> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.chatvideopro.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.chatvideopro.com/features/studio/custom-templates.md).
# Custom Templates
Custom Presets let you save your own Motion Director and AI Transitions recipes as reusable cards. Instead of rewriting the same camera move or transition prompt every time, you can create a named preset, add an optional thumbnail, set a recommended duration, and reuse it from the workflow picker.
{% hint style="info" %}
**Custom presets are for repeatable creative direction.** Use them when you have a camera move, transition style, brand look, or editorial trick you expect to use more than once.
{% endhint %}
#### Where Custom Presets Work
Custom presets are currently available in:
Workflow
What You Can Save
Extra Field
Motion Director
A reusable image-to-video camera prompt
None
AI Transitions
A reusable two-frame transition prompt
Optional negative prompt
Custom presets are workflow-specific and only appear in the workflow they were made in.
***
#### When to Use Custom Presets
Use custom presets when the built-in cards are close, but not specific enough.
* **Save a branded motion style** you use across a channel or client
* **Create specialty camera moves** that are not built into Motion Director
* **Build custom transition recipes** for a series, template pack, social format, or edit style
* **Keep duration choices consistent** for repeatable deliverables
* **Add transition negative prompts** when a custom transition keeps producing the same artifact
* **Turn successful experiments into reusable cards** after you find a prompt that works
Custom presets are not meant to replace the built-ins for normal work. Built-ins are still better when you want the workflow to analyze the image or frames and fill in the prompt automatically.
***
#### The Most Important Difference
Built-in presets and custom presets behave differently.
Preset Type
What Happens
Built-in Motion Director presets
The workflow analyzes the image, detects the subject, builds a movement-specific prompt, adds identity and stability language, and uses preset-specific generation settings
Custom Motion Director presets
Your saved prompt is sent directly as the motion prompt
Built-in AI Transition styles
The workflow analyzes the start and end frames, fills a transition template with subject/start/end/environment details, and adds quality-lock instructions
Custom AI Transition presets
Your saved prompt is sent directly as the transition prompt, with optional negative prompt if you saved one
#### How to Create a Custom Preset
1. Open **Motion Director** or **AI Transitions**
2. Click the movement or transition card to open the preset picker
3. Click **Custom**
4. Add a **Name**
5. Optional: upload a **Thumbnail**
6. Write the **Prompt**
7. For AI Transitions only: optional **Negative prompt**
8. Set the **Recommended duration**
9. Click **Save**
After saving, the custom preset appears in that workflow's picker alongside the built-in cards.
#### Editing and Deleting
Custom preset cards include an edit icon.
Use it to:
* Rename the preset
* Replace the thumbnail
* Update the prompt
* Change the recommended duration
* Add or revise a transition negative prompt
* Delete the preset
Deleting a preset is permanent.
***
#### Template Fields
Field
What It Does
Notes
Name
The card title in the preset picker
Keep it short and recognizable
Thumbnail
Optional image preview for the card
Useful for branded looks or visual transition types
Prompt
The exact instruction sent during generation
Required
Negative prompt
What AI Transitions should avoid
AI Transitions custom presets only
Recommended duration
The duration selected when the preset is chosen
3-15 seconds
The name is for you. The prompt is for the model. The duration is for the workflow.
***
#### Recommended Duration Guide
Use duration as part of the creative design.
Duration
Best For
3-4s
Whip moves, punchy transition hits, fast camera accents
5-6s
Product reveals, subtle motion, most social edits, clean transitions
8-10s
Morphs, time passage, orbit-style moves, complex reveals
10-15s
Slow atmospheric shots, long camera travel, complex scene transformations
If a prompt requires a lot of physical change, give it more time. If the move is just a hit, wipe, or quick camera accent, keep it short.
***
### Motion Director Custom Presets
Motion Director custom presets are for image-to-video camera direction.
Use them when you want to save a camera language that the built-in movement list does not cover exactly.
#### How to Write Motion Director Prompts
A good Motion Director custom prompt should include:
* **Camera behavior**: what the camera does over time
* **Subject lock**: what must stay unchanged
* **Scene dynamics**: optional motion inside the frame
* **Stability instructions**: what should not morph, drift, or appear
* **Shot tone**: documentary, commercial, cinematic, atmospheric, handheld, etc.
Because the custom prompt is used directly, write the prompt as a complete instruction.
Good structure:
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```
[Camera move]. The subject in the source image remains the same person/object with the same clothing, features, and pose. Preserve the original background and lighting. Add [subtle scene motion]. No new characters, no morphing, no warping, no scene replacement.
```
{% endcode %}
Avoid:
* Placeholder-only prompts like `[Subject] moves forward`
* Asking for a new outfit, new location, or new character
* Combining too many camera moves at once
* Writing a still-image prompt instead of a video/camera prompt
{% hint style="info" %}
**Pro tip: custom Motion Director prompts should name the camera, not just the vibe.** "Slow parallax drift with foreground movement" is better than "cinematic and premium."
{% endhint %}
***
### Motion Director Example Presets
**Micro Parallax Product Hero**
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```
Slow cinematic parallax push toward the product in the source image. The camera moves forward slightly while drifting a few degrees to the right, creating subtle foreground/background separation. Preserve the exact product shape, logo placement, material finish, color, and background styling. Add only gentle light shimmer and shallow depth-of-field breathing. No new objects, no logo distortion, no warping, no scene replacement.
```
{% endcode %}
Why it works: it asks for a small motion with clear preservation rules. Use it when a normal dolly-in feels too plain but you do not want an aggressive camera move.
**Luxury Tabletop Turn**
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```
Elegant tabletop camera slide around the subject in the source image, like a controlled product commercial on a motion-control rig. Camera glides from front-left to front-right while staying close to the original framing. The subject remains the same object with identical materials, markings, colors, and proportions. Preserve the tabletop, props, and background. Add subtle specular highlights as the camera moves. No extra products, no melted edges, no label changes, no shaky handheld motion.
```
{% endcode %}
Why it works: it defines the camera rig, direction, and product-preservation needs.
**Atmospheric Establishing Drift**
Field
Value
Recommended duration
8s
Best for
Environments, concept art, landscapes, cinematic scene openers
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```
Slow atmospheric establishing shot from the source image. Camera floats forward gently through the scene with very subtle handheld drift, revealing depth in the foreground and background. Preserve the same architecture, terrain, lighting direction, color palette, and composition. Add natural atmosphere: drifting haze, distant light flicker, slight movement in leaves or fabric if present. No new buildings, no geography changes, no warped horizon, no fast camera movement.
```
{% endcode %}
Why it works: it gives the model permission to animate atmosphere while protecting the world layout.
**Documentary Handheld Portrait**
Field
Value
Recommended duration
5s
Best for
Character portraits, gritty realism, interviews, behind-the-scenes looks
Intimate documentary handheld camera observing the person in the source image. Add natural micro-movement, slight breathing in the frame, and subtle environmental motion. The person keeps the same face, expression, hairstyle, clothing, pose, and identity. Preserve the original background and lighting. The movement should feel human and grounded, not artificial. No face morphing, no new people, no sudden zoom, no scene redesign.
Why it works: it uses handheld as texture, not chaos.
**Slow Suspense Push**
Field
Value
Recommended duration
6s
Best for
Horror, thriller, dramatic reveals, tension beats
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```
Very slow suspenseful camera push toward the subject in the source image. The camera advances almost imperceptibly while the background feels slightly heavier and more compressed. Keep the subject's identity, clothing, pose, and facial structure unchanged. Preserve the same room and lighting, but allow subtle shadow deepening and faint atmospheric movement. No jump scare, no new figure, no face change, no background melting, no fast zoom.
```
{% endcode %}
Why it works: it creates tone without asking the model to invent a new event.
***
### AI Transitions Custom Presets
AI Transitions custom presets are for bridging a start frame and an end frame.
Use them when you want a transition style that is not covered by the built-ins, or when you have a very specific brand or editorial language.
#### How to Write Transition Prompts
A good custom transition prompt should include:
* **Start anchor**: how the shot begins
* **Transition mechanism**: what physically or optically hides the change
* **End anchor**: how the shot resolves
* **Camera behavior**: locked, push, pan, whip, fly-through, rack focus, etc.
* **Quality lock**: what must stay stable and what should not appear
Good structure:
Anchor on the start frame. First, [transition begins]. Then [the change is hidden or physically transforms]. Finally, the shot resolves into the end frame. Keep it one continuous shot. [Quality lock instructions.]
Avoid:
* "Make a cool transition"
* Asking for a normal cross-dissolve
* Ignoring the end frame
* Asking for multiple transition mechanisms at once
* Prompts that require text or logos to stay perfectly legible
***
#### Negative Prompts for Custom Transitions
AI Transitions custom presets include an optional negative prompt field.
Use it when the same artifact keeps appearing:
* ghosting
* double exposure
* visible cuts
* flicker
* warped faces
* melted hands
* fake overlays
* camera shake
* unstable background
* text artifacts
* watermarks
Do not use the negative prompt as a second creative prompt. Keep it short and failure-focused.
Good negative prompt:
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```
ghosting, double exposure, visible cut, hard cut, flicker, warped face, extra limbs, text artifacts, watermark, unstable background
```
{% endcode %}
Weak negative prompt:
```
make it cinematic, add smoke, add lens flare, use better lighting
```
#### AI Transitions Example Presets
**Glass Reflection Flip**
Field
Value
Recommended duration
5s
Best for
Music videos, nightlife, city edits, creator transitions
Prompt:
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```
Anchor on the start frame for a brief hold. First, thin neon light trails begin tracing the brightest edges of the scene. Then the camera moves into a fast lateral glide as the trails stretch across the frame, fully obscuring the image with directional motion blur and glowing color streaks. Finally, the blur clears and the shot resolves into the end frame with the same direction of motion. One continuous camera move, no visible cut, no cross-dissolve. The light trails are physical streaks in space, not a flat overlay.
```
{% endcode %}
Negative prompt:
visible cut, hard cut, cross dissolve, ghosting, double exposure, static overlay, flicker, warped faces, text artifacts, watermark
Anchor on the start frame with a natural handheld camera feel. First, a dark foreground shape passes very close to the lens from left to right, filling the frame with soft motion blur. Then the obstruction completely covers the image for a fraction of a second, hiding the scene change. Finally, the obstruction clears and reveals the end frame as if the camera has continued moving through the same space. The transition is motivated by the object passing the lens, not by a dissolve.
Nostalgia, fashion, music videos, analog title sequences
Prompt:
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```
Anchor on the start frame like a locked film shot. First, warm amber exposure blooms at the edge of frame, like real film catching light. Then the burn expands organically with grain, halation, and soft overexposure, briefly washing the image into bright analog texture. Finally, the exposure rolls away and reveals the end frame beneath it. The transition should feel like practical film chemistry and light leak, not a digital wipe. Maintain one continuous shot with natural film grain and no hard cut.
```
{% endcode %}
Negative prompt:
digital wipe, hard cut, harsh edge, fake overlay, posterized color, text artifacts, watermark, flicker, unstable subject
Prompt:
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```
Anchor on the start frame. First, the camera eases toward a reflective glass surface or glossy highlight in the scene. Then the reflection expands and bends across the frame, turning the image into a smooth mirrored distortion that briefly fills the lens. Finally, the reflection settles and resolves into the end frame, as if the camera has passed through the reflective surface. The motion is elegant, glossy, and controlled. No visible cut. No cross-dissolve. Keep the camera movement smooth and premium.
```
{% endcode %}
Negative prompt:
Art channels, title sequences, poetic scene changes, stylized reels
Prompt:
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```
Anchor on the start frame with a locked camera. First, dark liquid ink begins spreading from the shadow areas of the image, following natural contours and edges. Then the ink blooms outward in soft tendrils, covering the frame with organic fluid motion while hints of the end frame begin appearing inside the wash. Finally, the ink recedes and resolves cleanly into the end frame. The effect is physical liquid pigment moving across the image, not a flat dissolve. Maintain stable composition and one continuous transformation.
```
{% endcode %}
Negative prompt:
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```
flat dissolve, hard cut, digital smear, muddy blur, ghosting, double exposure, unstable subject, warped face, extra limbs, text artifacts
```
{% endcode %}
**Practical Flash Pop**
Field
Value
Recommended duration
3s
Best for
Fast social edits, camera flashes, event videos, fashion reels
Prompt:
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```
Anchor on the start frame for a half-beat. First, a practical camera flash fires from within the scene, rapidly blooming to white with a crisp photographic strobe feel. Then the flash overexposes the entire frame for a split second, hiding the scene change. Finally, exposure settles into the end frame with a tiny afterimage and natural lens recovery. The transition is fast, clean, and motivated by a real camera flash. No visible cut, no slow dissolve.
```
{% endcode %}
Negative prompt:
***
#### Best Practices
**Name presets by the result**
Use names like "Micro Parallax Product Hero," "Film Burn Reveal," or "Lens Pass Obstruction." Avoid names like "Test 1" or "Cool Move."
**Use thumbnails for visual memory**
A thumbnail is optional, but it makes custom cards easier to recognize later. Use a small image that represents the motion or transition style.
**Keep prompts complete**
Because custom prompts run directly, include the camera behavior, preservation rules, and quality lock inside the prompt itself.
**Save only reusable ideas**
If a prompt only works for one project, keep it as a one-off. Custom presets are better for moves and transitions you expect to use again.
**Start from built-in language**
If you like a built-in style but need a variation, read the built-in page for that workflow and borrow its structure: anchor, movement, physical transition, quality lock.
**Do not overload a preset**
One preset should do one job. "Whip pan, smoke reveal, light trails, film burn, and morph" is too much for a reusable card.
***
#### Troubleshooting
**My custom preset ignores the source image more than a built-in preset**\
Built-ins use workflow-specific analysis and prompt construction. Custom presets run directly, so add stronger preservation language: "preserve the subject, clothing, pose, lighting, background, and composition."
**My Motion Director custom preset does not use my one-off action notes**\
Put the full reusable instruction in the custom template prompt. Custom Motion Director presets are designed as complete recipes.
**My transition custom preset does not adapt to the exact subject**\
Write the prompt around "the start frame," "the end frame," "the subject shown in the first frame," and "the final frame" instead of relying on automatic placeholder replacement.
**The same artifact appears every time in a custom transition**\
Add a short negative prompt that names that failure mode: ghosting, double exposure, hard cut, flicker, warped face, unstable background, etc.
**The custom card is hard to find later**\
Rename it with a result-focused name and add a thumbnail.
**I accidentally made a bad preset**\
Open the picker, click the edit icon on the custom card, then revise or delete it.
***
**Next:** Use Motion Director to build custom camera movement recipes, or use AI Transitions to turn custom transition prompts into reusable bridge styles.
---
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