Directing AI Actors: Behavior-Based Performance Prompts

A better approach: → Direct the attention: what is the character looking at? → Define the trigger: which word, object, or action changes them? → Choose one main reaction: gaze drops, breath pauses, jaw tightens. → Add one secondary behavior: a blink, finger tension, weight shift. → Control the timing: before the line, during it, or after it? → Define the end state: where do the eyes, hands, and posture settle? Weak: “Woman reacts nervously.” Better: “She hears his last sentence, pauses, gives one small blink, lowers her gaze to the table, then answers without lifting her head.” Don’t cram 6 subtle actions into a 5-second clip. One main beat + one supporting behavior is usually enough.