10 Common Sora 2 Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Master Sora 2 by learning from others' mistakes. Discover the top pitfalls and expert solutions for better AI video generation.
Even experienced users make avoidable mistakes with Sora 2 that waste time, credits, and produce disappointing results. This guide identifies the 10 most common errors and provides actionable solutions to help you create better videos faster.
Mistake #1: Writing Vague or Generic Prompts
The single biggest mistake users make is writing prompts that lack specificity. Sora 2 needs detailed instructions to generate exactly what you envision.
❌ Vague Prompt
"A person walking in a city"
This gives Sora 2 too many variables to interpret, leading to inconsistent or generic results.
✓ Specific Prompt
"A young woman in a red coat walking through Times Square at night, neon lights reflecting on wet pavement, shot with a cinematic tracking shot"
Provides clear details about subject, setting, lighting, and camera movement.
The Fix: Use the 5W Method
- Who: Describe the subject in detail (age, appearance, clothing)
- What: Specify the action or behavior
- Where: Define the environment and setting
- When: Include time of day and lighting conditions
- Why/How: Add camera work and stylistic choices
Mistake #2: Ignoring Camera and Technical Specifications
Many users focus only on content and forget to specify camera angles, movements, and technical parameters. This results in videos with awkward framing or amateur camera work.
Essential Technical Elements to Include:
- Camera Angle: Close-up, medium shot, wide shot, bird's eye view, low angle
- Camera Movement: Static, pan, tilt, dolly, tracking shot, crane shot
- Lens Type: Wide angle, telephoto, macro, fish-eye
- Focus: Shallow depth of field, deep focus, rack focus
- Framing: Rule of thirds, centered, Dutch angle
Before and After Example
❌ Without Technical Details
"A chef cooking in a kitchen"
✓ With Technical Details
"Close-up shot of a chef's hands expertly chopping vegetables, shallow depth of field, overhead tracking shot, natural window lighting from left"
Mistake #3: Requesting Physically Impossible Actions
Sora 2 is advanced, but it still struggles with physics-defying scenarios or extremely complex interactions. Asking for impossible actions leads to distorted or unrealistic results.
Common Physically Impossible Requests
- Complex object interactions: "Five balls colliding and bouncing in perfect symmetry"
- Defying gravity incorrectly: "Water flowing upward naturally"
- Contradictory movements: "Person walking forward while facing backward"
- Impossible transformations: "Cat instantly morphing into a dragon"
The Fix: Work Within Physical Reality
Even for fantasy or sci-fi content, maintain believable physics and logical movement patterns. If you want surreal effects, frame them deliberately:
"Dreamlike sequence with water droplets floating upward in slow motion, surreal atmosphere" (acknowledges the unreality)
Mistake #4: Overloading Prompts with Too Many Elements
Trying to fit too much into a single video generation often results in a cluttered, unfocused output where nothing looks good. Sora 2 performs best with 1-3 main subjects and clear focal points.
❌ Overloaded Prompt
"A busy marketplace with vendors selling fruits, vegetables, and clothes, street performers juggling and dancing, tourists taking photos, cars driving by, dogs running around, children playing, sunset lighting"
Too many competing elements dilute the focus.
✓ Focused Prompt
"A fruit vendor arranging colorful mangoes and oranges at a sunset marketplace, warm golden hour lighting, shallow depth of field with blurred background activity"
Clear main subject with context, not chaos.
The 3-Element Rule
Limit your prompts to three main elements:
- Primary Subject: The main focus (person, object, animal)
- Action/Environment: What's happening or where it's happening
- Technical/Stylistic Choice: Camera work or artistic style
Mistake #5: Not Specifying Lighting Conditions
Lighting dramatically affects mood, clarity, and professional quality. Omitting lighting details often results in flat, uninteresting visuals.
Essential Lighting Terms to Use
Natural Lighting
- Golden hour (warm sunset/sunrise)
- Blue hour (twilight)
- Overcast (soft, diffused)
- Harsh midday sun
Artificial Lighting
- Studio lighting
- Neon lights
- Dramatic backlighting
- Soft box lighting
Mood Lighting
- Cinematic lighting
- Moody shadows
- High contrast
- Volumetric lighting (god rays)
Direction
- Front lighting
- Side lighting
- Backlighting
- Rim lighting
Mistake #6: Using Conflicting or Contradictory Terms
Contradictory instructions confuse the AI and result in videos that don't match any single vision clearly.
Common Contradictions to Avoid
- Lighting contradictions: "Bright sunny day with dark moody atmosphere"
Fix: Choose one - "Overcast day with moody gray lighting" - Style contradictions: "Photorealistic anime-style video"
Fix: Choose one aesthetic approach - Motion contradictions: "Fast-paced slow-motion sequence"
Fix: "Dynamic action captured in slow motion" - Mood contradictions: "Cheerful horror scene"
Fix: Choose the primary mood you want
Mistake #7: Neglecting Aspect Ratio Selection
Choosing the wrong aspect ratio for your intended platform wastes time and requires cropping or reformatting later.
| Aspect Ratio | Best For | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| 16:9 (Landscape) | YouTube, TV, presentations | YouTube, Vimeo, websites |
| 9:16 (Portrait) | Mobile-first social media | TikTok, Instagram Reels, Stories |
| 1:1 (Square) | Social media feeds | Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn |
| 4:5 (Portrait) | Instagram portrait posts | Instagram feed |
Pro Tip
Plan your distribution first. If you need videos for multiple platforms, generate in 1:1 square format, which can be easily adapted to both landscape and portrait orientations through cropping.
Mistake #8: Not Iterating on Failed Generations
Many users give up after one unsuccessful generation instead of analyzing what went wrong and refining their approach.
Systematic Iteration Process
Step 1: Identify the Issue
What specifically didn't work? Composition, lighting, subject accuracy, camera work, or style?
Step 2: Make One Change at a Time
Don't revamp the entire prompt. Adjust one element to understand what improves results.
Step 3: Keep a Prompt Journal
Document successful prompts and what changes improved results. Build your personal library of working formulas.
Mistake #9: Expecting Perfect Human Faces and Hands
While Sora 2 has improved significantly, close-up shots of faces and detailed hand movements remain challenging. Expecting perfection in these areas leads to disappointment.
Workarounds for Human Details
- Avoid extreme close-ups: Use medium shots instead of tight facial close-ups
- Keep hands busy: Hands engaged in activity look more natural than static poses
- Use motion blur: Fast movement naturally obscures fine details
- Frame strategically: Compose shots where hands are partially out of frame or not the focus
- Specify "photorealistic": This style handles human features better than stylized options
❌ Risky Prompt
"Extreme close-up of person's face looking directly at camera, fingers touching their lips"
Highlights areas where AI often struggles.
✓ Safer Prompt
"Medium shot of person walking through autumn park, natural expression, hands in pockets, slightly out of focus background"
Reduces focus on potentially problematic details.
Mistake #10: Ignoring Duration and Pacing
Requesting complex actions in very short durations or simple actions in long durations creates pacing issues and unnatural results.
Duration Guidelines by Action Complexity
| Action Type | Recommended Duration | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple, single action | 5-10 seconds | Person picking up coffee cup |
| Moderate action sequence | 15-30 seconds | Person walking through door, hanging coat |
| Complex scene | 40-60 seconds | Chef preparing dish with multiple steps |
| Slow motion sequence | 10-20 seconds | Water splash, breaking glass |
| Establishing shot | 5-8 seconds | City skyline, landscape pan |
Bonus: Quick Troubleshooting Checklist
Use this checklist before generating to catch common mistakes:
Pre-Generation Checklist:
- ☐ Prompt includes specific subject description (not "person" but "elderly woman in blue dress")
- ☐ Action is clearly defined and physically possible
- ☐ Setting/environment is described in detail
- ☐ Lighting conditions are specified
- ☐ Camera angle and movement are mentioned
- ☐ Style aesthetic is defined (photorealistic, cinematic, etc.)
- ☐ No contradictory terms or conflicting instructions
- ☐ Aspect ratio matches intended platform
- ☐ Duration is appropriate for action complexity
- ☐ Prompt has 1-3 main elements, not 10+
Common Error Messages and Solutions
Understanding error messages helps you fix issues quickly:
"Content Policy Violation"
Cause: Prompt contains prohibited content (violence, explicit content, copyrighted characters)
Fix: Remove specific names, brands, or inappropriate content. Use generic descriptions.
"Generation Failed"
Cause: Prompt too complex, contradictory, or technically impossible
Fix: Simplify prompt, remove contradictions, make action more realistic.
"Prompt Too Long"
Cause: Exceeded 500-character limit
Fix: Edit for conciseness. Remove redundant adjectives. Focus on essential details.
Next Steps
Now that you know what to avoid, improve your Sora 2 skills:
- Complete Beginner's Tutorial - Master the basics
- Cinematic Techniques Guide - Advanced prompt strategies
- 50+ Best Prompts - Learn from successful examples
- AI Prompt Generator - Create error-free prompts
Key Takeaways
- Always write specific, detailed prompts using the 5W method (Who, What, Where, When, Why/How)
- Include technical specifications: camera angles, lighting, lens type, and focus
- Limit prompts to 1-3 main elements to maintain focus and quality
- Avoid contradictory terms and physically impossible actions
- Choose appropriate aspect ratios for your target platform before generating
- Iterate systematically by making one change at a time
- Work around limitations: avoid extreme close-ups of faces and hands
- Match video duration to action complexity for natural pacing
- Use the pre-generation checklist to catch mistakes before wasting credits
- Keep a prompt journal to document what works for your specific needs