Prompt field guide

Write a MiniMax H3 prompt that controls picture, motion, and sound

H3 generates video and synchronized audio together, so a useful prompt describes what changes over time rather than what the first frame looks like. Name the shots, the camera, the speakers and the sound, and put each one in the field the model expects. The eight templates below are written by us, and each card plays the clip that template actually produced.

Official format

The three-field H3 prompt structure

integrated_multimodal_description:
[Shot 1] style + composition + subject + action
[Shot 2] At 00:05.000, cut + camera + result

overall_soundscape:
ambience + physical sounds + non-verbal sounds

non_diegetic_music:
instruments + tempo + dynamics, or N/A

Every clip on this page was generated on our own RTX 5090 running MiniMax H3, from the English prompt printed on its own card. Each template got one generation, so what you see includes the model's misses. The three image-to-video clips start from first frames we generated with FLUX on the same box, not from photographs.

Last updated:

This page is a writing and formatting tool, not a capability claim: the builder formats prompts for all five documented H3 modes, while Tinulo's runtime currently runs text-to-video and first-frame image-to-video. Modes marked available here are the ones the generator accepts today.

Runs entirely in your browser

MiniMax H3 prompt builder

Choose the inputs you actually have. The builder adds the correct keyframe preamble and preserves the exact official field order; it does not send your text to a model or rewrite it unpredictably.

Prompt inputs

Text only: describe the complete audiovisual timeline from scratch.

Write the chronological shots, composition, subjects, action, camera, dialogue, and synchronized sounds.

Summarize ambience, physical effects, voices, and other sounds that exist inside the scene.

Describe audience-only score, instruments, tempo, and dynamics. Leave blank for an explicit N/A.

Structured prompt
integrated_multimodal_description: [Shot 1] Live-action cinematic medium shot of a ceramicist at a sunlit wheel. She lifts a finished blue bowl, turns it slowly toward the camera, and smiles. The camera pushes in gently while warm window light catches the wet glaze.

overall_soundscape: A quiet wheel hum, soft clay movement, birds outside, and one natural breath.

non_diegetic_music: N/A

The five H3 prompt modes are input contracts

T2VA needs no asset. I2VA, FL2VA, and L2VA align keyframes to exact times. Ref2VA is different: it uses six ordered rewrite sections and explicit subject/reference relationships rather than the three base fields.

T2VA

Text only: describe the complete audiovisual timeline from scratch.

Available here

I2VA

First frame: Picture 1 is fixed at 0.00 seconds; describe only the motion that follows.

Available here

FL2VA

First and last frames: connect Pictures 1 and 2 through one plausible continuous path.

Official guide only

L2VA

Last frame: invent a compatible opening that converges precisely on Picture 1 at the ending timestamp.

Official guide only

Ref2VA

Full reference: define and selectively retain subjects, motion, visual style, video, or audio from labeled assets.

Official guide only

What belongs inside a strong H3 timeline

Chronological shots

Begin with [Shot 1]. Give later cuts increasing timestamps such as [Shot 2] At 00:05.000. A cut should reveal new information; use camera motion when only framing changes.

Camera with a purpose

Attach one compatible move—push, pull, pan, truck, tilt, arc, track, static, POV—to a visible subject and action. Add amplitude and speed only when they clarify the intended framing.

Two audio layers

Put shot-synchronized dialogue and effects in the timeline, summarize diegetic ambience in overall_soundscape, and reserve non_diegetic_music for score the characters cannot hear.

Dialogue: stable speakers, original language

Give speaking people stable IDs such as (S1) only in their voice description, keep spoken words inside a <d> block, and include a language tag. Do not reuse speaker IDs as Ref2VA subject labels.

The guide (S1) says: <d>[English] Keep the camera moving.</d>

No music is a valid direction

Silence is not an empty instruction. Write N/A when you want only diegetic ambience and effects; otherwise specify the score's instrumentation, pace, dynamics, and exit point without duplicating physical sounds.

non_diegetic_music: N/A

MiniMax H3 prompt examples for eight common shots

Eight templates built on MiniMax's published structure, covering text-to-video and first-frame image-to-video. Copy one, then replace the subject, action, timing, dialogue and sound with your own shot.

Nothing on these cards was reshot, reframed or picked from a batch of attempts: one generation per template, and the poster is a frame taken from the delivered file, so the still and the clip always agree. The clip was rendered from the English prompt on the card; the 中文 text is a faithful rendering of the same shot plan, offered as a starting point rather than as the text that produced the video.

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T2VA10s16:9

Cinematic product reveal

A two-shot product film: a controlled arc on a wet ledge, then a macro cut, with rain ambience and a restrained electronic score.

Prompt language
integrated_multimodal_description: [Shot 1] Live-action product film, a medium-wide shot frames a sand-coloured cast-iron kettle on a wet slate ledge at blue hour. Steam curls from the spout into the cold air while a thin amber highlight travels along the enamel. The camera arcs clockwise with small amplitude at slow speed as the kettle turns one quarter rotation, keeping the engraved mark sharp and readable. [Shot 2] At 00:06.000, the camera cuts to a macro close-up of a single water droplet running down the spout, then pulls out slowly as the kettle settles at the centre of the frame.

overall_soundscape: Rain taps softly on stone while a faint steam hiss leaves the spout. A low pottery-room hum stays underneath.

non_diegetic_music: A restrained electronic pulse at a moderate tempo with deep sub-bass and sparse metallic percussion, fading cleanly on the last frame.
Use this prompt
T2VA10s16:9

Two-person dialogue scene

Stable speaker IDs, language-tagged lines, one motivated cut, and environmental sound for a short exchange.

Prompt language
integrated_multimodal_description: [Shot 1] Live-action cinematic, a medium shot frames two lighthouse keepers inside the lamp room at dawn. Grey sea light comes through salt-streaked glass. The older keeper, with a low steady voice (S1), checks the brass mechanism and says: <d>[English] The lamp held through the night.</d> [Shot 2] At 00:05.000, the camera cuts to a close-up of the younger keeper, with a quick bright voice (S2). She wipes the glass, smiles, and replies: <d>[English] Then we still have a light to keep.</d>

overall_soundscape: Wind presses on the lamp-room glass, the brass mechanism ticks in slow turns, and the sea moves far below.

non_diegetic_music: Sparse piano notes at a slow tempo, joined by a soft sustained cello after the second line.
Use this prompt
T2VA10s16:9

Tracking action sequence

A fast lateral tracking move, one informative cut, and impact sounds that land on the same frame as the footfall.

Prompt language
integrated_multimodal_description: [Shot 1] Live-action sports commercial, a low tracking shot follows a sprinter accelerating along a rain-slick timber boardwalk between dune grass. Water sprays from each footfall while the runner leans into the turn. The camera trucks beside her at fast speed, holding her in the right third of the frame. [Shot 2] At 00:06.500, the camera cuts to a front three-quarter close shot as she clears a shallow puddle, plants firmly, and exits toward a bright opening between the dunes.

overall_soundscape: Shoes slap and grip wet timber, water splashes on every plant, and sharp breaths cut through a rising coastal wind.

non_diegetic_music: Fast hand percussion and a short distorted bass pattern build through the final plant, then stop cleanly on the cut.
Use this prompt
T2VA5s1:1

Five-second macro food shot

One action, one small camera move, material detail, and no background music in a square composition.

Prompt language
integrated_multimodal_description: [Shot 1] Live-action macro food cinematography, an extreme close-up frames a spoon breaking through the dark chocolate shell of a small tart. The camera pushes in with small amplitude at slow speed as the shell cracks into irregular shards and pale cream folds around the spoon. Warm side light reveals steam and fine cocoa texture; the tart stays centred against a dark neutral background.

overall_soundscape: The shell gives a crisp crack, followed by the soft scrape of a metal spoon on cold ceramic and quiet room tone.

non_diegetic_music: N/A
Use this prompt
T2VA10s9:16

Vertical fashion film

A 9:16 walk-and-stop sequence with hard light, garment motion, and echoing footsteps.

Prompt language
integrated_multimodal_description: [Shot 1] Live-action vertical fashion film, a full-body shot frames a model in a long olive coat walking through a glass corridor at midday. Hard light throws clean diagonal shadows across the polished floor. The camera tracks backward at the model's pace while the coat hem and sleeve seams move naturally with each step. [Shot 2] At 00:06.000, the shot cuts to a tight profile as the model stops beside a rain-streaked pane, turns toward her reflection, and straightens one lapel without looking at the camera.

overall_soundscape: Firm footsteps echo along the corridor while coat fabric shifts softly and rain taps on the glass beyond.

non_diegetic_music: A minimal drum-machine rhythm at a steady moderate tempo with one dry synth note repeating every two beats.
Use this prompt
I2VA5sadaptive

Animate a portrait first frame

Preserve identity and composition while adding only a breath, an eye-line change and a small natural expression.

Prompt language
For the target video, at 0.00 seconds into the target video, <Picture 1> (from [Shot 1]) is fully referenced.

integrated_multimodal_description: [Shot 1] Live-action, cinematic. The person shown in <Picture 1> keeps the same facial features, hairstyle, clothing, lighting direction, and background composition. The camera holds a static close shot as the person takes a quiet breath, shifts their gaze from the window toward the camera, and forms a small natural smile. Hair and loose fabric move only slightly in the existing draught; no new objects enter the frame.

overall_soundscape: Soft room tone continues with a faint draught and one quiet breath.

non_diegetic_music: N/A
Use this prompt

Needs a first-frame image — upload one after tapping Use this prompt.

I2VA5sadaptive

Animate a product first frame

Keep shape, label and geometry stable, limit the rotation, and explicitly forbid new props from entering the frame.

Prompt language
For the target video, at 0.00 seconds into the target video, <Picture 1> (from [Shot 1]) is fully referenced.

integrated_multimodal_description: [Shot 1] Live-action product cinematography. The product in <Picture 1> keeps its exact shape, materials, label, colour, position, and background. The camera arcs clockwise with small amplitude at slow speed while the existing highlight travels naturally across the surface. The product rotates no more than fifteen degrees, then settles on a stable hero angle with the label facing the camera. Do not add hands, packaging, liquid, smoke, or extra props.

overall_soundscape: Quiet studio room tone with a subtle mechanical turntable hum.

non_diegetic_music: A single low synth note rises gently and fades before the final frame.
Use this prompt

Needs a first-frame image — upload one after tapping Use this prompt.

I2VA10sadaptive

Animate a landscape first frame

Move only what the image already contains, while preserving time of day, geography, palette and composition.

Prompt language
For the target video, at 0.00 seconds into the target video, <Picture 1> (from [Shot 1]) is fully referenced.

integrated_multimodal_description: [Shot 1] Cinematic landscape. The basin, lake, shoreline, clouds, and colour palette in <Picture 1> remain consistent. The camera pushes forward with small amplitude at slow speed above the existing shoreline. Ripples travel across the lake, the visible reeds bend gently in the wind, and the existing clouds drift gradually from left to right. Preserve the time of day, and introduce no people, buildings, animals, or weather effects that are absent from the first frame.

overall_soundscape: A light breeze moves through the reeds while small waves touch the shore and a distant bird calls once.

non_diegetic_music: Sustained soft strings at a slow tempo, remaining quiet and even throughout.
Use this prompt

Needs a first-frame image — upload one after tapping Use this prompt.

See more H3 output generated on the same box

H3 takes Chinese values, but the field names stay English

The timeline fields are a fixed schema, so integrated_multimodal_description, overall_soundscape and non_diegetic_music are written exactly as MiniMax defines them. Everything inside them can be Chinese: scene, action, camera movement, dialogue and ambience all work. MiniMax's own guides are written in English, which is why most published examples are English too.

Keep the three field names in English. Translating them breaks the schema the model was trained on.

Write the values in whichever language your audience speaks. Keep camera terms recognisable — Arc, Push In, Pull Out, Truck, Tracking — either in English or with the English term in brackets.

Tag dialogue with its language so the model casts the right voice: <d>[Chinese] 台词</d> or <d>[English] line</d>. Give every speaker one stable ID such as (S1).

English value

[Shot 1] Live-action macro food cinematography, an extreme close-up frames a spoon breaking through the dark chocolate shell of a small tart. The camera pushes in with small amplitude at slow speed...

Chinese value

[Shot 1] 实拍微距美食摄影,极端特写拍一把勺子压开小挞的深色巧克力壳。镜头以小幅度、慢速推进(Push In)...

Both lines describe the same shot and the field name above them is identical. Switch any template card between 中文 and EN to see a full side-by-side.

Plan the image, the motion and the sound

Animate a photo; choose output size separately

Image-to-video creates motion from a starting picture. Upscaling increases image or video dimensions; it does not turn a still into a moving scene. Start I2VA with a clear image, describe one action and one camera move, then choose the available duration and output size separately. Use the portrait-animation example above for a concrete starting point.

Reuse a shot recipe, then compare the frames

Keep a copy of your subject description, reference image, lighting, palette and camera wording. Reuse those parts across clips and change one action at a time. Matching words can help you compare attempts, but they do not guarantee identical faces or colors. Check the first, middle and final frames before combining shots; finish any precise color match in your editor.

Decide what the viewer should hear

Describe in-scene ambience and physical sounds in overall_soundscape. Put an optional background score in non_diegetic_music, or use N/A when you want no score. These are prompt directions, not separate editable audio tracks. Listen to the result for unwanted voices, misplaced effects and music that obscures dialogue before you publish.

Watch original H3 clips and compare their prompts

Troubleshooting weak H3 prompts

The clip feels like a moving still

Replace appearance-only adjectives with state changes: who moves, what reacts, where the camera goes, and what becomes visible by the end.

Cuts and motion fight each other

Use one camera move per beat, remove simultaneous contradictory directions, and reserve a timestamped cut for a genuinely new composition.

Dialogue changes speaker

Define each voice once with a stable speaker ID, keep narration distinct from on-screen speech, and do not pack stage directions inside the dialogue tag.

References are ignored or blended

Resolve every <Subject N> and <Picture N> label, specify what each asset contributes, and avoid asking two references to control the same property in incompatible ways.

A face changes during the shot

Find the first frame where the face changes. Check whether it coincides with a head turn, a hand crossing the face or a camera move. Start with a sharp, clearly lit reference; keep it fixed while simplifying one movement. Compare the next result with the same starting image. This is a way to isolate the problem, not an identity guarantee. If the whole frame looks stretched only in your editor, check the display proportions first.

The sound does not fit the scene

Check ambience and score separately: what should be audible in the scene, and what music should sit behind it? Replace vague audio adjectives with specific sounds and timing. Remove the score direction with N/A if it competes with speech, then listen again. Reusing a music description does not reproduce an exact recorded track.

Five checks before copying

  • Every requested action fits inside 5 or 10 seconds.
  • Later shots use increasing timestamps and do not exceed the duration.
  • Camera directions are compatible with the composition and subject motion.
  • Dialogue, soundscape, and music are placed in the correct fields.
  • Every reference label resolves consistently; unwanted music is explicitly N/A.

Sources and evidence boundary

The structure, field names and mode definitions follow MiniMax's published H3 material and API documentation. The eight templates and every clip on this page are ours; none of them is presented as an official MiniMax prompt or as a controlled quality benchmark.

Five things people ask before writing an H3 prompt

Can I write a MiniMax H3 prompt in Chinese?

Yes. The three field names stay in English because they are a fixed schema, but the values inside them can be Chinese — scene, action, camera movement, dialogue and ambience all work. Tag dialogue with its language, for example <d>[Chinese] 我们错过了最后一班。</d>, so the model picks the right voice. Every template on this page has a 中文 version you can switch to.

My prompt looks fine but the video ignores it. What usually goes wrong?

Three causes cover most of it. First, the action chain needs more seconds than the clip has — cut beats instead of adding shots. Second, contradictory camera commands cancel each other out; keep one move per moment and state its amplitude and speed once. Third, in image-to-video, re-describing the uploaded picture as though the model has never seen it fights the input; say what stays the same, then describe only what changes.

Does H3 have a negative prompt field?

There is no separate negative-prompt input in the documented H3 format. Write exclusions as a normal sentence in the timeline, in the same place the action lives — for example "Do not add hands, packaging, liquid, smoke, or extra props." Two of the image-to-video templates on this page do exactly that.

Can I paste these templates into Veo, Kling or another video model?

Not as-is. The field names, the [Shot N] timeline, the "At 00:05.000" cut timestamps and the <d> dialogue tags are MiniMax H3 conventions. Other models read a plain prose paragraph better. Reuse the shot plan — subject, action, camera move, sound — and rewrite the wrapper in that model's own format.

Should the prompt state resolution, duration or aspect ratio?

No. Those are request parameters you select in the generator, and H3 ignores them inside the prompt text. Use the prompt for content and time: what happens, in what order, seen from where, and heard how. Writing "15s, 16:9" at the start of a prompt only spends characters that could describe the shot.

Turn the structure into your own shot

Start from a preset, open the composer with the prompt you just copied, or read the production notes behind these clips.

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