Prompt Guide

Write effective Mirage prompts in Captions: describe your AI actor, expression, background, camera, and lighting in one flowing scene description.

Captions uses a single, unified prompt to generate both your actor and background. Write your prompt as a complete scene description that naturally flows from describing the person to their environment.

Writing Effective Prompts

Create comprehensive scene descriptions by combining these key elements into one cohesive prompt:

Actor Elements

Include these details about your actor in a natural, flowing description:

Element	Examples	Usage in Prompt
Gender	Male, female, non-binary	”A woman…” or “A man…”
Ethnicity	Black, East Asian, Caucasian, South Asian	”…an East Asian woman…”
Age	20s, 30s, 40s, teenager, elderly	”…in her mid 30s…”
Hair	Blonde, curly black, tight ponytail, bald	”…with shoulder-length brown hair…”
Makeup	Natural makeup, bold red lipstick, no makeup	”…wearing light makeup…”
Clothing	Business suit, casual t-shirt, wedding dress	”…dressed in a navy blazer…”
Accessories	Glasses, earrings, watch, necklace	”…wearing round glasses…”
Objects	Phone, laptop, coffee cup, product	”…holding a smartphone…”

Expression & Movement

Add life to your actor with these behavioral details:

Element	Examples	Usage in Prompt
Body Position	Standing, sitting, leaning forward	”…sitting confidently at a desk…”
Eye Contact	Direct to camera, looking away, downward	”…looking directly at the camera…”
Expression	Smiling, serious, enthusiastic	”…with an enthusiastic expression…”
Gestures	Hand movements, pointing, arms crossed	”…gesturing naturally while speaking…”
Energy	Calm, energetic, professional	”…speaking with calm authority…”

Environment & Technical Details

Complete your scene with setting and camera specifications:

Element	Examples	Usage in Prompt
Location	Office, park, kitchen, studio, outdoors	”…in a modern office space…”
Background	Bookshelves, windows, plain wall	”…with floor-to-ceiling windows…”
Time/Lighting	Golden hour, bright daylight, soft light	”…with soft natural lighting…”
Camera Shot	Close-up, medium shot, wide angle	”…framed in a medium close-up…”
Depth of Field	Sharp focus, blurred background	”…with a slightly blurred background…”

Best Practices

Write complete, flowing descriptions: Combine all elements into a single, natural paragraph. For example:

“A professional Black woman in her early 30s with natural curly hair, wearing a crisp white shirt and navy blazer, sitting confidently at a modern glass desk in a bright corporate office. She’s looking directly at the camera with a warm, engaging smile while gesturing naturally as she speaks. Behind her, floor-to-ceiling windows reveal a city skyline. The shot is framed as a medium close-up with soft, natural lighting and a slightly blurred background.”

Important considerations for best results:

• Voice-visual matching: Ensure your actor’s appearance matches the voice you’re using (e.g., female voice = female-presenting actor)
• Audio-environment consistency: Match audio quality with the environment (clean audio for indoor settings, appropriate ambience for outdoor scenes)
• Keep it realistic: Avoid overly complex or unrealistic combinations that don’t exist in real life
• Be specific but concise: Provide enough detail for clarity without overcomplicating
• Check your spelling: Typos can affect generation quality

Example Prompts

Pro Tips for Better Results

1. Start with the actor

   Begin your prompt by describing the person - their appearance, clothing, and position

2. Add behavior and expression

   Describe how they’re interacting with the camera and their emotional state

3. Set the scene

   Naturally transition to describing the environment and setting

4. Specify technical details

   End with camera framing, lighting, and any atmospheric details

Remember: Captions processes your entire prompt as one unified instruction. The more naturally your description flows, the better your results will be. Think of it as describing a scene to someone who will recreate it exactly as you envision.