A Perfect Midjourney Prompt Formula (Great for Beginners or Advanced Users)

In this informative video, the host delves into the art of crafting effective prompts for mid-journey image generation. He introduces a structured framework consisting of medium, style, composition, scene, modulate, and dash-dash parameters, emphasizing the importance of brevity in prompts. The host demonstrates how varying the medium can drastically alter the output, from photography to painting and even to comic book illustrations. He also discusses the impact of style and composition on the final image, using examples like Pixar and Tim Burton styles. The scene section is crucial, encompassing subject, action, props, and location. The modulate section allows for atmospheric effects, while the dash-dash section offers advanced commands like chaos for varied outputs. The video concludes with a teaser for a future video on the dash-dash commands and an invitation for viewers to join the conversation on Discord.

Takeaways

• 🎨 **Medium Matters**: Changing the medium (e.g., photo, painting, TV show) significantly alters the output image's style and mood.
• 🖌️ **Style & Composition**: Specifying a style (like Pixar or Tim Burton) or composition (various camera angles) can guide the image towards a desired aesthetic.
• 🚀 **Experimentation Encouraged**: There's no right or wrong way to prompt; experimentation with different mediums and styles is key to finding the perfect output.
• 📏 **Token Limitation**: Mid-journey prompts are limited to about 77 tokens, emphasizing the importance of brevity and concise prompts.
• ⛓️ **Cascade Information**: Structuring prompts in a cascading manner helps large language models parse information more effectively.
• 🌐 **Cross-Platform Usability**: The prompt framework is not limited to mid-journey but can be applied across various image generators.
• 👔 **Art Direction**: Small details like a blue color palette or era-appropriate clothing can add an artistic touch to the generated images.
• 🎭 **Emotional Actions**: Directing characters in emotive actions or describing their emotional state can prevent the common back-to-camera composition.
• 🌆 **Scene Manipulation**: Altering elements within the scene, such as the subject, action, props, or location, can drastically change the narrative and tone of the image.
• 🌡️ **Modulate for Atmosphere**: Adding atmospheric effects (lighting, fog, weather) or seasonal changes can create unique and unexpected visuals.
• 🔄 **Chaos for Creativity**: Using the chaos command (-C) introduces variability, which can be useful for world-building and generating diverse image sets.
• 📄 **Additional Resources**: Further information, including a list of camera angles and a PDF guide, is available for those interested in deepening their prompting skills.

Q & A

What is the significance of using a framework for prompting in mid-journey?

The framework for prompting in mid-journey provides more direction and control over the output, ensuring that the generated images align more closely with the user's expectations.

Why is brevity important when creating prompts for mid-journey?

Brevity is key because mid-journey prompts are limited to about 77 tokens, and shorter prompts allow for more effective communication with the language model.

How does the medium section of the prompt framework influence the generated image?

The medium section determines the style of the image, such as a photograph, painting, or comic book illustration, which significantly affects the final output's appearance.

What is the role of the 'style' section in the prompt framework?

The 'style' section allows users to specify a particular artistic style or the work of a specific artist, which can influence the overall look and feel of the generated image.

How can the 'composition' section of the prompt be used to direct the camera angle or shot in the generated image?

By specifying terms like 'long shot', 'close-up', or 'satellite view', users can guide mid-journey to use specific camera angles or shots in the image generation process.

What is the purpose of the 'scene' section in the prompt framework?

The 'scene' section encompasses the subject, action, props, and location, allowing users to describe the setting and actions within the generated image in detail.

How does the 'modulate' section affect the atmospheric effects of the generated image?

The 'modulate' section introduces atmospheric effects such as lighting, fog, weather, or time of day, which can dramatically change the tone and mood of the image.

What is the 'chaos' command in the dash dash section, and how is it used?

The 'chaos' command, invoked by 'dash dash C' followed by a number between 0 and 100, introduces variability to the initial seed images, creating a set of diverse images that can be useful for world-building and storytelling.

Why might a user need to experiment with different 'medium' keywords in the prompt?

Experimenting with different 'medium' keywords allows users to explore a wide range of options and find the most suitable style for their desired output, even if the exact medium isn't traditionally recognized.

How does specifying an action or emotive state in the 'scene' section help to avoid the 'bullseye composition' issue?

By directing the character in an emotive action or describing the character's eyes as 'sad' or 'happy', users can signal to mid-journey that they want to see the character's face, thus avoiding the common issue of the character having their back to the camera.

What is the significance of the 'aspect ratio' in the prompt, and how does it influence the generated image?

The aspect ratio determines the proportional relationship between the width and height of the generated image, which can affect the composition and the way the scene is framed.

What is the 'coolish off effect' mentioned in the script, and how does it relate to the 'chaos' command?

The 'coolish off effect' is a film editing technique that suggests our brains create meaning when we see two back-to-back shots. It relates to the 'chaos' command as the varied images generated can be seen in sequence, prompting the viewer to imagine a story.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Mid-Journey Prompting Framework Overview

The video begins with an introduction to a framework for prompting in mid-journey, suitable for users of all levels. It emphasizes that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to prompting, but the framework aims to provide more direction and control over the output. The framework is structured into sections: medium, style, composition, scene, modulate, and parameters (dash-dash). The video explains that shorter prompts are preferable due to the token limit in mid-journey and how the prompt formula helps the AI parse the information more effectively. The medium section is explored first, demonstrating how changing the medium from a photograph to a painting or a 1960s TV show drastically alters the output.

05:02

📸 Exploring Style, Composition, and Scene Elements

The video delves into the style and composition section, discussing how style is closely linked to the medium and can help achieve a specific artistic look. It provides examples of how different styles, such as Pixar or Tim Burton, can influence the output, with the caveat that specifying an artist doesn't guarantee a particular outcome. The composition and shot section covers camera angles and how they direct the AI, with a cautionary note about the satellite view due to potential scale issues. The scene section is broader, encompassing the subject, action, props, and location, and demonstrates how manipulating these elements can yield vastly different images. The video also touches on directing character actions and poses to avoid common AI-generated compositions and the use of emotional descriptors to influence the character's expression.

10:03

🌐 Modulation and Chaotic Creativity

The video moves on to the modulate section, which involves atmospheric effects like lighting, fog, weather, and time of day. It shows how adding seasonal changes to a cyberpunk theme can produce unique and unexpected visuals. The dash-dash section is briefly mentioned, with a promise of a dedicated video to explore its many commands. However, the video highlights the 'chaos' command, which introduces variability to the images by breaking up the initial seed images. This chaos command, when set to 100, generates a wide range of images that can stimulate storytelling and world-building. The video concludes with an invitation to subscribe for more in-depth exploration of the dash-dash commands and an encouragement to experiment and have fun with mid-journey.

Keywords

💡Prompting

Prompting refers to the process of providing input or a cue to a system, such as an AI, to generate a specific output. In the context of the video, it is about guiding the AI to create images that align with the user's vision. The script discusses various ways to prompt AI for more directed and controlled outputs.

💡Mid-journey

Mid-journey is a term used to describe a stage within a process or experience. In the video, it refers to a specific AI image-generating tool that the speaker is using to demonstrate the prompting framework. It is a tool that allows users to create images through textual prompts.

💡Framework

A framework is a structured set of guidelines or rules that serves as a support system for organizing information or understanding a concept. In this video, the framework is a method for structuring prompts to the AI to achieve desired results. It includes sections like medium, style, composition, scene, modulate, and parameters.

💡Medium

In the context of the video, medium refers to the form or style of art, such as a photograph, painting, or comic book illustration. The choice of medium can significantly influence the final image generated by the AI, as demonstrated by the different outputs when the medium is changed from a photograph to a painting or a 1960s TV show.

💡Style

Style in this video pertains to the artistic or visual approach to the generated image, often associated with a particular artist or aesthetic. For instance, the script mentions 'Style by Pixar' and 'Style by Tim Burton,' which direct the AI to create images in the distinctive visual language of these filmmakers.

💡Composition

Composition is the arrangement of elements within an image to create a coherent and aesthetically pleasing whole. The script discusses how specifying camera angles and shots, such as a long shot or close-up, can direct the AI to generate images with particular visual dynamics.

💡Scene

Scene denotes the setting or situation depicted in the generated image, which includes the subject, action, props, and location. The script illustrates how altering the scene description, such as changing a businessman's action or the environment, can lead to diverse and distinct image outcomes.

💡Modulate

Modulate refers to adjusting or varying certain aspects of the image, such as lighting, weather, or time of day, to create different moods or effects. The video shows how adding 'cold' and 'snowing' as modulate parameters can transform a cyberpunk scene into a unique winter landscape.

💡Parameters

Parameters are specific instructions or constraints provided within the prompt to guide the AI's output. In the video, parameters are used to fine-tune the image generation process, such as specifying a 'blue color palette' or an 'aspect ratio of 16:9'.

💡Chaos Command

The chaos command is a feature within the AI tool that introduces variability into the generated images by disrupting the initial seed images. By using the chaos command with a value, such as 'chaos of 100', the video demonstrates how it can create a range of images that stimulate the imagination and assist in world-building.

💡Tokens

Tokens represent the individual words or elements within a prompt that the AI uses to generate an image. The script mentions that each prompt is limited to about 77 tokens, emphasizing the importance of brevity and precision in constructing effective prompts for the AI.

Highlights

A framework for prompting in mid-journey is introduced, suitable for both beginners and advanced users.

There is no right or wrong way to prompt in mid-journey, but the framework offers more direction and control.

The framework's structure includes medium, style, composition, scene, modulate, and dash-dash parameters.

Brevity is key in mid-journey prompting, with prompts limited to about 77 tokens.

The prompt formula cascades information to mid-journey, making it easier for the model to parse.

Medium can drastically change the output, such as switching from a photograph to a painting or a 1960s TV show.

Style is linked to medium and can help in achieving a specific look, like Pixar or Tim Burton styles.

Calling out an artist or style does not guarantee cooperation from mid-journey, as seen with the Tim Burton example.

Camera angles and shots can be directed using terms like 'long shot', 'close-up', and 'satellite view'.

The scene section includes subject, action, props, and location, which can be manipulated for different results.

Action and character poses can be directed to avoid the typical 'back to camera' composition.

Experimenting with the 'Style by' parameter can lead to imaginative and unique results.

Modulate section allows for atmospheric effects like lighting, fog, weather, or time of day to be added.

The chaos command (-C) can be used to create varied images, useful for world-building.

The dash-dash section contains many commands, with a separate video planned to explore them in detail.

The framework is not limited to mid-journey and can be applied across various image generators.

A PDF with camera angles and additional information is available for free on Gumroad, with donations appreciated.