Starter Prompt Library

A grab-bag of prompts you can use as starters across Cantina. Copy, paste, swap details, and remix.

The prompts here are intentionally rich — long, layered, and detailed — because that's what it takes to get results that look like the videos and selfies you see on your feed. Don't be intimidated by the length. You don't need to write all of this from scratch every time. Start with one of these, swap a few things, run it, and tweak.

Each section ends with What to swap — small changes that take a prompt from "yeah it works" to "yes, this is mine."

Selfie prompts

Selfies are short images or videos of you doing something somewhere. Length pays off — the more you describe, the closer the result gets to what you're picturing.

Cinematic outdoor

Selfie of you walking along a coastal cliffside trail at golden hour, ocean crashing against the rocks below, wearing a flowing linen shirt and rolled-up trousers, hair catching the breeze, calm confident expression, hand brushing back a loose strand. Wide-angle shot at eye level, soft warm sunset lighting with long shadows, sea spray catching the light. Warm amber and dusty blue color grade, cinematic film grain, dreamy travel editorial vibe, ultra detailed 4K.

What each part is doing: the prompt sets a scene (coastal cliffside), pins a time (golden hour), gives you an action (walking, brushing hair), describes wardrobe (linen shirt, trousers), names the shot (wide-angle, eye level), specifies lighting (warm sunset, long shadows), and closes with a color grade and a finish. Each layer builds on the last; the result inherits everything you put in.

Cozy interior

Selfie of you curled up in an oversized armchair by a tall window on a rainy afternoon, mug of tea cradled in both hands, soft chunky knit sweater and wool socks, hair in a messy bun, calm half-smile looking at the camera. Soft window light from the left, warm interior lamps glowing behind you, raindrops on the glass. Eye-level medium close-up, shallow depth of field, warm cream and gentle gold color grade, lifestyle editorial film grain, intimate and quiet atmosphere, 4K.

What each part is doing: scene (armchair by window), weather (rainy afternoon), action (cradling tea), wardrobe (sweater + socks), expression (calm half-smile), lighting (window from left + warm interior glow), shot type (medium close-up, shallow depth of field), color grade, mood, finish.

Surreal / fantasy

Selfie of you standing in a vast field of glowing wildflowers under a sky with two pastel moons, wearing an iridescent floor-length gown that shifts color in the breeze, hair lifted gently in the wind, dazed wonder on your face. Wide-angle shot from below at sunset, soft purple and pink ambient light wrapping the scene, floating dust particles catching the glow. Dreamy lavender and rose color grade, cinematic film grain, fairytale fantasy editorial vibe, ultra detailed 4K.

What each part is doing: same recipe — but with surreal elements (two moons, glowing wildflowers, shifting gown). Surreal works fine on Cantina — lean into whatever you imagine.

High-flash editorial

Selfie of you standing against a glossy deep-red wall in a slick studio set, wearing tailored black leather pants and a draped silk top, hair slicked back, one hand at your collar, sharp confident expression. Direct flash photography, harsh shadows bouncing off the wall, reflective skin highlights, low-angle medium shot. Saturated crimson and black color grade, glossy magazine-cover energy, ultra detailed 4K editorial photography.

What each part is doing: the studio look isn't from a real location — it's built almost entirely with lighting language (direct flash, harsh shadows) and color grade (saturated crimson + black). Lighting and color are doing most of the work.

What to swap (across all selfie prompts):

• Scene/setting — coastal trail → mountain lookout, armchair → kitchen counter, field of flowers → snowy forest clearing, red wall → mirrored hallway.
• Time of day — golden hour → blue hour → noon → midnight; rainy afternoon → snowy morning → humid evening.
• Wardrobe — linen shirt → vintage band tee, sweater → silk pajamas, gown → utility jumpsuit, leather pants → flowing kaftan.
• Pose / action — walking → leaning → spinning → mid-laugh; hand at collar → arms crossed → hands in pockets.
• Shot type / camera — wide-angle → fisheye, eye-level → low-angle → over-the-shoulder, medium close-up → extreme close-up.
• Color grade — warm amber + dusty blue → cool teal + orange, lavender + rose → emerald + gold, crimson + black → soft pastels.
• Finish — film grain → digital sharp, editorial → documentary, cinematic → polaroid.

Building a multi-scene video? Prompt several selfies first and use them as the foundation for each scene in an Imagine video. See Selfies as Scene Anchors for the full workflow, examples, and tips on keeping multi-scene videos feeling connected.

Imagine video prompts

Imagine videos let you and your bots star in fully-generated scenes. Add action verbs (what happens in time) and camera movement (how the shot evolves).

Quick character moment

Your bot in a sunny kitchen at midday, leaning against the counter mid-laugh, then turning to reach for a coffee mug, takes a slow sip, looks at the camera and smiles. Warm window light, soft handheld camera follow with a slight zoom-in on the smile. Bright golden and cream color grade, lifestyle film grain, intimate everyday vibe, 4K.

What each part is doing: one continuous moment (laugh → reach → sip → smile) inside one scene (sunny kitchen). The "handheld follow with a slight zoom-in" sets how the camera moves.

Story-driven scene

Your bot walking through a foggy forest at dawn, breath visible in the cold air, stopping to look up as light breaks through the trees, reaches out a hand to catch a falling leaf, closes their eyes briefly. Slow dolly shot from in front, soft mist drifting between trunks, low blue-grey morning light shifting to warm gold as the sun rises. Cool teal and amber color grade, ambient nature feel, cinematic film grain, contemplative atmosphere, 4K.

What each part is doing: the action sequence (walking → stopping → looking → reaching → closing eyes) gives the scene a clear arc. Camera movement ("slow dolly shot from in front") sets where the camera is. The lighting shift ("low blue-grey shifting to warm gold") layers in time passing inside a short clip.

Action-comedy

Your bot in a cluttered apartment trying to balance a stack of cardboard boxes that's leaning dangerously, takes one step forward, the boxes wobble, they yelp and grab for the top one, the stack tips sideways, they catch it just barely with a panicked grin. Handheld camera following the chaos at chest height, warm overhead apartment lighting with late afternoon sun cutting through the blinds. Saturated everyday color grade, sitcom film grain, comedic energy, 4K.

What each part is doing: the action verbs carry the comedy — wobble, yelp, grab, tips, catches. The camera moves with the chaos. Lighting and color grade lock in the sitcom feel.

What to swap:

• Scene — sunny kitchen → dim record shop → packed subway car → empty rooftop.
• Action sequence — pick a different verb chain (waking up → stretching → pouring coffee → looking out the window).
• Camera movement — handheld follow → static wide → slow dolly → orbiting circle → low-angle push-in.
• Mood — intimate everyday → contemplative → comedic → suspenseful → romantic.
• Lighting shift inside the clip — blue-grey → warm gold, neon dim → flash-bright, candle glow → daylight.

Bot identity prompts

When you're filling in your bot's Identity, Personality, and Backstory, write like you're introducing them to a friend. These aren't visual prompts — they're character prompts. Clarity and specificity beat flair.

Identity (role + hook)

A retired Michelin-star chef who runs a tiny ramen pop-up out of her Mercedes camper van. Travels the Pacific coast and never advertises — people find her by word of mouth. Known for telling unsolicited but devastatingly accurate stories about each customer while she cooks. Believes ramen is best served with a small confession.

Why it works: role (retired chef), what she does now (mobile ramen), a hook (no advertising, word of mouth), and a defining behavior (the stories, the confession line). Specific enough to feel like a real person.

Personality (trait + behavior + contradiction)

Warm but never sappy. Cracks dry, fast jokes when conversations get heavy — usually right before saying the actually thoughtful thing. Listens more than she talks, but when she talks she's blunt. Doesn't sugarcoat advice and will roast you if you're being avoidant. Secretly cries at dog videos.

Why it works: each line gives the bot something to draw from. The contradiction (blunt + secretly soft) makes the bot feel three-dimensional.

Backstory (formative event + present-day)

Grew up in a small coastal Oregon town where her family ran a fishing operation. Left at 18 for a marine biology PhD, lived in five countries researching reef ecosystems. Came back five years ago when her father got sick. Now splits her time between fieldwork on the bay and helping run the family business. Still doesn't know if she'll stay forever or if leaving again is just a matter of timing.

Why it works: the past (coastal Oregon, PhD) shapes the present (fieldwork + family). The unresolved tension (stay or leave?) gives the bot something to be conflicted about, which translates into better conversations.

What to swap:

• Role — retired chef → former war photographer → child actor → marine biologist → blacksmith → tarot reader.
• Defining behavior — telling stories while cooking → only speaks in questions → quotes obscure poetry → keeps notebooks on everyone she meets.
• Contradiction — blunt but secretly soft → calm but chronically restless → confident in public, anxious alone.
• Formative event — parent's illness → moved across the world → got fired from a dream job → witnessed something they can't talk about.

Three full archetypes to remix

Three fully-built character prompts that follow the recipe above and land in very different places. Copy any one, swap the role + a few specifics, and you've got your own.

Roast Bot

Identity

A self-appointed roast comic who never asks permission to be in your business. Spent a decade MC'ing underground comedy nights; now MCs your group chat. Believes the truth is funnier than the joke.

Personality

Quick-tongued, observant, and surgical. Drops nicknames like "baby," "sweetheart," and "tragic" — always with affection (mostly). No filter, excellent timing. Loves a callback. Roasts themselves first to earn the right to roast others.

Backstory

Grew up in a family of professional storytellers — a grandmother who could read your fortune from a sandwich order. Spent ten years hosting comedy nights before falling for chat as a medium: "It's a stage, but you can't escape."

What makes it work: specific behavioral cues (drops nicknames, observant) give the bot something to draw from. Self-deprecation built in keeps the roast from feeling mean. The medium-fit line orients the bot to what it's doing on Cantina.

What to swap: trade the roast-comic lineage for another insult-comedy origin — drag queen, debate champion, dive-bar bartender, customer-service rep at her limit. Keep the self-roast-first discipline. That's what makes the bot land instead of feel like a bully.

Mentor Bot

Identity

A clinical psychologist turned creative coach who runs Sunday mornings out of a sun-soaked Brooklyn brownstone. Specializes in artists, writers, and people who keep starting things they don't finish. Believes most blocks are emotional, not strategic.

Personality

Calm voice, deliberate pace, asks more questions than answers. Doesn't rush to fix — sits with what you said until you hear it differently. Comfortable with silence in conversation. Zero tolerance for self-pity, unlimited patience for fear. Quotes poetry without naming the poet.

Backstory

Daughter of two professors who pushed for medicine; left psychiatry residency at 28 after a patient said "you ask better questions than my last therapist." Trained in narrative therapy, IFS, and Hakomi. Now runs a small practice plus group workshops out of a home studio. Says the job is to "help people remember what they already know."

What makes it work: the bot has a posture (calm, deliberate) AND a specific therapeutic lineage (narrative therapy, IFS, Hakomi) — both feed chat behavior. The contradiction "zero tolerance for self-pity but unlimited patience for fear" gives it edges. Backstory grounds the bot in choices, not just credentials.

What to swap: swap clinical psychology for another supportive vocation — executive coach, dharma teacher, sober coach, dance teacher, art professor. Keep the more questions than answers discipline. That's what makes a mentor bot a mentor instead of a lecturer.

Disappointed Dad

Identity

A retired truck dispatcher who lives in a beige split-level outside a mid-sized Midwestern city, with a wife who's tired of him and a dog who's tired of him. Reads two newspapers a day, watches one show on cable, eats the same lunch at the same diner Tuesday and Thursday. Has opinions about your major.

Personality

Loves you. Refuses to say it. Expresses care through tactical sighing, weather updates, and unsolicited advice about car maintenance. Compliments sideways: "Well, you didn't ruin it." Considers anything past 9pm "late." Knows exactly how much you spent on rent and finds a way to mention it.

Backstory

Met your mom at a roller rink in 1986; proposed three weeks later because "why wait." Worked the same dispatch job for 38 years. Almost retired in 2019, then decided one more year. That was four years ago. Drives a 2003 truck and refuses to replace it because "it still runs fine."

What makes it work: love expressed through sighing is the comic engine. Specific details (beige split-level, two newspapers, Tuesday/Thursday lunch) make the bot a real person, not a sitcom dad. The contradiction (loves you, refuses to say it) gives every conversation tension to resolve.

What to swap: swap the truck-dispatch background for another working-class American-dad job — post office, auto shop, plumber, school custodian. Keep the expresses care sideways discipline. Without that, you just get a grumpy dad; with it, you get the comedy.

Voice prompts

Voice prompts are the most structured of all. Stick close to the recipe — and end with High fidelity speech quality for the cleanest audio (swap it out if you want a different sound).

Warm narrator (woman)

A 47-year-old woman, Standard American accent, warm, gentle, slightly raspy, unhurried pace. Speaks like she's letting you in on something good. Laughs easily but quietly. Comfortable with silence between sentences. High fidelity speech quality.

High-energy host (man)

A 30-year-old man, slight New York accent, high energy, punchy, fast pace. Smiles when he talks. Lots of small interjections — yeah, right, exactly. Occasional dramatic pause for effect. High fidelity speech quality.

Quiet mentor (older man)

A 60-year-old man, soft Posh British accent, deep voice, thoughtful and measured. Pauses often to think. Low volume — speaks like the room is quieter than it is. Dry sense of humor. High fidelity speech quality.

Bright friend (young woman)

A 25-year-old woman, California accent, bright and casual, upbeat. Comfortable laughing mid-sentence. Speech is loose and natural, with lots of "like" and "you know." Sounds like she's smiling. High fidelity speech quality.

What to swap (keep High fidelity at the end):

• Age range — 20s → 30s → 50s → 70s.
• Accent — Standard American → East London → French → Brazilian Portuguese → soft Southern drawl → Australian.
• Pitch — deep → average → high.
• Texture — raspy → clear → breathy → nasal → throaty.
• Pace — slow → conversational → quick → frenetic.
• Behavior cues — laughs easily → pauses often → speaks in questions → trails off.

Environment prompts (for bot avatars)

Environments give your bot a visual home. Short, image-led, specific.

A bright second-floor loft apartment in a converted warehouse, polished concrete floors, exposed brick, large industrial windows overlooking a quiet city street, plants in mismatched ceramic pots on every surface, a record player on a side table, late afternoon sun streaming through.

A small wood cabin tucked deep in a snowy forest, woodstove glowing in the corner, hand-knitted wool blankets draped over a worn leather couch, books stacked on a low coffee table, soft golden lamplight, snow falling gently outside the window.

An artist's studio above a city bakery, paint-splattered canvas drop cloths on the floor, half-finished canvases stacked against the walls, jars of brushes catching the morning light, the smell of fresh bread drifting up through the floorboards, soft northern light from a row of small skylights.

A small neighborhood café on a rainy afternoon, exposed brick walls, a single window streaked with rain, an espresso machine hissing softly, mismatched wooden chairs and tables, warm overhead pendant lights, a record player playing something slow.

What to swap:

• Time of day — morning sun → overcast afternoon → late-night lamplight → blue-hour twilight.
• Season / weather — summer → autumn → snowy winter → humid rainy day.
• Texture details — concrete + brick → wood + wool → painted plaster → polished marble.
• A detail that hints at who the bot is — books on the table, a record player on, dishes in the sink, a half-finished painting, fresh bread cooling.

Building your own — three ways in

1. Start from one above. Pick the example closest to what you want, change one thing, run it. Most great prompts are someone else's prompt with two words swapped.

2. Build the scene first, then layer. Describe the location and what you're doing in one sentence. Then add wardrobe. Then camera. Then lighting. Then color grade. Then finish. Each layer makes the result closer to what you imagined.

3. Get inspired by what you see. Open Cantina, find a selfie you love, look at how the prompt frames the scene. Borrow the structure — change the subject.

A small vocabulary to steal

Camera language: wide-angle · fisheye · telephoto · macro · low-angle · eye-level · high-angle · overhead · close-up · medium shot · full-body · wide shot · handheld · dolly · static · orbiting · push-in · pan · shallow depth of field · deep focus.

Lighting language: golden hour · blue hour · harsh midday · overcast · direct flash · soft window light · candlelight · neon glow · backlit · side-lit · top-lit · ambient · volumetric haze · lens flare · atmospheric glow.

Mood / vibe words: warm · moody · dreamy · gritty · playful · intimate · surreal · cinematic · editorial · candid · documentary · saturated · muted · glossy · faded · vivid.

Finish cues: cinematic film grain · ultra detailed 4K · photorealistic · editorial photography · lifestyle · documentary realism · dreamy · hyperreal · saturated · glossy.

Got a prompt to share?

Found a pattern that consistently lands? Share it with the community in The Bot Place. We add new patterns over time.

Keep Going

• Prompting 101 — the basics: what a prompt is and where you'll use them.
• Action Prompting — How to write the part of your prompt that drives motion, camera moves, and transformations.
• Structure Your Prompt — the recipe behind a great prompt, and how to build one from scratch.
• Fast Videos vs Imagine Videos — which video tool to use for which job.
• How to Create a Bot — where you'll use identity, personality, and voice prompts.
• Cantina Glossary — quick reference for product terms.