by the animated clips that were played when you finished a chapter in the game. I guess that's what primarily inspired me to write this article.
We live in a time where indie game developers thrive by creating fun experiences that big studios somehow miss because they get blinded by focusing on the graphics too much. What once required a whole company to develop can now be accomplished by a single person. I don't have time to play video games as much as I want, but in recent years most of the games I played were made by indie developers.
If you're a game developer, it can be quite lucrative to work on a game by yourself or in a small team. Of course, it will require a lot of work and dedication to fit all the pieces together. But perhaps you can use an AI-powered tool like Runway Gen-2 to at least easily create cinematics.
How to Write Runway Gen-2 Prompts for Video Game Cinematics?
If you've never used a generative AI model before, it will likely take some time to get used to the process of writing prompts. In case you've at least used text-to-image models like Stable Diffusion and Midjourney, it'll be much easier.
There are some many different video game genres that I honestly didn't know where to start when I began writing this article. In the end, I decided to include various examples that fit different genres so that there's something for everyone. You'll get a chance to see these examples in the next section of the article.
First, I want to cover some of the basics about writing prompts in Runway Gen-2:
- There is a 320-character limit for prompts, but that's more than enough. Cluttering your prompts with too much detail can only negatively impact the generated results. I personally keep most of my prompts under 200 characters.
- Runway Gen-2 is an AI model that enables you to create videos both from text descriptions and from images. You can also use a combination of both image and text to create a prompt.
- There are advanced features that you can use to have more control over the generated videos, such as the motion brush tool, the camera motion tool, as well as a variety of preset styles.
- In order not to spend too many of your credits on the platform, you can use the 'Free Preview' feature to get a sense of what a potentially generated video will look like.
These are some of the basics that you should know about interacting with Runway Gen-2. If you're new to this AI-powered tool, I suggest that you read my beginner's guide to Runway Gen-2 for more useful information.
The prompt writing process for video game cinematics isn't too complicated. You simply describe a scene that would fit in your game. Make sure to mention aesthetics or styles that you think would make the video better. It's much easier for me to show you how to do this instead of telling you, so let's check out the prompt examples I prepared for you today.
10 Runway Gen-2 Prompt Examples for Video Game Cinematics
I really like how Runway Gen-2 does animation. In fact, I have an entire article dedicated to prompts for animation. If you want to pick up more useful tips and tricks that'll take your AI-generated animated clips to the next level, make sure you check it out. For now, let's see what type of video game cinematics you can make with an AI model.
prompt #1: video game cinematics, 3D animated clip, a nameless hero delves into an ancient forgotten temple in search of a powerful artifact. The interior of the temple is illuminated by a pulsating golden light
Sometimes, video game cinematics are really short. Let's say that you're playing an RPG and you have to reach an ancient temple to complete an important quest. When you reach the said temple, a clip like this can be played to show the interior. There is a lot of detail in this clip, and I'm impressed by how the AI model generated the video.
As a side note, I want to mention that I kept the description of the temple vague in my prompt. But you don't have to do that. You can describe the interior in full detail (as long as you keep your prompt under 320 characters) to make it so that it resembles the temple you're building for your game. You can also use an image prompt to turn it into a video.
prompt #2: video game cinematics, horror genre, 3D animated, first-person view of a person running through an abandoned insane asylum, broken furniture, empty, dark, scary, frightening
This one is quite creepy. I didn't play too many horror video games, but I could definitely see a cinematic like this being used for this genre. It's important to note that you should ideally mention in your prompt that you want the clip to be 3D animated. Another strategy you can use is to simply choose a preset style in Runway Gen-2 to make it fit your video game.
I used certain keywords to enhance the aesthetic of this video. These keywords include "broken furniture", "dark", "scary", and so on. Don't underestimate the power of keywords when interacting with a generative AI model. They serve as important instructions that the model will use when generating a video.
prompt #3: 3D animated video game cinematic, a military base is being attacked by enemies, the cinematic showcases intense firefights, explosions, and desperate attempts to fortify defenses
I used to have all the free time in the world at one point, so I could've easily spent many hours a day playing a slow-paced RPG. Although that's the video game genre that left the biggest impression on me, I found that lately when I do get a chance to play games I choose something fast-paced. That's why recently I've been more focused on first-person shooters.
This is a cinematic that would be perfect for a first-person shooter. Obviously, the graphics are not as good as they'd be if you were to hire a professional animator. But take a moment to think about how this video was created. From a simple text description, you see explosions, a big military base, and smoke coming from various buildings.
prompt #4: video game cinematic, 3D animated, the protagonist discovers a hidden library containing ancient tomes of magical knowledge, the camera pans through towering bookshelves filled with dusty volumes
Some of the candle flames are so close to the books that they look like a fire hazard. All jokes aside, the library looks amazing. This would be a perfect cinematic for a fantasy video game.
I tried to include more detail in the prompt so that it features magic spells but that didn't work out as I intended. It's important to understand that there are limits to what the AI model can produce from a single prompt.
prompt #5: video game cinematic, 3D animated clip showing an enemy robotics factory, uncovering a secret facility producing advanced combat drones, the cinematic showcases the assembly lines and massive robotic armies
The aesthetics of this video kind of remind me of both Half-Life and Deus Ex. What was once science fiction is now actually a reality since there are factories that are manufacturing robots. Although companies like Boston Dynamics swore not to use their robots as weapons, you never know what might happen in the future.
That's why a lot of AI enthusiasts are advocating for safety measures on a global level. The last thing we want is an industrial revolution that will ultimately lead to the destruction of our civilization.
prompt #6: video game cinematic featuring a post-apocalyptic cityscape with crumbling skyscrapers and remnants of advanced technology
One of my favorite video game series of all time is without a doubt Fallout. I recently saw that a TV adaptation is going to be released soon, and I'm excited about it. The post-apocalyptic world featured in Fallout video games is incredible.
Even when I played the first two installations that featured a bird's perspective, I was blown away by how much creativity was put into creating this fictional world. The Fallout series is what inspired me to write this prompt.
prompt #7: video game cinematic, 3D animated clip, a clash between two medieval armies, dramatic, war
This would be an excellent video game cinematic for a strategy video game. Although this is a really simple prompt, it can be tricky to use it in Runway Gen-2 because it involves generating a very large number of characters. Nevertheless, I think that the AI model did a great job with this clip.
If you pay attention to detail, you'll find some flaws. But that's perfectly normal considering how much detail is featured here. You can always change the perspective to potentially get better results.
prompt #8: video game cinematic for a sci-fi themed strategy video game, 3D animated clip, the cinematic showcases the grandeur of a space station where aliens are negotiating alliances and treaties
I want to mention that there is often a difference between the initial idea I have for a video and what is generated as a result. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that I'll be happy with the result only when all of the details I mentioned in my text description are featured in the generated video.
In this case, I imagined the scene to feature aliens that are negotiating. But when I saw how beautiful the interior of this space station is, I decided to use the clip anyway even though it didn't feature everything that I described.
prompt #9: video game cinematic, 3D animated clip, film noir aesthetic, a detective arrives at a crime scene illuminated by flickering streetlights, the scene is drenched in shadows as the detective examines clues
I absolutely love playing indie video games, especially ones that make you think and solve various puzzles. I know that there are quite a few video games that feature a film noir aesthetic, but if I'm being completely honest I never played any of them.
prompt #10: video game cinematic, 3D animated clip, a mysterious portal pulsating with energy opens up in the middle of an enchanted forest, colorful
Wow! This has got to be one of the best clips that I made with Runway Gen-2. There is an important lesson here as to why the clip looks so great - it's because I described something very simple. The focus is on a portal that's pulsating with energy. Compare that to military bases, space stations, and post-apocalyptic cities that I made with previous prompts.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to describe something relatively simple. I could easily see this video being used for a fantasy RPG.
Final Thoughts
It would be crazy to compare the videos you generate with the help of Runway Gen-2 with some of the cinematics that are featured in recent games released by big studios. Make no mistake that the only way to get a truly extraordinary cinematic video is to hire a team of animators to work on it for a very long time.
Runway Gen-2 can create beautiful videos. It's more affordable than even hiring an amateur animator to do it as a small side gig. It's up to you to decide whether you want to use these videos in your games.
If you think that they should be of better quality, then I suggest you at least use the Runway AI platform to create draft videos that you'll send to a professional animator to showcase what you want to see created.
But what I think is the most important thing is that the AI model enables you to explore different ideas and see what type of results you get from them. This will boost your creativity and help you quickly find how to turn an idea into a video game cinematic.
