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 - 3D Artist vs CGI Studio
Prompt Engineer: create CGI (2D/3D), program tools
Art comes from skill, of course. And a programmer programs. If you combine coding and creativity, you end up as a prompt engineer. But is this really still a creative profession or can it disappear 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 enable the creation of computer-generated images (CGI for short) using artificial intelligence.
To put it simply: you enter a short instruction in a chat window about what kind of image you want. The AI then generates the image. You operate AI Midjourney via Discord, a chat tool.
The AI spits out four suggestions within a short time, you select an image and then continue working on it. As a rule, the results come close to your ideas at the beginning, but are not really what you want. So far, so mundane. We admit it: It's quite fun to see what the tools create from simple instructions.
But: You are a human being and are used to communicating with people. Humans understand language not only through your words, but also through pitch and tone of voice, speaking speed and melody, pauses, facial expressions and gestures. AI does not do this, which is why a large part of your instructions are lost. This is not a problem at first, you can always go into more detail and make improvements.
AI tools for CGI in the professional sector?
If you are looking for that special expression, if you want 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, we at Danthree Studio do not work (exclusively) with pen and paper. CGI is created on the computer, that's clear. You can't do it without the right 3D software. And today, this 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?
The profession of prompt engineer has been around for some time. A prompt engineer creates the prompts, i.e. the voice commands that make working with an AI possible in the first place.
If you've already worked a little with Midjourney, ChatGPT or similar tools, you'll know: It's not easy. The tools don't quite speak your language. To get useful results from the programs, basic knowledge of programming is an advantage. Because, strictly speaking, prompts are programming.
But what exactly a prompt engineer needs to be able to do also depends on which tool he is supposed to operate and what the result should be.
Of course, a prompt engineer should be familiar with LLMs (Large Language Models). After all, this is exactly what the prompts are created for. The engineers work in a team with marketers, designers, copywriters and other people.
Broken down into individual steps or stations, the Prompt Engineer's work looks something like this:
- Have 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 the team and improve it via further prompts so that it fits at some point
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?
As a 3D agency, we can say from our own experience that our specialists for creating prompts are both.
Of course, enormous creativity is required 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 clichéd computer nerds, it's just not possible.
Are AI tools creative?
Tools such as ChatGPT from Open AI or Midjourney create the illusion of actually being creative. However, this is only partially 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 existing eyes, a nose, a mouth and two ears. It can replace the eyes with another pair of eyes in a different color, add hair to the head or change the color of the lips according to predefined criteria.
The AI cannot create a completely new face. The tool is also unable to assess whether the composite image ultimately looks credible to humans or conveys the intended message. 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'll figure out on your own which prompts are particularly useful. We want to save you the work and reveal the most helpful commands here:
- /image: generates an image based on your prompt
- /private: sets your prompts to private so that other users cannot see or remix them (for a fee)
- /show: calls up older prompts
- -no: parameters for elements that should be removed from the image
- -stylize: lower value to evaluate prompts more strictly, higher value for freer interpretation of your prompt
- /describe: Upload image, use prompt, and the tool creates suitable prompt suggestion with sometimes quite complex parameters
- -aspect (alternatively -ar): defines the aspect ratio of the image
- -chaos XX: exact value of the degree of abstraction (use numbers from 0 to 100 for XX)
- ::X: defines the weight of the components of the image (X determines the weighting)
- -video: saves progress as a time-lapse video
- -q and -hd: defines the resolution, you also use terms such as "photorealistic", "ultra detailed" or "8K"
- /image prompt: (image URL) (text description): Image is created according to the linked image and based on the text
This is exactly what you specify for certain styles or design types. "Japanese Anime Style" is one option, "Steam Punk Style" another. For moods and lighting effects, you describe exactly these, for example "Christmas Lighting" or "Cinematic Lighting".
