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name: veo3-prompter description: Craft professional video prompts for Google Veo 3.1 using cinematic techniques, audio direction, and timestamp choreography. Use when generating AI videos, creating video prompts, or working with Veo 3.

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