Symphony Prompt Library
This is a course-side prompt organizer. It does NOT assert that TikTok Symphony exposes an API or can be controlled directly from the course website. Prompts are written here, then manually entered into Symphony by the editor.
Prompt Structure Reference
Every prompt follows this template:
Subject + action + setting + composition + camera movement + lighting + mood + visual style + continuity constraints + unwanted elements
Element Cheat Sheet
| Element | Examples |
|---|---|
| Subject | "a lone paramedic," "two figures in hi-vis," "a fountain pen" |
| Action | "checking a pulse," "shaking hands," "hovering over a contract" |
| Setting | "inside an ambulance at night," "concrete pad at dawn" |
| Composition | "close-up, subject in center safe area," "macro, shallow depth of field" |
| Camera movement | "slow push-in," "dolly left," "locked-off POV, subtle shake" |
| Lighting | "sickly fluorescent overhead," "warm desk lamp," "golden hour backlight" |
| Mood | "clinical, tense," "warm, intimate," "documentary realism" |
| Visual style | "cinematic," "shallow focus," "atmospheric detail" |
| Continuity | "same paramedic, same scrubs, same ambulance interior" |
| Unwanted | "no logos, no text, no watermark, no distorted hands" |
By Scene Type
1. Hook / Opening Scene
Purpose: Establish curiosity, tension, or recognition within 0.5 seconds.
Pattern: Wide establishing shot with immediate visual specificity.
Examples:
Vertical 9:16 cinematic B-roll, POV from inside an ambulance, red and blue LED strobes flashing across stainless steel and an oxygen tank, a gloved hand gripping the safety rail, radio dispatch audio faint. Documentary handheld, slight shake. Cold fluorescent, emergency red/blue palette. No logos, no text, no watermark.
Vertical 9:16 cinematic B-roll, extreme close-up of a passport held in slightly trembling fingers, cold dashboard glow behind, pale dawn light through the windshield. Focus racks to the expiry date stamp. Cinematic tension. No logos, no text, no watermark, no distorted hands.
2. Context Scene
Purpose: Give the viewer just enough information to understand the premise.
Pattern: Medium shot, clear subject, minimal distraction.
Examples:
Vertical 9:16, medium shot of a patient on a gurney, grey-blue lips, unconscious, cardiac monitor showing flatline. Ambulance interior, fluorescent lighting. Documentary realism, shallow focus. Subject centered, text-safe margins clear. No logos, no medical brand visibility.
3. Escalation Scene
Purpose: Introduce complication, tension, or emotional development.
Pattern: Close-up on hands or reaction; build tension through detail.
Examples:
Vertical 9:16, extreme close-up of gloved hands, tapping a naloxone syringe to clear an air bubble, jabbing it firmly into a patient's thigh. Ambulance interior, sickly fluorescent light. Clinical detail. No visible pill bottles or medication labels. No text, no logos.
4. Payoff / Revelation Scene
Purpose: Deliver the promised insight, question, or emotional resolution.
Pattern: Reaction shot or symbolic imagery; space to breathe.
Examples:
Vertical 9:16, reaction shot of a paramedic, jaw tight, eyes wet, after a pediatric call. Soft-focus close-up, warm lamp light, desaturated color palette. Let the expression linger for 2s. No text overlay, no logos.
5. Book Reveal Scene
Purpose: Make the book unmistakably identifiable.
Pattern: Cover against a clean, genre-appropriate background.
Note: The cover is ALWAYS a real asset — never generated in Symphony.
Vertical 9:16, [BOOK COVER PLACEHOLDER] centered against a storm- calmed sea background (for _a_siren_sings_), gentle camera pull- back. Golden hour light catches the title. No distortion, no filter. Cover proportions maintained. Text readable.
6. CTA / End Card Scene
Purpose: Offer the next step clearly.
Pattern: Simple, branded, secondary to the story.
Examples:
Vertical 9:16, clean end card: book cover bottom-right, small Atomic Shelf logo bottom-left, text: "Free with Kindle Unlimited." Warm Rhodes + distant siren audio. Navy background. Text in paper white. No decorative elements.
By Genre
Medical / EMS
Mood: Clinical, tense, authentic Palette: Stainless steel white, emergency red/blue, fluorescent green Details: Radio dispatch audio, monitor beeps, gurney wheels Avoid: Glamorization, TV-drama aesthetics, blood (unless absolutely necessary and consensual)
Construction / Business
Mood: Authoritative, practical, grounded Palette: Hard hat orange, steel grey, safety yellow, concrete Details: Tools, blueprints, site equipment, hard hats Avoid: Corporate boardroom clichés, generic office stock
Travel / Nonfiction
Mood: Informative, relatable, practical Palette: Passport blue, asphalt grey, warm lighting for interiors Details: Travel documents, border booths, road signs, luggage Avoid: Passport close-ups with visible numbers, official branding
Romance / Historical
Mood: Intimate, atmospheric, emotionally charged Palette: Jewel tones, candlelight amber, sea blue, dawn rose Details: Period-appropriate clothing, ships, letters, storms Avoid: Explicit content, modern anachronisms, real people's likenesses
By Camera Movement
| Movement | Use Case | Prompt phrase |
|---|---|---|
| Push-in | Intimacy, revelation | "slow push-in on..." |
| Pull-back | Isolation, scale | "slow camera pull-back from..." |
| Dolly left/right | Following action | "dolly left following..." |
| Tilt up/down | Power, perspective | "tilt up from..." |
| Pan left/right | Environment, discovery | "pan right revealing..." |
| Locked-off | Stability, focus | "locked-off, subject centered..." |
| Handheld | Documentary, urgency | "documentary handheld, slight shake..." |
| Slow-motion | Emotional weight | "slow motion, [subject] performs..." |
Continuity Notes
Character Consistency
When the same character appears across multiple scenes:
Same [character description] in every scene: [hair color], [clothing], [age range], [ethnicity]. Do not change appearance between scenes.
Location Consistency
When the same location appears across scenes:
Same [location type], same [time of day], same [lighting]. Do not change environmental details between scenes.
Prop Consistency
When specific props appear across scenes:
Same [prop description] in every scene: [color], [material], [position]. Do not replace or alter props between scenes.
Color Palette Continuity
Palette locked: [list 3-4 colors]. Do not introduce new dominant colors in scenes 2-4 that don't match scene 1.
Prompt Revision History Template
| Scene | Version | Prompt changes | Result | Selected? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S01 | v01 | Initial | Rejected — wrong lighting | No |
| S01 | v02 | Changed "fluorescent" to "cold fluorescent" | Accepted | Yes |
| S02 | v01 | Initial | Accepted | Yes |