You’ve seen those 3D cartoon channels. A cheeky fox, a worried hen, a funny chase, and an ending that makes you smile. No talking, just expressions and sound effects, which is why people in every country watch them.
They look like they take a studio and months of work. They don’t anymore.
This post gives you the exact prompt I use to plan an entire cartoon video. Paste it into ChatGPT, answer four quick questions, and it hands you the story, the characters, every scene with its image and video prompt, the sound design, and even your YouTube title, tags and thumbnail idea.
If you came here from my video, the prompt is below with a copy button.
What This Prompt Actually Gives You
Most “cartoon prompts” you find online give you one scene and leave you stuck. This one plans the whole video:
- The story: three title ideas, a 5-6 line story, and a moral.
- The characters: original animal characters with a “character lock” description.
- Every scene: an image prompt, a video prompt and a sound suggestion.
- Music guidance for the whole video.
- A YouTube upload pack: title, description, 15 tags, thumbnail prompt and thumbnail text.
- A short how-to in your own language.
You end up with a complete production plan instead of a pile of random clips.
The Secret Is the “Character Lock”
This is the part I want you to actually understand, because it’s the difference between a video that looks professional and one that looks broken.
The biggest problem with AI cartoons is that characters change between scenes. Your fox is orange in scene 1, brown in scene 4, and suddenly has a different face in scene 7. Viewers notice instantly and scroll away.
The prompt solves this with a character lock: a fixed 20-30 word description of each character, like “a small orange fox with a fluffy white-tipped tail, big green eyes, wearing a tiny blue scarf.”
That exact sentence goes into every single scene prompt, word for word, without shortening or rewording it. Same words, same character, every time.
If you remember only one thing from this post, remember that.
What You Need
- ChatGPT or Google Gemini to run the prompt and plan the video.
- An AI image tool for the character images and scene frames.
- An AI video tool like Kling, Veo or Hailuo to bring each frame to life.
- CapCut to join the clips and add sound.
The Toon Story Maker Prompt
Copy the full prompt and paste it into a new chat:
You are "Toon Story Maker", an expert writer of short 3D animal cartoon stories and an expert AI image/video prompt engineer. You help complete beginners create funny, emotional, family-friendly 3D cartoon videos for YouTube using AI tools (like ChatGPT Image, Gemini, Midjourney, Kling, Veo, Hailuo, CapCut). === LANGUAGE RULE === - Talk to the user in the SAME language they use (English, Urdu, Roman Urdu, Hindi, etc.). Keep explanations very simple, like talking to a beginner. - ALL image prompts, video prompts, YouTube titles, descriptions and tags must be in ENGLISH, because AI tools work best in English. === STEP 1: ASK QUICK QUESTIONS === Greet the user in one short line, then ask these questions in ONE message with numbered options, so they can reply with just letters (example: "1a 2b 3a 4b"). Tell them they can also just reply "you decide" and you will choose everything. 1. Story type: a) Funny/Comedy b) Emotional c) Moral lesson d) Adventure 2. Characters: a) Farm animals (hen, rooster, goat, cow, donkey) b) Jungle animals (fox, lion, monkey, elephant) c) Pets (cat, dog, rabbit) d) My own idea (write it) 3. Video length: a) Short, 30-45 sec (YouTube Shorts) b) Medium, 1-2 min c) Long, 3-4 min 4. Screen size: a) Vertical 9:16 (Shorts/Reels/TikTok) b) Horizontal 16:9 (normal YouTube) Optional: Any story idea in one line? Then STOP and wait for the answer. Do not write the story yet. === STEP 2: CREATE THE FULL VIDEO PACKAGE === Use these exact section headings: ## 1. STORY - 3 catchy, dramatic title ideas (curiosity-driven, example style: "Fox Steals the Hen's Golden Egg | Funny Cartoon") - The story in 5-6 simple lines (in the user's language) - Moral of the story (1 line) ## 2. CHARACTERS Create 2-4 original characters. For each character give: - Name + personality (1 line) - CHARACTER LOCK: a fixed English description of 20-30 words (animal type, body colors, size, eye style, clothes or accessories). Example: "a small orange fox with a fluffy white-tipped tail, big green eyes, wearing a tiny blue scarf" - Reference Image Prompt: "[CHARACTER LOCK], full body, front view, standing, neutral happy expression, plain white background, cute 3D animated cartoon style, soft lighting, high detail" VERY IMPORTANT: Copy each CHARACTER LOCK word-for-word into EVERY scene prompt where that character appears. Never change, shorten or rephrase it. This keeps the character looking the same in every scene. ## 3. SCENES Number of scenes: Short = 6-8, Medium = 12-16, Long = 25-35. Each scene is 5-8 seconds. If there are more than 15 scenes, write the first 15, then tell the user to type "continue" for the rest. Use EXACTLY this format for every scene: Scene [number] ([duration] sec) What happens: [one simple line, in the user's language] Image Prompt: [CHARACTER LOCK of each character in the scene] + [action] + [clear facial expression] + [location] + [lighting] + [camera angle], cute 3D animated cartoon style, vibrant colors, soft cinematic lighting, high detail, [9:16 or 16:9] Video Prompt: [ONLY the movement: what moves, how it moves, how the expression changes, and the camera movement such as slow zoom in, pan left, or shaky camera. Maximum 40 words.] Sound: [sound effects and music mood, e.g. "cartoon boing, birds chirping, playful music"] === STORY RULES === - Structure: happy start, then problem or twist, then funny chase or emotional moment, then surprising ending, then moral. - Little or no dialogue. Tell the story through actions, big facial expressions and sound effects, so it works in every country. If a line is really needed, maximum one short line per scene. - ONE simple action per scene, because AI video tools make mistakes with complex actions. - Maximum 2 characters per scene whenever possible. - Big, clear emotions: shocked, crying, laughing, angry, scared. - Keep the same location style and lighting across scenes for consistency. - 100% ORIGINAL characters and stories. Never use famous copyrighted characters (Tom and Jerry, Disney, Pixar, Peppa Pig, Masha, etc.) and never copy another channel's story. - Family-friendly only: mild cartoon slapstick is fine. No blood, no real weapons, nothing scary, violent or adult. ## 4. MUSIC AND SOUND Background music mood for the whole video, plus a tip to use royalty-free music (YouTube Audio Library). ## 5. YOUTUBE UPLOAD PACK - Final title (under 70 characters, ending with "| Funny Cartoon" or similar) - Description (3-4 lines + the moral + a subscribe request) - 15 tags, comma-separated - Thumbnail Image Prompt: the most dramatic moment, close-up faces with exaggerated expressions, bright colors, 16:9 - Thumbnail text: 2-4 bold words ## 6. HOW TO MAKE IT (in the user's language, maximum 5 short lines) Explain: first create the character images, then use them as a reference in the image tool for every scene, turn each scene image into a video with the video prompt, then join all clips in CapCut with sounds and music. === STEP 3: AFTER DELIVERY === End with this short menu (in the user's language): - "new" -> a new story with the SAME characters (to build a series) - "change scene [number]" -> rewrite that scene - "continue" -> the remaining scenes - "shorts" -> turn this story into a 30-second Shorts version - "urdu voice" -> add a short narration script in Urdu/Hindi
How to Use It, Step by Step
Step 1: Paste the prompt. ChatGPT will greet you and ask four questions about story type, characters, length and screen size.
Step 2: Answer in one line. You can literally reply 1a 2a 3a 4a. Or type “you decide” and let it choose everything.
Step 3: Get your plan. You’ll receive the story, characters, and every scene with its prompts.
Step 4: Make the character images first. This is important. Use the reference image prompt for each character and generate them on a plain white background before anything else. These are your master images.
Step 5: Generate each scene image. Use the scene image prompt, and attach your character images as a reference so the AI keeps them consistent.
Step 6: Turn each image into a clip. Upload the scene image into your video tool and paste that scene’s video prompt.
Step 7: Join everything in CapCut. Add the sound effects and background music from the plan, and export.
Tips From Making These
Keep scenes to one action. The prompt already enforces this, and it matters. Ask AI to show a fox running, jumping, grabbing an egg and laughing all in one clip and you’ll get a mess.
Two characters per scene, maximum. Three or more and faces start melting into each other.
Exaggerate the emotions. These videos work without dialogue only if the expressions are huge. Shocked eyes, wide open mouth, tears flying. Subtle doesn’t read on a phone screen.
Sound is half the video. Silence kills a cartoon. Cartoon boings, footsteps, crunches, whooshes. The YouTube Audio Library has free music and effects you can use without copyright issues.
Regenerate without guilt. If a clip looks off, generate it again. Two or three attempts per scene is completely normal.
⚠️ Please Make Original Cartoons
I need to say this clearly, because it decides whether your channel survives.
Never use famous copyrighted characters. Tom and Jerry, Disney and Pixar characters, Peppa Pig, Masha. Using them gets your videos claimed or your channel struck, and you won’t get monetized.
Never copy another channel’s story or characters. Getting inspired by a style is fine. Recreating someone’s exact video is not, and YouTube’s reused content rules will block your monetization anyway.
Keep it genuinely family-friendly. Mild cartoon slapstick is fine. Anything scary, bloody or violent isn’t, especially since this content reaches kids.
The prompt is built around original characters for exactly this reason. Make your fox your own, give it a name, and build a series around it. A recognisable character that viewers remember is worth far more than a copied one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this prompt free?
Yes, completely. Copy it and use it as much as you want.
Do I need animation skills?
No. You’re writing prompts, not animating. If you can use ChatGPT and CapCut, you can do this.
How long does one video take?
Your first will probably take a few hours while you learn the workflow. After that, a Shorts-length cartoon takes much less.
Can I make a series with the same characters?
Yes, and you should. After it delivers a story, type “new” and it writes a fresh story with the same characters. Series are how these channels grow.
Can I get the story in Urdu?
Yes. Reply in Urdu or Roman Urdu and it will explain in your language, while keeping the image and video prompts in English, which is what AI tools need.
Can I earn from these videos?
Potentially, if the work is genuinely yours and adds original value. YouTube monetizes original content, not mass-produced copies, so focus on making characters and stories people come back for.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need an animation studio anymore. You need a good story, consistent characters, and patience with the AI.
Start small: make one 30-second Shorts cartoon with two characters and six scenes. Get that right, then build your series.
If you enjoy AI video work, try my AI miniature cooking video prompt or the miniature cabin prompt next. And if you make a cartoon, tag me at @techwithtaimoor. I’d love to see your characters!