Table of Contents for What is an AI Midjourney Prompt Engineer?:
- Prompt Engineer: create CGI (2D/3D), program tools
- What is AI Midjourney? - concisely explained
- AI tools for CGI in the professional sector?
- What is a prompt engineer?
- The Prompt Engineer - Artist or Computer Nerd?
- Are AI tools creative?
- The most useful AI Midjourney Prompts
- FAQ
Prompt Engineer: create CGI (2D/3D), program tools
Art comes from skill, that's for sure. And a programmer programs. If you combine coding and creativity, you arrive at the prompt engineer. But is that really still a creative profession, or can it go away in the future?
Where exactly the statement "Is this art or can it go?" comes from can no longer be traced today. Generally, the question is raised when it comes to contemporary art. So how does it look when visual material is created on the computer? Does the prompt engineer have a right to exist?
What is AI Midjourney? - concisely explained
AI Midjourney is one of the many programs that allow the creation of computer generated images (CGI for short) via artificial intelligence. In very mundane terms, you enter what kind of image you want in a chat window as a short instruction. Then the AI generates the image. AI Midjourney is operated via Discord, a chat tool. The AI spits out four suggestions within a short time, you choose a picture and then continue working on it. Because usually the results at the beginning are close to your ideas, but not really what you want. So far, so mundane. We admit: It's fun to see what the tools can do with simple instructions.
But: You are a human being and used to communicating with people. Humans understand language not only through your word utterances, but include pitch and inflection, speaking rate and melody, pauses, facial expressions and gestures. The AI does not do that, so a large part of your instructions is lost. This is not a problem at first, you can always go into more detail and improve.
AI tools for CGI in the professional sector?
If you are looking for that special expression, to find the language of your own design in the 3D visualizations and computer generated images, you will quickly reach the limits of communication with the tools. Don't misunderstand: Of course, at Danthree Studio we don't work (exclusively) with paper and pen. CGI is created on the computer, that's for sure. You can't do it without the appropriate 3D software. And today, that software is often equipped with at least a rudimentary AI.
The tools aren't the problem - AI-powered image generation is not only possible, it's now pretty good. But how do you get the tools to produce exactly what you want? Programs can't do real creativity; that's a genuine human talent. To create something new, to make pictorial expression with a specific message - only people can do that. Programs like AI Midjourney are to a photographer what a camera is to a photographer.
What is a prompt engineer?
For some time now, the profession of prompt engineer has existed. A prompt engineer creates the prompts, i.e. the voice commands that make it possible to work with an AI. Have you already dealt a little with Midjourney, ChatGPT or similar tools, you know it: It's not easy. The tools don't quite speak your language. To get usable results from the programs, basic knowledge in programming is an advantage. Because strictly speaking, prompts are programming.
What exactly a prompt engineer must be able to do, however, also depends on which tool he is to operate and what is to come out of it. Of course, a prompt engineer should be familiar with the handling of so-called LLMs, Large Language Models. After all, this is exactly what prompts are created for. Engineers work in teams with marketers, designers, copywriters and other people.
Broken down into individual steps or stations, the work of the prompt engineer looks something like this:
- come up with a creative idea of how a statement can be conveyed visually
- translate the idea into human language and discuss it in a team with creative specialists
- translate the result into AI-understandable prompts
- discuss what the program has created in a team and improve it via further prompts so that it eventually fits
Sounds complicated? Of course - it IS art!
Input from a prompt in AI Midjourney:
Prompt AI Midjourney
AI Midjourney Prompt
The Prompt Engineer - Artist or Computer Nerd?
We as a 3D agency can say from our own experience that our specialists for creating prompts are both. Because, of course, it takes enormous creativity to create high-quality 3D visualizations or 3D animations. Without creativity, nothing works, even if the AI ultimately converts the text instructions into a 3D image. But without special knowledge of the programs and the usual affinity for programming among the clichéd computer nerds, it just doesn't work.
Are AI tools creative?
Tools like ChatGPT from Open AI or Midjourney give the illusion of actually being creative. But this is only partly the case. In fact, these programs only access gigantic databases and recombine the information stored in them. In extremely simplified terms, the tool can assemble a face from a set of already existing eyes, a nose, a mouth and two ears. It can replace the eyes with another pair of eyes in a different color, can pack hair onto the head, or change the color of the lips according to predefined criteria. The AI cannot create a completely new face. Whether the composite image ultimately looks credible to humans or conveys the intended message is also something the tool cannot judge. Artificial intelligence is stupid and not creative.
ChatGPT can write code. And AI can of course create prompts for other AI tools. After all, a prompt is also just something like a small program. But again, AI is dumb and not creative. Prompts are assembled from commands available in the database. For a roughly fitting result, such an AI-generated prompt may be sufficient, but for the fine work, humans are needed to control and adjust the respective result.
There will always be a need in the coming years and maybe even decades for a creative person who can create CGI using such tools. Whether 3D or 2D - it needs the prompt engineer! Currently, prompt engineers are not only in demand, but also extremely well paid.
The most useful AI Midjourney Prompts
Admittedly: If you play around with AI Midjourney or similar tools long enough, you will find out on your own which prompts are particularly useful. We want to save you the work and tell you the most helpful commands here:
- /image: generates an image based on your prompt
- /private: sets your prompts to private, so other users can't see them and can't remix them (for a fee)
- /show: recalls older prompts
- -no: parameters for elements to be removed from the image
- -stylize: lower value to evaluate prompt more strictly, higher value for freer interpretation of your prompt
- /describe: Upload image, use prompt, and the tool creates appropriate prompt proposal with sometimes quite complex parameters
- -aspect (alternatively -ar): sets aspect ratios of the image
- -chaos XX: exact value of degree of abstraction (use numbers from 0 to 100 for XX)
- ::X: sets weight of components of image (X determines weighting)
- -video: saves progress as time-lapse video
- -q and -hd: sets resolution, additionally you use terms like "photorealistic", "ultra detailed" or "8K"
- /image prompt: (image URL) (text description): Image is created according to the linked image and based on the text
For certain styles or design types, you specify just that. "Japanese Anime Style" is one possibility, "Steam Punk Style" another. For moods and lighting effects you describe exactly these, for example "Christmas Lighting" or "Cinematic Lighting".
