Create Grounded, Sound-Rich Scenes with Sora AI
Last verified: July 24, 2026
Physically grounded motion and synchronized dialogue and effects define Sora AI, OpenAI’s Sora 2 video-and-audio family released September 30, 2025. Built on multimodal diffusion research for text- or image-led clips, the family powered the consumer app named “Sora.”
OpenAI documents stronger physical accuracy, sharper realism, enhanced steerability, and better persistence of world state than earlier systems. The model follows intricate instructions across multiple shots and works across realistic, cinematic, and anime styles while generating background soundscapes, speech, and effects.
OpenAI’s model pages mark Sora 2 and Sora 2 Pro as Legacy. Its developer guide lists September 24, 2026 as the shutdown date for OpenAI’s direct video channel. Its updated prompting guide and API reference also disagree on direct-channel duration and size enumerations: Conflicting official sources . Generation here follows the options shown on this page.
Explore Sora AI's Models
Sora 2 Controls at a Glance
Unmarked values match this generator; “Sora-lab detail” identifies OpenAI-documented behavior that is not a page selector.
Generation routes
Text-to-video and image-to-video
Clip timing
4, 8, 12, 16, or 20 seconds
Frame orientation
9:16 vertical or 16:9 landscape
Pro output quality
720p or 1080p
Image-led starting frame
JPG, JPEG, PNG, or WebP; 10 MB maximum
Audio behavior
Synchronized audio output — Sora-lab detail
Lock the Shot Before You Generate
Check these scene, timing, input, and safety choices before committing the render.
Choose Standard or Pro deliberately
Use Sora 2 for medium-quality iteration; choose Sora 2 Pro when the final needs the page’s 1080p option and ultra-quality tier.
Set the delivery frame first
Pick 9:16 for vertical distribution or 16:9 for landscape before describing pans, tracking moves, and subject placement.
Budget one action beat per shot
Keep each shot to one clear subject action and one camera move. OpenAI’s prompt guide says simple, timed beats are easier to ground.
Keep spoken lines concise
Label speakers consistently and use short alternating lines; long speeches can lose pacing and synchronization.
Prepare image-led starts
Use a supported still under the page limit and compose it for the chosen orientation. The image anchors the opening frame while the text defines subsequent motion.
Screen likeness and IP risks
Avoid real people, public figures, uploaded human faces, copyrighted characters, and copyrighted music; OpenAI’s Sora API restrictions list these as blocked.
Choose Sora 2 or Veo 3.1 for Your Production Brief
This decision table compares the Sora 2 controls available here with Google’s exact Veo 3.1 Generate variant. The Sora AI column shows what this page delivers; “Sora-lab detail” marks OpenAI-documented behavior or lifecycle context that is not a selectable control, and it would also identify any boundary beyond this page.
| Feature/Spec | Sora AI | Veo AI |
|---|---|---|
| Model lifecycle | OpenAI marks Sora 2 and Sora 2 Pro as Legacy and lists September 24, 2026 for shutdown of its direct developer video service — Sora-lab detail | Veo 3.1 Generate is GA; release date November 17, 2025 |
| Creation routes | Text-to-video and image-to-video across Sora 2 and Sora 2 Pro | Veo 3.1 Generate: text-to-video, image-to-video, first-and-last-frame generation, video extension, and asset-image references |
| Selectable clip length | 4, 8, 12, 16, or 20 seconds | Veo 3.1 Generate: 4, 6, or 8 seconds; reference-image generation uses 8 seconds |
| Output resolution | Sora 2 Pro: 720p or 1080p | Veo 3.1 Generate: 720p, 1080p, or 4K |
| Delivery frame | 9:16 or 16:9 | 9:16 or 16:9 |
| Image-to-video upload ceiling | 10 MB; JPG, JPEG, PNG, or WebP | 20 MB maximum input image |
| Audio generation in the exact documented model | Sora 2 and Sora 2 Pro output synchronized audio — Sora-lab detail | Veo 3.1 Generate: sound generation supported |
| Launch the longer-beat or frame-control path | Use the Sora generation page directly on Vidofy.ai | Use the Veo generation page directly on Vidofy.ai through the same platform |
Match the Model to the Shot You Need
Action, continuity, and sound
Use the Sora path when the scene depends on visible cause and effect, persistent objects across directed cuts, or short dialogue that must align with action. OpenAI specifically positions the family around improved physical accuracy, intricate multi-shot control, and synchronized sound, while warning that the model still makes mistakes.
Resolution versus scene-building controls
Use the Veo 3.1 Generate path when the brief prioritizes a high-resolution visual plate, a defined opening and ending frame, reusable asset references, or continuation from an existing shot. Its exact documented variant omits sound generation, so confirm whether the project needs a separate audio pass before choosing that workflow.
Choose the Path That Fits the Final Edit
Use this quick guidance to pick the best option for your workflow.
When to choose each: Choose the Sora workflow for longer uninterrupted beats, physically consequential action, and testing OpenAI’s documented synced-audio behavior. Choose Veo 3.1 Generate for frame-bound composition, asset-reference control, extensions, or a higher documented resolution ceiling; check the options shown in its generator before locking a delivery specification.
Move from Scene Brief to Finished Clip in Four Steps
Choose the workflow, direct the scene, set delivery controls, and refine the result in four focused steps.
Step 1: Choose the generation path
Select text-to-video or image-to-video, then choose Sora 2 for iteration or Sora 2 Pro when the final requires the higher-quality page option.
Step 2: Write the production brief
Describe the subject, action, setting, camera, lighting, and sound within the 2,048-character prompt field, or use the AI prompt helper to structure the idea.
Step 3: Set the delivery controls
Choose portrait or landscape, select the clip length, set Pro resolution when applicable, and add a supported still if the scene begins from an image.
Step 4: Generate and isolate revisions
Inspect motion, object continuity, composition, and any dialogue or effects. Revise one variable at a time so you can identify what improved the next result.