Top Down — AI camera move prompt

Updated 2026-08-21

Top Down is a camera movement you can name directly in the prompt. Here is the phrase to use, what it changes, and which models render it reliably.

The prompt phrase

Top Down

directly overhead top-down birds-eye view

Without an explicit move, video models fall back on a vague floating drift that reads as artificial. Naming the move gives the model something deliberate to execute.

A worked example

An astronaut floating beside a station window, directly overhead top-down birds-eye view, 35mm lens

Your subject comes first, then the technique, then anything else. Models weight the front of a prompt most heavily, so keep the subject there and let the camera move modify it.

Models that render it

Model	Credits	What it is for
Veo 3.1 Lite	6	Google quality on a budget, sound included
Veo 3.1 Fast	12	Google quality at half the price
Wan 2.6	14	realistic physics and fine detail
Veo 3.1	22	best realism, native sound, start and end frames
Hailuo 02	8	expressive people and faces
Kling 1.6	8	reliable motion, older generation
LTX 2 Fast	9	quickest way to test an idea
LTX 2	10	sharp drafts at a low price

Related camera moves

Crane Up Crane
Crane Down Crane
Boom Up Crane
Drone / Aerial Crane
FPV Fly-through Crane
Aerial Orbit Crane
Static Static
Slow Push In Static
Slow Pull Out Static
Breathing Static
Dolly In Dolly
Dolly Out Dolly

Common questions

What exactly do I put in the prompt?

The phrase above, word for word: "directly overhead top-down birds-eye view". Put it after your subject, separated by a comma.

Which models handle this best?

The 8 models in the table all support it. Veo 3.1 Lite is the cheapest way to test it at 6 credits, then move up a tier once the shot works.

Can I combine it with other camera moves?

Yes. Stacking two or three related instructions is normal; stacking six competing ones is where results start to fall apart.

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