PROMPT GUIDE

How to Write Vidu AI Prompts

Vidu is an AI video generator often used to animate anime-style illustrations. Besides image to video, it has a mode that keeps a character consistent from reference images while making new scenes. This guide covers how to write Vidu prompts that animate illustrations naturally, with when to use each mode and how to fix failures. Features and plans change, so check the official site for the latest details.

Last updated: 2026-10-22 approx. 3 min read

日本語版

The short answer

To animate anime-style art in Vidu, put the art style first, then write in short English the small things that sway (hair, ribbon, petals), one main motion and the camera move. To keep a character consistent in a new scene, use the reference image mode.

What are the basics of a Vidu prompt?

Vidu prompts are also basically short English covering subject, motion, camera and mood. When animating anime-style art, naming things that often move in anime, such as hair, clothes, blinking and petals, makes the motion look natural.

How do you choose between Vidu modes? (Image to video and reference images)

Use image to video to animate the picture as it is, and the reference image mode to keep the character in a different scene.

Mode	Good for	What to write in the prompt
Text to video	Building a scene from scratch	Person, place, motion, camera, light
Image to video	Animating one picture as it is	Only motion, camera and mood
Reference to video	Keeping a character's look while making a new scene	Scene, motion, camera (leave the look to the reference)
Start and end frames	Connecting two pictures with motion	What happens between the two pictures

The names and number of modes, and the length of one clip, change with the version and plan. Check the screen and the official guidance.

Steps for animating an anime-style illustration

Choose an illustration with a clean face and hands and no text
Crop it to the same aspect ratio as the video
Load it in image-to-video mode
Write the moving things (hair, clothes, blinking, petals) and one main motion, and add a camera move
Make several and choose. If it breaks, make the motion smaller

Anime style. The girl blinks and smiles gently at the camera while her long hair and ribbon flutter in the spring breeze. Cherry blossom petals drift across the frame. Static camera.

What it does: in an anime style, the girl blinks and smiles at the camera as her hair and ribbon flutter in a spring breeze and cherry petals drift past, with a still camera.

Anime girl smiling among falling cherry blossom petals, a start frame for animating with Vidu — 桜の中のアニメ調の絵

Girl in a sailor uniform on a school rooftop under a summer sky, an anime style video example — 桜の中のアニメ調の絵

Illustration usage rules

Anime style. The girl in a sailor uniform turns around on the school rooftop and waves. The camera slowly pulls back to show the blue summer sky and white clouds.

What it does: on a school rooftop, the girl in a sailor uniform turns around and waves, then the camera pulls back slowly to reveal a blue summer sky and white clouds.

Motion words that look like anime

In anime-style video, hair, clothes and small items swaying give more of an anime feel than big body movements. Adding things that float in the background (petals, snow, specks of light) makes the frame lively even when the character moves only a little.

Motions that work well for an anime style

Tag	Meaning	Note
`hair flutters in the wind`	Hair flutters in the wind	A staple of anime-style video
`ribbon flutters`	A ribbon flutters	Adds motion through small items
`petals drift across the frame`	Petals drift across the frame	Background motion adds color
`sparkles float in the air`	Specks of light float	For a dreamy mood
`blinks and smiles`	Blinks and smiles	A small facial movement
`skirt sways gently`	A skirt sways gently	Shows the direction of the wind

What if the art style or face changes in Vidu?

Putting the art style first and making the motion smaller helps keep the original style and face.

What happens	Cause	Fix
The style turns photo-like	No art style specified	Put an art style such as Anime style first
The face slowly changes	Large motion	Drop the turn and use small motions such as blinking or hair swaying
Fingers break when waving	Hand motion breaks easily	Keep waving clips short and use framing where the hands are small
The outfit differs from the reference	The scene description adds clothing	Remove clothing from the prompt and leave it to the reference image

Rinka's tips

To make several videos of the same character, the reference image mode or starting from the same picture keeps them consistent
Do not animate other people's artwork or famous characters without permission
Check prices, usage limits and lengths on the official site

How do you keep the same character across Vidu videos?

The shortcut is to use the reference image mode, or to make several videos from the same single picture. For the reference, choose a picture where the face, hairstyle and outfit are clearly visible.

Use a front or three-quarter reference picture with a large face
To show the full outfit, also add a full-body picture as a reference (check the official site for how many you can add)
In the prompt, do not repeat the clothing or hair; write only the scene and motion
Using a frame from a video that worked as the first frame of the next video makes the connection natural

Not only in Vidu, the ability to keep a character consistent depends heavily on the quality of the first frame and the reference images. Making a character sheet (front, side and back views) in advance keeps the outfit and hairstyle consistent even in scenes where the direction changes.

For how to choose a picture that animates well: How to Use Image-to-Video AI (Steps to Animate a Still Image) →

For character sheets that keep a character consistent: Full-Body Standing Art, Turnaround and Character Sheet Prompts (Plus Expression Variants) →

For detailed fixes for breakage: Why AI Videos Break and How to Fix Them →

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Vidu animate anime illustrations?

It is often used to animate anime-style art. Start with an illustration that has a clean face and hands and no text.

What is the difference between reference to video and image to video?

Image to video animates one picture as it is, while reference to video borrows the character's look from the picture to make a new scene. Choose image to video to animate as is, and the reference mode for a different scene.

Can I write Vidu prompts in languages other than English?

Other languages may be accepted, but motion and camera instructions can come across better in English. Start with short English sentences.

How much does Vidu cost?

It changes with the plan and over time, so this guide does not list it. Check the official guidance.