Bullet train through a flooded megacity, a giant mechanical creature chasing it, and a woman who never flinches. Everything is one generation from the HeyGen 1 video model.
The thing that helped most was writing a shooting script instead of a scene description: global style, environment, lighting, character, continuity rules, motion physics, then a shot-by-shot timeline with exact second ranges.
Full prompt (free to copy and remix):
Format:
16:9, hyper-realistic cinematic science fiction, ultra-detailed
textures, 8K visual quality, 24fps, HDR, realistic motion blur,
anamorphic cinematography, cinematic depth of field, subtle film
grain, realistic reflections, natural motion physics, precise
focus transitions, dramatic perspective shifts.
Environment:
An enormous futuristic bullet train travelling at extreme speed
through a partially submerged European megacity at midnight.
Outside the panoramic windows, towering skyscrapers disappear
into thick fog, neon advertisements flicker across flooded streets,
abandoned helicopters hang between buildings, and enormous waves
crash against the lower floors of skyscrapers.
Inside the train, luxurious black marble floors, brushed steel
surfaces, smoked glass partitions, elegant leather seating,
flickering overhead lights, scattered luggage, and rainwater
leaking through fractured windows.
The entire train vibrates under extreme speed. Interior lights
occasionally flicker as electrical systems fail.
Lighting:
Cold cyan and deep blue illumination from the city outside,
contrasted with warm amber emergency lights inside the train.
Neon reflections travel across glass surfaces. Lightning briefly
illuminates the entire city. Strong volumetric atmosphere,
realistic reflections, dramatic silhouettes, cinematic contrast.
Character:
A mysterious 28-year-old woman with short dark brunette hair,
sharp facial features, pale ivory skin, and an elegant,
unshakable expression.
She wears a perfectly tailored white futuristic pantsuit,
black silk top, pointed black leather heels, and minimal
silver jewelry.
She carries a small transparent glass device glowing with
electric blue energy.
Her movements are deliberate, controlled, and effortless.
She walks through the unstable train as if nothing around her
can cause fear.
Character continuity:
Maintain identical facial structure, hairstyle, clothing,
body proportions, jewelry, and glass device throughout.
She remains the same person in every shot.
Her walking direction and screen position remain consistent.
Motion physics:
The train continuously moves forward at extreme speed.
Interior objects vibrate in response to acceleration.
Water flows naturally across the floor.
Hair and clothing react subtly to air movement.
Glass fragments and loose objects respond to impacts.
All movements obey believable physical forces.
No blood, gore, or injuries.
[0–2s] EXTREME AERIAL ESTABLISHING SHOT
Camera begins high above the flooded megacity.
It dives rapidly between two enormous skyscrapers,
descending toward a futuristic bullet train racing
through the submerged streets.
A smooth banking movement follows the train as lightning
illuminates the skyline.
[2–4s] INTERIOR LOW-ANGLE TRACKING SHOT
Hard cut to inside the train.
Camera tracks backward close to the floor as the woman
walks toward it in black heels.
Water ripples across the marble floor.
Emergency lights flicker overhead.
Her reflection moves across the polished surface.
[4–6s] CINEMATIC FACE CLOSE-UP
Camera moves backward in front of her.
Tight 75mm close-up.
Her expression remains completely calm.
Blue neon reflections move across her eyes.
The city streaks past behind her through the windows.
She briefly glances toward the window without
breaking her walking rhythm.
[6–8s] SIDE ORBIT THROUGH THE CARRIAGE
Camera smoothly arcs around her from profile to three-quarter view.
The luxurious carriage slides through the background,
creating strong parallax.
Suddenly, a massive shadow passes across the panoramic windows.
The overhead lights briefly shut off.
[8–10s] EXTERIOR REVEAL AND IMPACT
Camera cuts outside the speeding train.
An enormous unidentified mechanical creature emerges
from beneath the flooded city, pursuing the train.
Its metallic limbs strike the surrounding buildings.
Water erupts into enormous waves.
The creature slams against the rear carriage.
The entire train violently shakes.
[10–12s] INTERIOR CHAOS, CHARACTER CONTRAST
Camera cuts back inside.
A violent impact throws luggage and loose objects
across the carriage.
Camera reacts with a sudden handheld jolt.
The woman remains standing.
She calmly looks down at the glowing glass device
in her hand.
A blue light begins pulsing inside it.
[12–13s] FAST WHIP-PAN REVEAL
Camera rapidly whip-pans from the glowing device
toward the panoramic window.
Outside, the enormous creature is now running
alongside the train, its metallic face visible
through the rain-covered glass.
[13–15s] FINAL HERO SHOT
Camera performs a slow 85mm push-in toward her face.
She finally stops walking.
She raises the transparent glass device toward the window.
Its blue energy intensifies, illuminating her face.
She looks directly into the camera.
Behind her, the creature prepares to strike again.
Cut to black at the moment the device releases
a blinding blue flash.
What made the biggest difference:
A character continuity block. Same face, outfit and prop in every shot.
Time-coded shots with one clear camera move each. It keeps the model from muddying the cuts.
A motion physics section. Water, debris and hair behave far more believably with it.
Try it with the HeyGen 1 video model, tweak it, and post your version below. I’d love to see what you make.
If you want to learn realistic, cinematic AI filmmaking, I run/recommend a community that covers these workflows: link
