How to Write Veo 3 Prompts: 5-Step Formula + 10 Templates for Cinematic AI Videos

Introduction

Honestly, the first time I used Veo 3, I excitedly opened the interface, typed “a girl walking by the beach,” and eagerly waited for the AI to generate a cinematic shot. The result? A video was generated, but the image was blurry, movements were stiff, completely different from the beautiful romantic feeling I imagined, let alone any cinematic quality.

Have you experienced this too? You see others’ Veo 3 works on social media—images as exquisite as movie clips, smooth camera movements, perfectly matched sound effects. But when you try it yourself, the generated videos always fall short. After a few attempts still not satisfied, you start wondering: Is Veo 3 unfriendly to me?

Actually, no. The problem is in the prompts.

Veo 3 prompts aren’t just casually writing a few words. They’re more like giving instructions to a professional photographer. You can’t just say “make it look good”—you need to specify what lens, what angle, what lighting, what action the subject should perform, even sound effects need to be clearly stated.

In this article, I’ll share a proven Veo 3 prompt writing system. From 5 core elements to 10 ready-to-use templates, from common mistakes to advanced techniques—everything you need. After reading this, you’ll be able to write prompts that generate high-quality videos.

Why Your Veo 3 Videos Keep Disappointing

Before getting into specific methods, let’s understand why they fail. Many people think prompts are just describing a scene in natural language, writing whatever comes to mind. But actually, Veo 3 prompts are more like a structured command language.

Think of it like ordering at a restaurant. You can’t just say “I want something good”—the waiter will be confused. You need to specify whether you want Sichuan or Cantonese cuisine, spicy or not, rice or noodles as the main course. Veo 3 is the same—it needs you to give clear “instructions.”

Google’s official data shows that detailed prompts can improve generation quality by 60%+ compared to simple prompts. What does “detailed” mean? Not more words, but complete information.

The 3 Major Prompt Mistakes

Mistake 1: Description Too Simple

Many people write prompts in just one sentence, like “a person running” or “a cat playing.” These prompts have too little information, and Veo 3 can only guess. The result is it might generate a middle-aged person in business attire running on an office treadmill, or a young person in sportswear running in a park. Which one do you want? It doesn’t know.

Compare this:

❌ Bad prompt: “a person running”

✅ Good prompt: “Tracking shot following from the side, a young male in black athletic wear jogging on city streets in the morning, light and powerful strides, sunlight streaming on him. Cinematic quality, inspirational atmosphere, warm tones. SFX: Footsteps of running, ambient sounds of early morning city.”

See the difference? The good prompt clearly states camera, character, action, environment, style, and sound effects.

Mistake 2: Information Overload Without Focus

Another extreme is piling on every detail you can think of, writing a long paragraph, but Veo 3 can’t grasp the focus. It’s like telling a photographer: “I want close-up, wide-angle, tracking, slow motion, sunrise and sunset…” The photographer would collapse.

Google Cloud’s official recommendation is to keep prompt length around 10-25 words. Too short lacks information, too long causes confusion. The key is highlighting the most core visual elements.

Mistake 3: Ignoring Audio Guidance

This is what many people easily overlook. One of Veo 3’s highlights is synchronous audio generation, including dialogue, sound effects, and ambient sounds. But if you don’t guide audio in your prompts, it will either generate silent videos or randomly add sound effects that likely don’t match the visuals.

After trying a few times, you’ll find that prompts with audio guidance generate videos with noticeably higher completion and more “finished product” feel.

The 5-Element Formula for Veo 3 Prompts

Alright, problems identified, now let’s talk solutions. Based on Google’s official guidelines and my own practice, I’ve summarized a 5-element formula. As long as you write prompts following this formula, success rate improves significantly.

Complete Formula:

[Camera Technique] + [Subject Description] + [Action Behavior] + [Environment Background] + [Style & Mood]

Sounds simple, right? But each element has its nuances. Let’s break them down one by one.

Element 1: Camera Technique (Camera Work)

This part tells Veo 3 what lens, what angle, how the camera moves. Just like a real shoot, you need to determine the camera plan first.

Shot Types:

• Close-up: Capture details, like facial expressions, hand movements
• Medium shot: Capture half-body or full-body of character
• Wide shot: Capture entire scene, showing environment
• Extreme close-up: Very close details, like eyes, hands

Camera Movement:

• Static: Camera doesn’t move, suitable for dialogue scenes
• Tracking: Camera follows subject movement
• Dolly in/out: Camera pushes forward or pulls back
• Pan/Tilt: Camera rotates left-right or up-down
• Crane shot: Camera moves vertically up or down

Example:

Slow dolly-in close-up shot, tracking from the side, crane shot rising

Element 2: Subject Description

This is the most important part—who or what is the main subject. The more detailed, the better.

Must Include:

• Age, gender, ethnicity (if human)
• Physical features: height, build, facial features
• Clothing: color, style, material
• Accessories: glasses, jewelry, etc.

Example:

A 28-year-old Asian woman, shoulder-length black hair, wearing a white cotton T-shirt and dark blue jeans, slender build, confident posture

Element 3: Action Behavior

What is the subject doing? How are they doing it? Be specific.

Good Action Description:

• Specific movements: “slowly walking,” “gently picking up,” “suddenly turning around”
• Emotional state: “smiling warmly,” “looking around nervously”
• Interaction: “waving to someone,” “embracing a friend”

Example:

She stands at the coffee shop entrance, pushing open the glass door to enter, then walks toward the counter with light steps

Element 4: Environment Background

Where is the scene? What does the environment look like?

Include:

• Location: indoor/outdoor, specific place
• Time: morning, noon, evening, night
• Weather: sunny, rainy, foggy
• Background elements: buildings, trees, furniture, etc.

Example:

Modern coffee shop interior, warm afternoon sunlight streaming through large windows, wooden tables and chairs, soft background music

Element 5: Style & Mood

What visual style do you want? What emotional atmosphere?

Style Options:

• Cinematic: “cinematic film look, shot on 35mm film”
• Realistic: “ultra-realistic rendering, documentary style”
• Artistic: “vibrant colors, artistic composition”
• Vintage: “retro film grain, nostalgic atmosphere”

Mood Options:

• Warm, romantic, melancholic, energetic, mysterious, etc.

Example:

Cinematic quality, warm and romantic atmosphere, soft color grading, shallow depth of field

Audio Guidance: The Three Forms

Veo 3’s major advantage is synchronous audio generation. But you need to guide it properly. There are three forms:

Form 1: Dialogue (Quotation Marks)

When characters speak, use quotation marks and specify who’s speaking.

Format: Character says: “Specific dialogue”

Example:

The woman smiles and says: "Welcome to our coffee shop."

Important: Dialogue should be within 8 seconds (about 20-30 words). Too long causes sync issues.

Form 2: Sound Effects (SFX)

Specific sounds happening in the scene.

Format: SFX: Specific sound description

Example:

SFX: Footsteps on wooden floor, door creaking open, coffee machine hissing

Form 3: Ambient Sound (Ambient)

Background environmental sounds.

Format: Ambient: Background atmosphere sound

Example:

Ambient: Soft jazz music, customers chatting quietly, distant city traffic

10 Ready-to-Use Templates

Here are 10 templates covering common scenarios. Copy them directly and modify details as needed.

Template 1: Urban Walking Scene

Medium tracking shot following from the side, a young professional woman in a beige trench coat walking briskly on a busy city street during golden hour. She occasionally checks her phone, confident stride. Modern urban atmosphere, cinematic quality, warm tones. SFX: Footsteps on pavement, distant traffic. Ambient: City hustle and bustle.

Modification Tips:

• Replace character: male, elderly, children
• Change time: morning, night
• Adjust mood: relaxed, hurried, contemplative

Template 2: Indoor Dialogue Scene

Front medium close-up, fixed camera position, a 30-year-old man in a gray suit sitting at a modern office desk, leaning forward and speaking earnestly. Warm indoor lighting, professional atmosphere, cinematic quality. Dialogue: "This is our best solution so far." Ambient: Quiet office background, air conditioning hum.

Modification Tips:

• Change setting: café, home, conference room
• Adjust dialogue content
• Modify character emotions

Template 3: Natural Landscape Scene

Wide crane shot slowly rising, a lone figure in a red jacket standing on a mountain peak at sunrise, arms spread wide. Vast mountain range in background, golden sunlight breaking through clouds. Epic cinematic quality, inspirational atmosphere, warm color grading. Ambient: Wind howling, distant bird calls.

Modification Tips:

• Replace landscape: beach, forest, desert
• Change time: sunset, night, foggy morning
• Adjust emotional tone

Template 4: Action Scene

Dynamic tracking shot following from behind, a young athlete in black sportswear sprinting on a track at dawn, powerful strides, sweat glistening. Stadium background, soft morning light, energetic atmosphere, cinematic quality. SFX: Footsteps on track, heavy breathing. Ambient: Distant city awakening sounds.

Modification Tips:

• Change sport: basketball, swimming, cycling
• Adjust intensity: relaxed jogging, intense competition
• Modify environment

Template 5: Quiet Moment Scene

Extreme close-up slowly pushing in, an elderly woman's hands gently holding a photo, tears welling in her eyes, soft smile. Warm indoor lighting, nostalgic atmosphere, cinematic quality, warm tones. Ambient: Soft piano music, clock ticking.

Modification Tips:

• Change object: letter, book, flower
• Adjust emotion: joy, sadness, contemplation
• Modify character age and gender

Template 6: Street Life Scene

Wide shot panning left, a bustling street market in the morning, vendors setting up stalls, customers browsing. Vibrant colors, documentary style, realistic rendering, warm morning light. SFX: Market chatter, goods being arranged. Ambient: Street life atmosphere, distant traffic.

Modification Tips:

• Change location: night market, festival, park
• Adjust time: noon, evening
• Modify activity type

Template 7: Romantic Scene

Shoulder-level medium shot slowly dolly-in, a young couple sitting on a park bench, leaning against each other, old man gently holding old woman's hand, both quietly watching distant sunset. Park trees and orange-red sky in background, warm twilight light. Shallow depth of field, cinematic quality, nostalgic warm atmosphere, warm tones. Ambient: Birds chirping in park, rustling of leaves in breeze.

Modification Tips:

• Replace relationship: friends, father-son, mother-daughter
• Adjust emotion: joy, farewell, reunion
• Change scene and time

Template 8: Professional Work Scene

Medium shot from side, a chef in white uniform working in a modern kitchen, skillfully preparing dishes, focused expression. Professional kitchen environment, bright lighting, documentary style, realistic rendering. SFX: Knife chopping, sizzling sounds. Ambient: Kitchen activity, background music.

Modification Tips:

• Change profession: artist, musician, scientist
• Adjust work environment
• Modify activity details

Template 9: Adventure Scene

Wide tracking shot following, a group of hikers in colorful outdoor gear walking through a forest trail, laughing and chatting. Dense forest background, dappled sunlight filtering through leaves, adventurous atmosphere, cinematic quality, natural color grading. SFX: Footsteps on trail, rustling leaves. Ambient: Forest sounds, bird songs.

Modification Tips:

• Change activity: camping, climbing, exploring
• Adjust environment: mountain, beach, desert
• Modify group size

Template 10: Emotional Close-up

Extreme close-up slowly zooming in, a person's face showing emotional transition from confusion to sudden realization, eyes widening, slight smile forming. Soft diffused lighting, dramatic atmosphere, cinematic quality, shallow depth of field. Ambient: Subtle background music building.

Modification Tips:

• Change emotion: surprise, sadness, determination
• Adjust character: different ages, genders
• Modify lighting and atmosphere

Usage Tips

After getting these templates, you don’t need to memorize them—just remember a few key points:

1. Replace details, keep structure: Don’t change the 5-element structure of templates, only replace specific content
2. Adjust based on video length: Veo 3 supports 4, 6, 8 seconds—use 8 seconds for complex actions
3. Audio is optional: If you don’t need dialogue, just keep SFX or Ambient
4. Try multiple times to find the feel: AI generation has some randomness, try several versions and pick the best

Common Mistakes Guide: 5 Errors and Solutions

Templates are ready, but you’ll still hit pitfalls in actual use. Here’s a summary of 5 problems I and the community often encounter, and how to solve them.

Mistake 1: Prompt Too Simple, Insufficient Information

Problem: Wrote “a person running,” generated video differs greatly from imagination.

Root Cause: Veo 3 needs enough information to understand your intent. Simple descriptions make it guess.

Solution:
Use the 5-element formula to complete. Minimum must include: shot type + subject description + action + scene + style.

❌ Wrong example:

a person running

✅ Correct example:

Tracking shot following from the side, a young male in black athletic wear jogging on city streets in the morning, light and powerful strides, sunlight streaming on him. Cinematic quality, inspirational atmosphere, warm tones. SFX: Footsteps of running, ambient sounds of early morning city.

Mistake 2: Information Overload, Piling Too Many Details

Problem: Wrote a long paragraph with dozens of visual elements, but generated video is chaotic, everything present but nothing stands out.

Root Cause: Too much information confuses Veo 3, it can’t determine priorities.

Solution:
Focus on 3-5 core visual elements. Google recommends prompt length of 10-25 words. Remove redundant descriptions, keep only essentials.

Mistake 3: Ignoring Camera Movement

Problem: Generated video looks static, lacks dynamic feel.

Root Cause: Didn’t specify camera movement, Veo 3 defaults to static shots.

Solution:
Always include camera movement in prompts. Even if you want a static shot, explicitly state “fixed camera position” or “static shot.”

Mistake 4: Audio Description Too Vague

Problem: Generated video has sound, but it doesn’t match the visuals or feels unnatural.

Root Cause: Audio description too vague, like just writing “with sound” or “background music.”

Solution:
Use the three audio forms clearly: Dialogue (quotation marks), SFX (specific sound description), Ambient (atmospheric sound description).

Mistake 5: Not Adjusting for Video Length

Problem: Wrote a long prompt describing many actions, but Veo 3 only generates 8 seconds, can’t show everything.

Root Cause: Veo 3’s maximum single generation is 8 seconds. Too many actions can’t all be shown.

Solution:
Match prompt complexity to video length. For 4-second videos, focus on one simple action. For 8-second videos, you can include 2-3 related actions, but keep them concise.

Advanced Techniques

After mastering the basics, here are 3 advanced techniques to further improve prompt quality.

Technique 1: Use Professional Terminology

Using professional photography and film terminology makes Veo 3 understand more accurately.

Common Terms:

• “Golden hour” (best lighting time)
• “Shallow depth of field” (background blur effect)
• “Rule of thirds” (composition principle)
• “Color grading” (color adjustment)

Example:

Golden hour backlight, shallow depth of field, rule of thirds composition, warm color grading

Technique 2: Layer Descriptions

Don’t describe everything flatly. Use layered descriptions to create depth.

Structure:

• Foreground: Main subject
• Midground: Supporting elements
• Background: Environmental atmosphere

Example:

Foreground: A woman in red dress (main subject). Midground: Café tables and chairs (supporting). Background: Blurred street view through window (atmosphere).

Technique 3: Emotional Guidance

Beyond visual description, guide the emotional tone you want.

Methods:

• Use emotional adjectives: warm, melancholic, energetic, mysterious
• Describe atmosphere: romantic, tense, peaceful, dramatic
• Reference style: “like a Wes Anderson film,” “documentary style”

Example:

Warm and romantic atmosphere, like a French romantic film, soft and dreamy feeling

Conclusion

After all that, let’s summarize.

The core of Veo 3 prompt writing is the 5-element formula: Camera Technique + Subject Description + Action Behavior + Environment Background + Style & Mood. Make these 5 elements clear, and your prompt is mostly successful.

Don’t forget audio guidance. Veo 3’s advantage is synchronous audio generation. Dialogue uses quotation marks, sound effects use SFX, ambient uses Ambient—remember these three forms.

10 templates are provided, use them directly. No need to memorize, the key is understanding the structure, then replacing details based on your needs.

Writing prompts is a skill that requires practice. It might feel a bit troublesome at first, but after a few tries you’ll find the pattern. Start with templates, gradually find your own style.

Most importantly, don’t be afraid to fail. AI generation inherently has some randomness—the same prompt might generate several versions. Try multiple times, pick the best one. Failed attempts are also part of the learning process.

Try it now. Pick a template, modify details, generate your first Veo 3 video. When you see that cinematic image generated, that sense of achievement is really great.

By the way, Veo 3 is constantly updating, Google will continue optimizing the model and adding new features. Remember to follow official updates—who knows, the next update might have even more powerful features.

Good luck, looking forward to seeing your work!

12 min read · Published on: Dec 4, 2025 · Modified on: Dec 30, 2025

Easton

AI & Intelligence