Prompts

Art timelapse video rough cut prompts

These prompts cut raw footage into an art timelapse video (15-60s, 4 beats in order), with the pacing and the usual mistakes written in.

By Sulan Zhang, co-founder of Vyra · Updated 2026-09-24

Format: Art timelapse video
Step: Rough cut
Length: 15-60s
Aspect: 9:16
Platforms: TikTok, Reels, Shorts, YouTube

Real examples from @sulansart

At a glance


Target length	15-60s
Beat order	0-2s: blank surface, first mark; 2-40s: the whole session at one speed; 40-45s: last strokes, same speed; 45-50s: still of the finished piece
Pacing	One speed, 30x to 120x
Hook	None needed beyond the first strokes appearing fast
Avoid	Hand blocking the piece; Autofocus hunting; Speeding 4 hours into 15 seconds so nothing reads

Prompt it in Vyra

Minimal:

Make a 60-second art timelapse video from these clips. Best takes only.

Standard:

Cut my clips into a 60-second art timelapse video for TikTok. Follow this order.
- 0-2s: blank surface, first mark
- 2-40s: the whole session at one speed
- 40-45s: last strokes, same speed
- 45-50s: still of the finished piece
Pacing: one speed, 30x to 120x.
Keep the strongest clip or take for each part and cut the rest. No captions or music yet.

Full:

Cut my clips into a 60-second art timelapse video for TikTok. Follow this order.
- 0-2s: blank surface, first mark
- 2-40s: the whole session at one speed
- 40-45s: last strokes, same speed
- 45-50s: still of the finished piece
Pacing: one speed, 30x to 120x.
Keep the strongest clip or take for each part and cut the rest. No captions or music yet.
Open with this. None needed beyond the first strokes appearing fast.
Avoid these. Hand blocking the piece. Autofocus hunting. Speeding 4 hours into 15 seconds so nothing reads.
Export 9:16. When you're done, list what you cut with timestamps so I can check.

Why these settings

A numbered beat list gives the agent an order to follow. Leave it out and it picks one for you.
Art timelapse videos usually run 15-60s on TikTok, Reels, Shorts, and YouTube.
The pacing line (one speed, 30x to 120x) sets how long each clip stays on screen.
The full prompt names the common mistakes up front, so you're less likely to see them in the first cut.
Asking for a list of cuts with timestamps makes the first pass quick to check.

Fixes

Too long. "Cut it to 45 seconds. Drop the weakest part first."
Parts out of order. "Follow the order from my first message exactly."
Wrong clip in a part. "For the 2-40s part, show me other clips I could use, with timestamps."
Something you wanted got cut. "Put back the part where [describe it]." It can find the moment from a description.

FAQ

How long should an art timelapse video be? Short versions run 15-60s. Put the number in the first sentence of the prompt so the cut is built around it.

Do I need to trim my clips before uploading? No. Upload the raw clips. Vyra transcribes and describes every scene on upload, so it can find the part that fits each beat.