Veo 3.1 Prompting

Core Capabilities

Veo 3.1 generates video with native audio synthesis and advanced physical realism. Key specifications:

• Resolutions: 720p, 1080p, or 4K
• Aspect Ratios: 16:9 (landscape) or 9:16 (portrait)
• Duration: 4, 6, or 8 seconds per generation (billed as 8s minimum)
• Framerate: 24 FPS (cinematic standard)
• Native Audio: Dialogue, ambient sound, and music synchronized to video
• Reference Images: Up to 3 images for character/style consistency (“Ingredients to Video”)
• Advanced Controls: First/Last Frame interpolation, Timestamp Prompting for multi-shot narratives

The Five-Part Formula

Structure every prompt in this order:

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

Example:

Tracking shot following a weathered fisherman mending nets on a wooden dock. Golden hour sun flares through rigging. Salt spray visible in air. Cinematic 35mm film grain. Sound: seagulls crying, rope creaking, gentle waves.

Critical: Lead with camera movement. Veo 3.1 weights early tokens heavily.

1. Cinematography Specifications

Always specify shot type, camera movement, and lens characteristics first.

Shot Framing

• Extreme close-up, Close-up, Medium shot, Wide establishing shot
• Over-the-shoulder, POV, Bird's eye view, Worm's eye view

Camera Movement (See camera-techniques.md)

• Linear: Dolly in/out, Tracking shot, Pan, Tilt, Truck
• Dynamic: Handheld, Gimbal smooth, Whip pan, Rack focus
• Aerial: Drone descending, Orbit clockwise, Crane up

Lens & Focus

• Shallow depth of field with creamy bokeh
• Deep focus everything sharp
• Anamorphic lens with horizontal flares
• Macro lens for extreme detail

2. Subject Specification

Describe subjects with exhaustive visual detail for consistency:

Character Anchors (Essential for multi-clip consistency)

• Physical: “Elderly man, silver hair cropped short, weathered face with scar above left eyebrow”
• Clothing: “Faded navy pea coat, brass buttons tarnished, wool scarf with fringe”
• Distinctive markers: “Red-rimmed glasses”, “tattoo of anchor on forearm”, “gold pocket watch chain”

Object Details

• Material and condition: “Brushed titanium, fingerprint-smudged”, “distressed leather with patina”
• Interaction points: “Steam rising from ceramic rim”, “condensation beads on cold glass”

3. Action & Physics

Use dynamic verbs demonstrating physical interaction:

• Motion quality: strides confidently, shuffles nervously, explodes outward, cascades smoothly
• Physics indicators: realistic water displacement, accurate gravity, cloth simulation, hair physics
• Temporal markers: gradually accelerating, suddenly freezing, continuously swirling

Physics Strengths: Fluid dynamics, fire/smoke, fabric movement, particle systems (dust, snow, sparks).

4. Context & Atmosphere

Establish environment and mood:

Lighting

• Time: dawn blue hour, golden hour, harsh midday, neon-lit night
• Quality: volumetric god rays, chiaroscuro shadows, soft diffused overcast, practical lamp light
• Effects: lens flare, bloom, atmospheric haze

Environment

• Spatial: cramped interior, vast open landscape, claustrophobic corridor
• Weather: rain-streaked windows, fog-choked streets, snow-dusted

5. Style & Audio Synthesis

Visual Style (See style-reference.md)

• Genre: cinematic noir, BBC Earth documentary, Pixar 3D animation, vintage 16mm
• Color: teal and orange blockbuster grade, bleach bypass desaturated, vibrant anime saturation
• Texture: film grain 35mm, digital sharpness, VHS tracking lines

Native Audio (See audio-synthesis.md)

• Dialogue: “Smooth baritone voice: ‘The package has arrived.'”
• Ambient: “Coffee shop murmur, ceramic cup placed on saucer”
• Effects: “Satisfying mechanical keyboard clack”, “metallic slide and lock”
• Music: “Tense strings building to crescendo”, “lo-fi hip hop beat 80bpm”

Audio Sync Tips

• Time dialogue: “At 2-second mark, character speaks”
• Match motion: “Music swells as camera pushes in”
• Layer sounds: “Base ambiance, then specific Foley, then dialogue”

Advanced Workflows

Ingredients to Video (Character Consistency)

Use when maintaining characters across multiple clips:

1. Upload 1-3 reference images (character face, outfit, environment)
2. Prompt structure: “Same woman from reference image, now walking through rainy Tokyo street. Maintaining red leather jacket and bob haircut.”
3. Keep anchors consistent: “Same scar on cheek, same gold hoop earrings”

First & Last Frame Interpolation

Create specific transitions:

1. Describe starting state: “Sealed envelope on mahogany desk”
2. Describe ending state: “Open envelope, letter partially pulled out, handwritten text visible”
3. Veo generates smooth 8-second transition between states
4. Use for: reveals, transformations, camera moves through portals

Timestamp Prompting (Multi-Shot Narrative)

Break 8 seconds into precise segments for narrative control:

• 0-2s: Wide shot of empty desert highway, heat shimmer rising
• 2-4s: Close-up of motorcycle speedometer needle climbing
• 4-6s: Tracking shot of rider leaning into turn, dust cloud trailing
• 6-8s: Wide shot motorcycle disappearing into sunset, engine roar fading

Model Selection

Structured Prompting (JSON)

For complex commercial workflows, use JSON structure:

{
  "project_meta": {
    "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
    "resolution": "1080p",
    "model": "veo-3.1-generate-001"
  },
  "scene": {
    "cinematography": "Macro lens, slow orbit 360 degrees",
    "subject": "Artisan coffee cup, steam rising in spiral patterns",
    "action": "Hand enters frame, gentle grip, lifting slowly",
    "context": "Minimalist white studio, softbox lighting from above",
    "style": "Premium commercial aesthetic, shallow depth of field",
    "audio": "Ceramic on ceramic sound, gentle sip, ambient cafe hum"
  },
  "timeline": [
    {"time": "0-3s", "focus": "Product detail, steam physics"},
    {"time": "3-6s", "focus": "Hand interaction, human element"},
    {"time": "6-8s", "focus": "Logo reveal, satisfying audio punctuate"}
  ]
}

Technical Constraints

• Prompt limit: 2,000 characters
• Image input: Maximum 20MB (JPEG/PNG) for Ingredients to Video
• Audio: Generate natively or add post-production; Veo audio works best with clear, brief dialogue (1-2 sentences max)
• Text rendering: Veo struggles with legible text; avoid critical text overlays or specify “stylized unreadable text”
• Concurrent requests: 50 per minute per region (free tier)

Troubleshooting

When to Load References

Camera Techniques for Veo 3.1

Veo 3.1 excels at film grammar and camera movement. Precise terminology yields better motion control.

Movement Types

Linear Motion

Rotational Motion

Dynamic Techniques

Shot Framing Hierarchy

Prefix camera moves with framing:

• Extreme close-up — Detail only (eyes, texture)
• Close-up — Head and shoulders
• Medium shot — Waist up
• Wide shot — Full subject with environment
• Extreme wide/Establishing — Environment dominant
• Over-the-shoulder — Dialogue scenes
• POV (Point of view) — Immersive perspective
• Bird's eye view — Top-down, detachment
• Worm's eye view — Looking up, empowerment/intimidation

Speed and Time Modifiers

• Slow-motion 240fps — Smooth, detailed action
• Real-time 24fps — Natural motion
• Time-lapse — Compressed time, clouds, construction
• Hyperlapse — Moving time-lapse
• Staccato/jerky motion — Uneven, mechanical, horror

Lens Characteristics

Include to control optical personality:

• Anamorphic lens — Horizontal flares, oval bokeh, cinematic width
• Wide angle 16mm — Distortion, expansive space
• Telephoto 85mm — Compressed space, portrait perspective
• Macro lens — Extreme close focus, shallow depth
• Fisheye — Spherical distortion, extreme wide
• Vintage lens — Softness, chromatic aberration, character

Example Combinations

Extreme close-up of eye, slow push-in, rack focus to reflection in iris, anamorphic flares

Wide establishing shot, crane down through clouds to reveal mountain valley, golden hour lighting

Handheld medium shot following subject through crowded market, whip pan to street sign