Veo 3 Prompt Guide

Google's Veo 3 is a powerful AI video generation model that creates videos with audio from text prompts. This Veo 3 prompt guide will help you master the art of writing effective prompts to generate stunning videos.

For a more comprehensive Veo 3 prompt guide with detailed examples and advanced techniques, check out the complete Veo 3 prompting guide on Replicate.

Key Principles for Veo 3 Prompt Writing

Unlike traditional image generation models, Veo 3 requires detailed, natural language descriptions. Your Veo 3 prompt should include these essential elements:

Visual Elements

Subject: Who or what is in the scene (person, animal, object, landscape)
Context: Where the action takes place (indoor, outdoor, specific location)
Action: What the subject is doing (walking, talking, gesturing)
Style: Visual aesthetic (cinematic, animated, stop-motion, etc.)
Camera Motion: How the camera moves (aerial, eye-level, dolly shot)
Composition: Shot framing (wide shot, close-up, etc.)
Ambiance: Mood and lighting (warm tones, blue light, nighttime)

Audio Elements

Dialogue: What characters are saying
Ambient Sounds: Background noise (busy street, office, cafe)
Sound Effects: External noises (phone ringing, footsteps)
Music: Genre and mood (cinematic score, cheerful pop)

Veo 3 Prompt Examples

Basic vs. Detailed Prompts

Basic Veo 3 prompt:

A man answers a rotary phone

Detailed Veo 3 prompt:

A shaky dolly zoom goes from a far away blur to a close-up cinematic shot of a desperate man in a weathered green trench coat as he picks up a rotary phone mounted on a gritty brick wall, bathed in the eerie glow of a green neon sign. The zoom reveals the tension and the desperation etched on his face as he struggles to talk on the phone. The shallow depth of field focuses on his furrowed brow and the black rotary phone, blurring the background into a sea of neon colors and indistinct shadows, creating a sense of urgency and isolation.

The detailed Veo 3 prompt provides structural elements that guide the model toward your desired scene.

Dialogue Prompting Techniques

Writing Your Own Dialogue

When crafting Veo 3 prompts with dialogue, keep it concise - something that can be said in about 8 seconds:

✅ Good Veo 3 prompt: "A woman says: Welcome to our tutorial on Veo 3 prompting techniques."
❌ Too long: "A woman says: Welcome to our comprehensive tutorial on Veo 3 prompting techniques, where we'll cover everything from basic principles to advanced strategies for creating professional-quality videos with artificial intelligence."

Letting Veo 3 Script Dialogue

You can also let Veo 3 generate dialogue naturally:

A standup comic tells an awkward joke at a music festival, sounds of distant bands, noisy crowd, ambient background of a busy festival field

Avoiding Common Veo 3 Prompt Issues

Preventing Subtitles

Veo 3 often generates unwanted subtitles. Use these techniques in your Veo 3 prompt:

Use colons instead of quotes: "A guy says: My name is Ben"
Add "(no subtitles)" to your Veo 3 prompt
Repeat "No subtitles" multiple times if needed

Avoiding Unwanted Background Audio

Specify the audio you want to avoid unwanted elements like studio audience laughter:

A standup comic tells an awkward joke at a music festival, sounds of distant bands, noisy crowd, ambient background of a busy festival field (no studio audience)

Style Variations in Veo 3 Prompts

Veo 3 supports various artistic styles. Add style modifiers to your Veo 3 prompt:

LEGO style: "In the style of LEGO: A bearded man in a flannel shirt..."
Claymation: "In the style of claymation: A character explores..."
Anime: "In the style of anime: A young hero battles..."
Pixar animation: "In the style of Pixar animation: A family scene..."

Camera Motion in Veo 3 Prompts

Control camera movement in your Veo 3 prompt with these terms:

eye level - Standard camera height
high angle - Looking down on the subject
worms eye - Looking up from below
dolly shot - Camera moves forward or backward
zoom shot - Camera zooms in or out
pan shot - Camera moves horizontally
tracking shot - Camera follows the subject

Character Consistency

For consistent characters across multiple Veo 3 prompts, use detailed, unique descriptions:

John, a man in his 40s with short brown hair, wearing a blue jacket and glasses, looking thoughtful

Keep this exact description across different Veo 3 prompts to maintain visual continuity.

Selfie-Style Videos

Veo 3 excels at creating authentic selfie videos. Use these Veo 3 prompt techniques:

A selfie video of a travel blogger exploring a bustling Tokyo street market. She's wearing a vintage denim jacket and has excitement in her eyes. She occasionally looks into the camera before turning to point at interesting stalls. The image is slightly grainy, looks very film-like.

Important Veo 3 Prompt Considerations

Consistency vs. Variation

Unlike other models, Veo 3 produces very similar results for the same prompt. This is excellent for fixing minor issues but means you need different Veo 3 prompts for discovery.

Physics and Movement

Veo 3 maintains realistic physics across different styles, making it excellent for natural movement and interactions.

Video Format

Currently, Veo 3 only supports 16:9 horizontal videos. For vertical content, you'll need to use additional tools like Luma's Reframe Video.

Advanced Veo 3 Prompt Tips

Layer multiple elements: Combine subject, setting, action, camera work, audio, and mood
Think like a filmmaker: Direct the scene with specific details
Be specific about timing: Consider what can realistically happen in the video duration
Use negative prompts: Specify what you don't want to see or hear

Conclusion

Mastering Veo 3 prompt writing is the key to creating high-quality AI-generated videos. Focus on detailed, natural language descriptions that include both visual and audio elements. Remember that Veo 3 responds best to specific, well-structured prompts that think like a filmmaker.

Start experimenting with these Veo 3 prompt techniques and discover the incredible potential of AI video generation!