How to Write AI Video 180-Degree Rule Prompts

Keep the composition simple. The investigator belongs to frame left, and the accountant belongs to frame right. Their gazes point inward across the table.

2. Cover Character B

Move behind the investigator’s left shoulder while staying on the chosen side of the axis. Her shoulder becomes a small foreground element on the left. The accountant remains the subject on the right and looks back toward frame left.

The foreground shoulder connects the close-up to the shared table space. Keeping it small protects the subject’s face and expression.

3. Cover Character A

Use the matching position behind the accountant’s right shoulder. His shoulder occupies the right foreground, while the investigator stays on the left and looks right.

The two close-ups now face one another across the edit. Their eyelines remain complementary because the camera stayed within the same half of the room.

Separate character identity from screen position

A two-character reference should make both people easy to distinguish through face, hair, silhouette, and clothing. The prompt then assigns a stable label to each person.

Character A: short-haired female investigator in a gray suit.
Character B: male accountant with glasses and a brown knit sweater.

Use those labels consistently. Add the screen position and gaze direction each time the composition changes. This reduces ambiguity when both people share the frame.

A reusable shot-reverse-shot template

[Duration] two-person dialogue scene in [location].

Spatial rule:
Establish the relationship line between Character A and Character B. Keep all camera positions on the [landmark] side of the line.

[Opening time] two-shot:
A stays on frame left looking right. B stays on frame right looking left. Show the shared table and stable seating positions.

[Middle time] over A’s [left/right] shoulder toward B:
A occupies a small part of the [left/right] foreground. B remains on the opposite side as the clear subject and looks toward A.

[Ending time] over B’s [left/right] shoulder toward A:
B occupies a small part of the opposite foreground. A remains the clear subject and preserves the complementary eyeline.

Maintain identity, wardrobe, screen direction, table position, chair position, lens feel, and lighting across the cuts.

Where this method helps

A narrative creator can use it for interviews, interrogations, dates, negotiations, and confrontations. A product team can stage a consultation across a desk while preserving who presents and who reacts. An educational creator can film a teacher and learner with consistent eyelines. A social storyteller can cut between two reactions without losing the viewer’s sense of direction.

Choose a reference that shows both characters separately and clearly. Use an empty environment with a visible spatial landmark, such as a bar, window, counter, or wall, to name the camera side of the axis.

Frequently asked questions

Why name a landmark when defining the axis?

A landmark turns an abstract side of the line into a concrete camera zone that can be repeated throughout the prompt.

Which shot should come first?

Begin with a two-shot that clearly establishes seating, left-right placement, and gaze direction before cutting closer.

How large should the foreground shoulder be?

Use it as a small spatial cue. The speaking or reacting character should remain the clear visual subject.

Can the characters move during the conversation?

Yes. Update the relationship line and screen-position record whenever blocking changes, then keep subsequent cameras on the newly defined side.

Click the template card on this page, enter the experience page, and try the AI video 180-degree rule prompt workflow with your own two-character dialogue scene.