Veo 3.1 Video Prompter

Transform ideas into professional Veo 3.1 prompts using cinematic structure, audio direction, and multi-shot choreography.

When to Use

Invoke when user:

• Says "create a video prompt" or "generate a Veo prompt"
• Wants to "make a video of..." or "animate this..."
• Asks for help with "video generation" or "AI video"
• Needs "Veo 3" or "Veo 3.1" prompt assistance
• Wants to create "multi-shot" or "cinematic" video sequences

Core Prompt Formula

[Cinematography] + [Subject] + [Action] + [Context] + [Style & Audio]

Every prompt should address these five elements for maximum control.

Prompt Density: Finding the Sweet Spot

Prompts fail in two directions:

• Too sparse: Model fills gaps unpredictably, you lose creative control
• Too dense: Model can't execute all instructions, produces confused output

The Priority Framework

Tier 1 - MUST INCLUDE (model needs these):

• Shot size (wide/medium/close-up)
• Subject identity (who/what is in frame)
• Primary action (what happens)
• One dominant mood/style word

Tier 2 - SHOULD INCLUDE (significant impact):

• Camera movement OR angle (pick one, not both)
• Lighting quality (natural/dramatic/soft)
• One audio layer (dialogue OR SFX OR ambient)
• Setting/environment

Tier 3 - NICE TO HAVE (diminishing returns):

• Secondary audio layers
• Specific lens type
• Color palette details
• Film stock/grain texture
• Background action

Rule of thumb: Include all Tier 1, most of Tier 2, and 1-2 from Tier 3.

Density Comparison

TOO SPARSE (model guesses too much):

"A professor talking about philosophy"

TOO DENSE (model overloaded):

"Medium close-up shot at eye level with a 50mm lens at f/1.8 creating shallow depth of field with bokeh highlights, of a 52-year-old female professor with silver-streaked auburn hair pulled back in a loose bun, wearing an olive tweed jacket with leather elbow patches over a cream silk blouse with a small pearl brooch, standing in a contemporary lecture hall with tiered mahogany seating and brass fixtures visible in the soft background, natural diffused daylight streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows on the left side creating soft rembrandt lighting on her face with a gentle fill from reflected light on the right..."

OPTIMAL (directed but breathable):

"Medium close-up of a professor in her 50s, tweed jacket, standing in a university lecture hall. She gestures while speaking: 'Kant asked one question: could everyone do this?' Warm natural window light from left, soft academic atmosphere. SFX: marker on whiteboard."

Calibration Signals

Signs your prompt is too sparse:

• Results vary wildly between generations
• Key elements missing or wrong
• Mood/tone inconsistent with intent

Signs your prompt is too dense:

• Model ignores some instructions entirely
• Unnatural or frozen-looking motion
• Conflicting elements appear (e.g., both day and night)
• Audio doesn't match visual action

Iteration Strategy

1. Start with Tier 1 only - generate test
2. Add Tier 2 elements that matter most to your vision
3. Add ONE Tier 3 detail if something specific is missing
4. Remove any element the model consistently ignores

See references/prompt-calibration.md for detailed examples and troubleshooting.

Cinematography Elements

Shot Composition

• Wide shot, medium shot, close-up, extreme close-up
• Single shot, two shot, over-the-shoulder shot
• High angle, low angle, eye level, worm's eye, bird's eye

Camera Movement

• Dolly (in/out), tracking shot, crane shot
• Pan (left/right), tilt (up/down), zoom
• Steadicam, handheld, aerial, POV

Lens & Focus

• Shallow depth of field, deep focus
• Wide-angle lens, telephoto, macro lens
• Soft focus, rack focus, bokeh

Audio Direction

Veo 3.1 generates synchronized sound. Direct it explicitly:

Dialogue (use quotes):

"A man says, 'The storm is coming.'"

Sound Effects (label with SFX):

"SFX: Thunder rumbles in the distance, rain patters on glass"

Ambient Noise:

"Ambient noise: busy café chatter, clinking cups, soft jazz"

Music:

"A swelling orchestral score begins to play"

Timestamp Prompting

For multi-shot sequences within one generation (max 8 seconds):

[00:00-00:02] Medium shot of a detective at his desk, lighting a cigarette.
SFX: Match strike, paper rustling.

[00:02-00:04] Close-up of his eyes narrowing as he reads a letter.
Ambient: Rain against the window.

[00:04-00:06] Reverse shot of a shadowy figure in the doorway.
A woman's voice: "You shouldn't have looked."

[00:06-00:08] Wide shot as the detective stands, reaching for his gun.
SFX: Chair scraping, thunder crack.

Style Keywords

Visual Aesthetic:

• Photorealistic, cinematic, documentary, animation
• Retro (sepia, grainy film, 1980s vaporwave)
• Noir, epic fantasy, sci-fi, romantic, horror

Mood & Lighting:

• Warm golden hour, cool blue tones, moody shadows
• Harsh fluorescent, soft morning light, dramatic chiaroscuro
• Neon-lit, candlelit, overcast diffused

Film Grain Tip:

Add "slightly grainy, film-like" to avoid overly clean AI look

Output Formats

Quick Prompt: Single sentence for simple shots Structured Prompt: Multi-line with all five elements Timestamp Sequence: Choreographed multi-shot within 8s Storyboard Mode: Multiple prompts for full narrative

Example Prompts

Action Shot:

"Tracking shot following a parkour athlete sprinting across rooftops at sunset, warm orange light, urban cityscape background, cinematic, shallow depth of field. SFX: footsteps on concrete, wind rushing past."

Dialogue Scene:

"Medium two-shot in a dimly lit bar, a woman in red leans toward a man in a suit. She says quietly, 'I know what you did.' Ambient: jazz music, glasses clinking. Moody noir aesthetic, warm tungsten lighting."

Nature Documentary:

"Slow-motion close-up of a hummingbird drinking from a flower, macro lens with shallow focus, lush green garden background, soft morning light. SFX: gentle buzzing, birdsong."

Technical Specs

• Duration: 4, 6, or 8 seconds
• Resolution: 720p or 1080p
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (landscape) or 9:16 (portrait)
• Frame Rate: Configurable (default: 24 FPS)

Advanced API Options

When using Veo through API (not Flow), these additional parameters are available:

Parameter	Description	Default
negativePrompt	Elements to exclude from the video	-
seed	RNG seed for reproducible results (same prompt + seed = same video)	Random
enhancePrompt	Let the model rewrite your prompt for better results	false
generateAudio	Generate synchronized audio	true
personGeneration	Control person generation: dont_allow or allow_adult	-
referenceImages	Up to 3 asset images OR 1 style image for consistency	-

Negative Prompts

Explicitly exclude unwanted elements:

"A forest at sunset" + negativePrompt: "people, animals, buildings"

Seed for Consistency

Use the same seed to reproduce similar results:

First generation: seed=12345 → video A Same prompt + seed=12345 → nearly identical video

Useful for:

• Iterating on a specific "look"
• Creating variations with controlled changes
• A/B testing different prompts

Reference Images

Maintain visual consistency across shots using reference images:

Asset References (up to 3):

• Character appearances
• Locations/settings
• Props or products

Style References (1):

• Overall aesthetic
• Color palette
• Visual treatment

References

• references/prompt-calibration.md - Finding the right detail level
• references/cinematography-glossary.md - Full camera terms
• references/prompt-examples.md - 20+ categorized examples
• references/advanced-workflows.md - Image-to-video, first/last frame