Shallow focus in AI video prompts: which docs use it
2 of the 24 models' docs use shallow focus: Google Veo and Sora. Shallow focus keeps only a thin slice of the scene sharp, isolating the subject against a soft background. As of 2026-09-25.
Shallow focus keeps only a thin slice of the scene sharp, isolating the subject against a soft background.
| Model | How the docs use it | From the docs |
|---|---|---|
| Google Veo | defines it | … making distant subjects appear closer and often isolating the subject by creating a shallow depth of field. |
| Sora | uses it in an example | shallow focus reveals traveler |
Inclusion rule. Models whose own docs define the word, list it as a command or preset, or use it in an example prompt. Order. Alphabetical by model name.
1How the docs use it
Google Veo defines it; Sora uses it in an example.
A word the docs define is one the maker explains to users. A command or preset is one the model is set up to perform on request. A word that appears only in an example prompt is one the maker shows working, without promising more.
The other 22 models' docs do not use it in the pages read: Adobe Firefly, Grok Imagine, Higgsfield, HunyuanVideo 1.5, Kling AI, Leonardo Motion 2.0 and others.
… making distant subjects appear closer and often isolating the subject by creating a shallow depth of field.
Google Cloud, Veo video prompt guide
shallow focus reveals traveler
OpenAI Cookbook, Sora 2 prompting guide
- Camera word: shallow focusThe docs define shallow focus and describe what it does
- Camera word: shallow focusShallow focus appears in the docs' own prompt examples
2A shot list from a script
Where “Shallow focus” has to be written by hand, SceneMixer's pipeline writes the shots; its guides explain:
The new name is written everywhere the old one stood: storyboard lines, episode titles and summaries, the scene lists and already-parsed dialogue.
SceneMixer, Reusing a Character, Scene or Voice Across Projects — “What happens to the old name in the storyboard?” (read 2026-10-13)
Paste a scene or a short script and SceneMixer gives you a storyboard — numbered shots with framing and seconds — and then a moving version of each segment, which you can join into a rough cut of the scene.
SceneMixer, Using SceneMixer for Previs and Animatics Before a Live-Action Shoot (read 2026-10-13)
3Neighbouring camera words
- point of view: A point-of-view shot shows what a character sees, putting the viewer in the character's place.
- close-up: A close-up frames a face or a detail tightly.
close-up · medium shot · wide or long shot · establishing shot · over-the-shoulder shot · low angle · high angle · dutch angle · bird's-eye view · point of view