Sora 2

Sora 2 is OpenAI’s flagship video and audio generation model that creates richly detailed, dynamic video clips with synchronized audio from natural language prompts or images.

For higher quality outputs, see openai/sora-2-pro.

About the model

Sora 2 represents a major advancement in AI video generation, offering significantly improved physics simulation, realism, and controllability compared to previous systems. The model can generate videos with synchronized dialogue, sound effects, and background audio, making it ideal for creating cinematic content across multiple styles including realistic, cinematic, and anime aesthetics.

Key capabilities

Advanced physics simulation: Sora 2 understands real-world physics including gravity, momentum, buoyancy, and object permanence. When a basketball misses a shot, it bounces realistically off the backboard rather than teleporting into the hoop. Objects move and interact naturally with their environment.

Synchronized audio generation: The model creates sophisticated background soundscapes, dialogue, and sound effects with a high degree of realism. Audio is generated alongside visuals and properly synchronized with on-screen action, including accurate lip-sync for speaking characters.

Multi-shot sequences: Sora 2 can follow intricate instructions spanning multiple shots while accurately persisting world state. This allows for cohesive storytelling with consistent characters, environments, and lighting across scene transitions.

Style versatility: The model excels at generating content in various aesthetic styles, from photorealistic footage to stylized animations. It can produce realistic cinematography, anime-style sequences, and everything in between.

Controllability: Sora 2 offers fine-grained control over camera movements, framing, lighting, and composition. You can specify detailed shot instructions including camera angles, movements, and transitions.

Use cases

Marketing and advertising: Create compelling product demonstrations, branded campaign assets, and promotional videos with professional-quality visuals and synchronized audio.

Content creation: Generate eye-catching videos for social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts with cinematic quality output.

Previsualization and prototyping: Quickly mockup scenes, test concepts, and create storyboards for creative projects without the need for expensive production setups.

Educational content: Transform complex concepts into engaging visual explanations with accurate physics simulation and clear narration.

Creative projects: Bring artistic visions to life with the ability to generate custom animations, stylized sequences, and imaginative scenarios.

Input specifications

Text prompts: Describe your desired video using natural language. For best results, include specific details about: - Subject and action - Camera framing and movement (e.g., “wide shot,” “dolly in,” “pan left”) - Lighting and atmosphere (e.g., “warm morning light,” “dramatic shadows”) - Style and aesthetic (e.g., “cinematic,” “Studio Ghibli style,” “16mm film”) - Audio elements (e.g., “ambient forest sounds,” “dialogue”)

Images (optional): Provide reference images to guide the visual style, composition, or serve as the starting frame for image-to-video generation.

Duration: Specify video length in seconds. Sora 2 typically generates clips ranging from 4 to 12 seconds.

Resolution: Choose from available resolution options including 720p and 1080p (depending on model tier).

Aspect ratio: Select portrait (9:16) or landscape (16:9) formats to match your intended platform.

Output

The model generates MP4 video files with synchronized audio, including: - High-quality video with consistent motion and physics - Synchronized dialogue, sound effects, and ambient audio - Embedded audio track matching the visual content - Watermarking and provenance metadata for responsible AI use

Tips for best results

Be specific and detailed: Instead of “a cat playing,” describe “an orange tabby cat knocking over a ceramic mug on a wooden table, with the sound of ceramic breaking, in warm kitchen lighting.”

Describe audio explicitly: While Sora 2 generates audio automatically, mentioning specific sounds (“steam hissing,” “footsteps crunching on gravel”) improves accuracy.

Structure multi-shot prompts: For sequences with multiple shots, clearly delineate each shot with timing and transitions. Example: “Shot 1 (0-4s): wide establishing shot. Shot 2 (4-8s): cut to close-up.”

Specify camera movement: Include cinematic terminology like “dolly in,” “pan right,” “handheld camera,” or “static shot” for precise control over cinematography.

Set the aesthetic early: Establish the overall style at the beginning of your prompt (e.g., “cinematic IMAX-scale scene” or “1970s film grain”) so the model applies it consistently.

Keep it concise for first attempts: Shorter videos (4-8 seconds) tend to produce more consistent results. You can stitch multiple clips together in post-production for longer sequences.

Consider physics constraints: The model works best with physically plausible scenarios. While it can handle creative concepts, grounding action in realistic motion yields better results.

Limitations

While Sora 2 represents a significant advancement, the model has some limitations:

• Physics simulation is improved but not perfect; occasional artifacts may appear
• Generation time can take several minutes depending on complexity and server load
• Temporal consistency improves with shorter clips
• Some complex interactions or highly specific scenarios may not render exactly as described
• The model may struggle with very detailed text rendering or small intricate patterns

Verification and billing

Organization verification: If you encounter the error “your organization must be verified to use the model,” visit platform.openai.com/settings/organization/general and click “Verify Organization.” Access may take up to 15 minutes to propagate after verification.

Billing: When using your own OpenAI API key, you are billed directly by OpenAI for generation costs. Refer to OpenAI’s API pricing documentation for current rates.

Responsible AI use

Sora 2 includes built-in safety measures including content moderation, watermarking, and provenance metadata. Always ensure you have appropriate rights and permissions for any reference images or likeness content you provide to the model.

Learn more

For detailed API documentation and technical specifications, visit OpenAI’s Sora 2 documentation.

Try the model yourself on the Replicate Playground to explore its capabilities and see how it can enhance your creative workflow.