Since OpenAI launched Sora 2, the buzz hasn’t slowed down. Now sitting at the top of both the Apple App Store and Google Play charts, the app is everywhere — but there’s a catch. Most people who download it quickly realize the same thing: they can’t get in. Remember when that happened when OpenAI released the image generator baked into the chat?
Sora 2 is rolling out slowly so OpenAI can keep up with the demand. This means ChatGPT Plus and Pro users are getting access first, and free tier subscribers may have to wait months to get their hands on an access code.
The new Cameos feature for Sora 2 has created a community filled with users sharing and remixing content. By simply adding an @ to a user’s name, anyone can create a Cameo with them (as long as they consent, of course). In other words, Sora 2 is beginning to look a lot like Instagram and less like Veo or Runway.
What’s inside
Once you get an access code, either from OpenAI via email directly to you or an invite from a friend, you’ll get started by first creating a Cameo. Simply say a few numbers on the screen and move your head around (similar to when you’re creating a face ID for the first time.
From there, you can get started creating videos with yourself as the star of the show. You do this by @ yourself. For example, I would say, “Create a video of @amandacaswell on the red carpet at the Oscars,” and in under five minutes, my cameo would appear.
You can also scroll through Cameos and other videos that users have shared. This is so much like TikTok that after a few minutes, I forgot I was actually using Sora. It’s just as much fun scrolling the site as it is to make videos. Some of the memes are absolutely hilarious, like the Jumbotron couple as Elmo and Miss Piggy.
Built for sharing, not just creating
The first thing users do after generating a video? Post it. Whether it’s a woolly mammoth trudging through snow, a cat chasing a feather or SpongeBob having a beer with Homer Simpson, the Sora clips are tailor-made for virality.
Many of the videos are public, so you can download and share them off the site, similar to TikTok. All of them have the Sora watermark. It’s clear that Sora 2’s identity is being shaped by its users, not OpenAI.
The new language of prompts
Social media gave us hashtags, filters, and emojis. Sora might give us a new grammar of video prompts. Already, creators are experimenting with cinematic angles, transitions and emotional tones in a way that looks like a new literacy. Knowing how to “speak Sora” could become as important as knowing how to edit TikToks or hashtag an Instagram post.
Once you get your access code, here are a few prompts to get started creating.
1. Cinematic action
Prompt: “A drone shot circles a futuristic city at dusk, neon lights reflecting off rain-soaked streets. Flying cars zip between skyscrapers as the camera slowly pushes in toward a glowing rooftop garden."
2. Animals and nature
Prompt: “A golden retriever puppy runs through a field of tall grass at sunset, ears flopping, captured in slow motion with soft golden light and lens flare.”
3. Fantasy
Prompt: “A wizard stands on a cliff, raising a glowing staff as waves crash below. Sparks of blue magic swirl around him, illuminating the storm clouds. The camera pans upward into the sky, revealing a dragon in silhouette.”
4. Everyday realism
Prompt: “Inside a cozy café on a rainy afternoon, a young woman in a red sweater writes in her journal while steam rises from a mug of tea. The camera slowly dollies from outside the window inward, raindrops streaking the glass.”
5. Fun / viral-style
Prompt: “A panda wearing sunglasses breakdances in the middle of Times Square at night, surrounded by cheering crowds and flashing billboards. The camera does quick cuts and zooms, like a viral TikTok edit.”
Bottom line
If Sora 2 continues trending at this pace, expect your feeds on TikTok, Instagram and X to be flooded with AI-generated clips. The app is already creating a new kind of visual language, one that feels tailor-made for virality.
Until you get your own invite, the best thing you can do is watch how others are using it — those early Sora 2 creations can be a great source of inspiration for when you finally get access yourself.
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