Use these five fixes when a generated video is technically correct but generic. Generic output is the default when a video prompt gives only a description instead of a director's brief.
Write a brief, not a description. A description names the subject; a brief names the subject, lens, light, color palette, and mood — concrete anchors instead of the video model's defaults.
Cut abstract quality words from the video prompt. "Epic," "stunning," "beautiful," "high quality" do nothing. Replace each with something filmable: "golden hour backlight," "muted earth-tone palette," "shot on 85mm lens, shallow depth of field."
Name a specific style or medium. "Documentary realism," "1970s film grain," "anime" — an undefined style is the top cause of generic-feeling video output.
Add specific human detail. "A sushi chef in his 60s in a traditional white uniform, each knife cut deliberate and confident" produces dramatically better video than "a chef cooking" — same video model, different prompt.
Specify lighting deliberately. Flat, unspecified lighting is a hallmark of stock-photo composition; naming the light source and quality fixes it.