---
url: https://superduperai.co/library/cinematic-establishing-shot-prompt/
title: Establishing shot: open a video with a place
description: A prompt for the wide opening shot that tells the viewer where they are, with the three things that make a generated landscape look filmed rather than rendered.
category: generation
platforms: [youtube, any]
works_with: [veo, sora, kling, runway]
tags: [establishing-shot, landscape, drone, text-to-video, cinematic, youtube]
difficulty: beginner
verified: false
created: 2026-11-01
---

# Establishing shot: open a video with a place

A prompt for the wide opening shot that tells the viewer where they are, with the three things that make a generated landscape look filmed rather than rendered.

## Prompt

```text
Extreme wide establishing shot of {place: a fishing village on a fjord / a rooftop in Istanbul / a desert highway}, {time: blue hour just after sunset / early morning with ground mist}. {One moving element: a single car's headlights, smoke from one chimney, birds crossing the frame, waves}. Camera: slow drone forward at low altitude, or static on a tripod. Anamorphic 40mm feel, deep focus, horizon in the lower third. Natural light only, {weather}. Muted realistic colour, light grain, no HDR look. Distant ambient sound: {wind / sea / traffic hum}. 8 seconds, 16:9. No on-screen text, no logos.
```

## Tips

- The one moving element is what separates 'video' from 'a photo that pans'. Always name it.
- 'No HDR look' and 'muted realistic colour' are the two phrases that stop the model from over-saturating landscapes.
- Horizon in the lower third leaves room for a title in the editor.

## Works with

- Veo: Google text-to-video / image-to-video prompts.
- Sora: OpenAI video generation prompts.
- Kling: Kling text/image-to-video prompts.
- Runway: Runway Gen prompts and camera controls.