Camera angles & motion tricks to make your MidJourney animations cinematic
Most people using MidJourney focus on prompts for objects or characters. But if your animations feel flat, it’s probably not the subject, it’s the "camera". Just like in film, the way you frame or move your shot completely changes the story. To prove it, let’s use the simplest subject: “astronaut floating in space.” Same astronaut, 18 different ways to shoot it.
Here we go again with the astronauts!
📷 Camera angles for still shots (1–10)
1. Wide Shot
👉 Prompt: “Wide shot of an astronaut floating in deep space, stars stretching endlessly.”
đź“· Effect: Emphasizes scale and emptiness. The astronaut looks tiny and isolated.
2. Extreme Close-Up
👉 Prompt: “Extreme close-up of an astronaut’s helmet visor reflecting galaxies.”
đź“· Effect: Personal and emotional, focusing on detail and intimacy.
3. Low Angle (Hero Shot)
👉 Prompt: “Low-angle shot of astronaut against glowing nebula, camera looking up.”
đź“· Effect: Makes the astronaut look powerful, larger-than-life.
4. High Angle (Vulnerability Shot)
👉 Prompt: “High-angle shot of astronaut drifting, void beneath.”
đź“· Effect: Creates fragility and vulnerability.
5. Over-the-Shoulder
👉 Prompt: “Over-the-shoulder shot of astronaut gazing at Earth’s horizon.”
📷 Effect: Immerses the viewer in the astronaut’s perspective.
6. Dutch Angle (Tilted Horizon)
👉 Prompt: “Dutch angle shot of astronaut with tilted Earth horizon.”
đź“· Effect: Adds unease, tension, or surreal vibes.
7. Depth of Field (Focus Play)
👉 Prompt: “Astronaut in sharp focus, galaxies softly blurred behind.”
đź“· Effect: Looks polished and cinematic, like a movie still.
8. Tracking Shot
👉 Prompt: “Tracking shot of astronaut drifting, camera moving alongside, motion blur.”
đź“· Effect: Adds dynamic motion, feels like a space movie sequence.
9. Bird’s-Eye View
👉 Prompt: “Bird’s-eye view of astronaut hovering above Earth’s glowing atmosphere.”
đź“· Effect: Creates grandeur and epic perspective.
10. Worm’s-Eye View
👉 Prompt: “Worm’s-eye shot of astronaut against towering cosmos.”
đź“· Effect: Makes the astronaut feel massive and otherworldly.
🎬 Motion tricks for animation (11–18)
11. Zoom In
👉 Prompt: “Camera slowly zooms into astronaut’s helmet.”
🎬 Effect: Creates intimacy and focus.
12. Zoom Out
👉 Prompt: “Camera gradually zooms out, astronaut shrinks against endless galaxy.”
🎬 Effect: Emphasizes vastness and isolation.
13. Pan (Side-to-Side)
👉 Prompt: “Pan camera left across astronaut drifting toward glowing nebula.”
🎬 Effect: Smooth, cinematic motion without changing subject.
14. Tilt (Up/Down)
👉 Prompt: “Astronaut floating in space, viewed from below with Earth rising dramatically in the background. Low-angle perspective.”
🎬 Effect: Builds drama and shifts focus dynamically.
15. Orbit / 360° Spin
👉 Prompt: “Dynamic orbital camera spin focused around astronaut, stars swirling in background.”
🎬 Effect: Surreal, high-drama movement, feels immersive.
16. Dolly Pull-Out (Reveal Shot)
👉 Prompt: “Slow dolly pull-out revealing astronaut tiny against vast galaxy, Earth shrinking into view.”
🎬 Effect: Dramatic reveal of scale or surprise.
17. Whip Pan (Fast Camera Swing)
👉 Prompt: “Whip pan across astronaut drifting, blur streaks of stars, cinematic motion blur.”
🎬 Effect: High-energy, chaotic, perfect for action vibes.
18. Crane Shot (Rising Camera)
👉 Prompt: “Cinematic crane shot rising above astronaut, Earth glowing below, camera ascending smoothly.”
🎬 Effect: Sweeping, majestic, like the closing shot of a movie.
đź’ˇ Pro tips for smooth animation
Keep camera instructions consistent across frames to avoid jitter.
Use small prompt tweaks (wide → close → closer) to simulate motion.
Interpolate frames for buttery zooms and pans.
Think like a director: decide if your scene should feel epic, intimate, tense, or surreal, then pick the angle to match.
Conclusion
That’s 18 awesome ways to take one simple astronaut and turn it into 18 different stories. Angles and motion aren’t just “camera nerd stuff”, they’re your best tools to make MidJourney animations look like actual mini-movies. Next time you prompt, don’t just ask what to show. Ask: where’s the camera?
