Veo 3 Prompt Guide: 40+ Veo 3.1 Prompts, Templates and Examples

[Camera] + [Subject] + [Action] + [Setting] + [Style & light] + [Sound]

Medium shot, a tired night-shift nurse, sipping coffee from a paper cup by a hospital window, city lights blurred outside, cool blue fluorescent light with a warm glow from the vending machine, realistic, shallow depth of field. Ambient: distant beeping monitors, a quiet hum. She sighs and says, "Two more hours."

[Shot size and camera move] of [subject with 2-3 visual details], [action in order], in [setting and time of day]. [Light], [film look], [mood]. Ambient: [background sound]. [Music, if any].

[Orbit / slow dolly-in / macro] shot of [product, colour, material] on [surface] in [studio or lifestyle setting]. [Action: product rotates, liquid splashes, lid opens]. [Glossy commercial lighting / soft daylight], clean background, sharp focus on the product. SFX: [product sound]. [Upbeat / minimal] music.

Handheld selfie-style vertical video, a [age, look] [creator] in [casual location], talking straight to camera with natural gestures. Natural window light, authentic social-media look. She says, "[hook line, 8-12 words]." Ambient: [room sound]. No subtitles.

[Two-shot / over-the-shoulder] of [character A] and [character B] in [setting]. [A's action] as [A] says, "[line]." [B's reaction], then [B] replies, "[line]." [Light and mood]. Ambient: [background]. No music.

[Camera move] as [what moves in the image]. [Secondary motion: hair, smoke, water, leaves]. Keep the original look and composition. SFX: [sound]. Ambient: [background].

Vertical 9:16, [unexpected subject] [doing something surprising] in [ordinary place]. [Fast camera move]. Bright, punchy colours. [Sound effect that lands on the key moment]. [Character] says, "[short punchline]."

Slow crane shot rising from a lone lighthouse keeper lighting an oil lamp to reveal the lighthouse on a cliff in a violent storm at night. Lightning flashes, waves explode on the rocks. Moody teal and amber palette, 35mm film grain. SFX: thunder, crashing surf. A deep orchestral swell.

Close-up, black and white noir, a detective in a fedora stirring black coffee in an empty all-night diner, rain streaking the window, neon sign flickering outside. He mutters, "Same town, same lies." Ambient: rain, a buzzing fridge. Slow jazz saxophone.

Tracking shot along a nearly empty subway platform at 2 a.m., a young woman in a red coat running for the closing train doors, fluorescent lights humming. Handheld, gritty realism. SFX: echoing footsteps, door chime, train brakes hissing.

Extreme wide shot, a lone figure in a dark cloak walking across endless orange sand dunes at golden hour, long shadow stretching behind. Heat haze, anamorphic lens flare, epic and lonely. Ambient: wind over sand. A single sustained cello note.

Static medium shot, an elderly man and his adult daughter at a small kitchen table in soft morning light, two cups of tea between them. He squeezes her hand and says, "Call me when you land." Ambient: clock ticking, birds outside. No music.

Slow 360-degree orbit around a white running sneaker floating above a glossy black surface, colored light streaks sweeping across it. Glossy commercial lighting, ultra sharp detail. SFX: deep whoosh as the light passes. Pulsing electronic beat.

Macro slow-motion shot, a frosted glass serum bottle on wet stone as clear water splashes around it in droplets, soft diffused daylight, fresh mint-green background. Clean, minimal, luxurious. SFX: gentle water splash. Airy ambient music.

Top-down shot, hands tearing open a kraft paper coffee bag, beans spilling onto a wooden counter in morning sunlight, steam rising from a cup nearby. Warm, cozy tones. SFX: paper tearing, beans scattering. Acoustic guitar.

Tracking shot following a runner along a coastal path at sunrise, she raises her wrist and a matte black smartwatch lights up. Energetic, bright, sporty commercial look. SFX: footsteps, a soft notification ping. Driving synth beat.

Low-angle tracking shot of a sleek dark green electric sedan gliding through rain-soaked city streets at night, reflections of neon on the paint. Cinematic car-commercial look. SFX: tires on wet asphalt, near-silent electric hum.

Medium shot, a confident founder in a bright modern office, looking straight at camera, natural light, shallow depth of field. She says, "We built the tool we wished we had." Ambient: soft office murmur. Subtle upbeat music. No subtitles.

Vertical handheld selfie video, a young man in a hoodie on his bedroom floor opening a small box, eyes widening. He says, "Wait, this is actually huge." Natural lamp light, authentic phone-camera look. No subtitles.

Medium shot, a golden retriever in a tiny tie sitting behind a TV news desk, studio lights, breaking-news graphics glowing behind him. A serious announcer voice says, "Breaking: the mailman has returned." SFX: a dramatic news sting.

Handheld vertical street-interview shot on a busy sidewalk, an interviewer holds a microphone toward a cheerful woman with shopping bags. She laughs and says, "Honestly? Breakfast for dinner." Ambient: traffic, chatter. No subtitles.

Vertical static shot, a woman at a vanity mirror with ring light, applying lip gloss and talking to camera. She says, "Five-minute look, let's go." Bright, clean beauty-creator style. Ambient: soft room tone, light pop music.

Slow vertical pan across a minimal wooden desk setup: a monitor glowing with code, a mechanical keyboard, a small plant, a steaming mug. Cozy evening lamp light. SFX: keyboard clicks. Lo-fi hip-hop beat.

Handheld medium two-shot, a woman and a man arguing about a missing piece of cake in a sunlit kitchen. She points at the empty plate and says, "I know it was you." He shrugs, crumbs on his shirt, "Prove it." Ambient: kitchen hum.

Over-the-shoulder shot from behind a nervous young candidate facing a stern interviewer across a glass table. The interviewer leans back and asks, "So, where do you see yourself in five minutes?" Cool office light. Ambient: air conditioning hum.

Close-up, an old wizard with a long white beard and glowing staff in a candlelit stone tower, firelight on his face. He whispers, "The door must never be opened." SFX: crackling fire, distant wind. Low choir hum.

Medium close-up inside a cramped space capsule, an astronaut with a scuffed helmet looking out the window at Earth. She presses the radio and says calmly, "Houston, the view is better than promised." SFX: radio static, life-support hum.

Wide shot of a classroom, a cheerful teacher at the chalkboard turns to the class and says, "Pop quiz, but the answers are already on your desk." Students look up, confused. Warm afternoon light. Ambient: classroom chatter stops.

Aerial drone shot gliding low over a deep blue Norwegian fjord toward a tiny red cabin at the water's edge, mist clinging to the cliffs, early morning light. Ambient: wind, distant waterfall. Gentle piano.

Slow tracking shot down a quiet stone lane in an old Japanese town at dawn, wooden houses, paper lanterns still glowing, a cat crossing the path. Soft pastel light. Ambient: birdsong, a distant temple bell.

Macro shot, a bright green tree frog on a wet leaf in a rainforest, raindrops landing around it, shallow depth of field. Ambient: heavy rain, insects, distant bird calls.

Smooth gimbal walkthrough entering a modern villa: open-plan living room, floor-to-ceiling windows, infinity pool glowing at sunset outside. Warm interior lighting, real estate commercial look. Soft lounge music.

Static wide shot, time-lapse style, green and purple northern lights dancing over a snowy mountain lake, a small tent glowing orange in the foreground. Ambient: quiet wind, crunch of snow.

Close-up, chopsticks lifting noodles from a steaming bowl of ramen with a soft-boiled egg, dark wooden counter, warm moody light. SFX: slurp, broth bubbling. Ambient: busy noodle bar.

Slow-motion close-up, an amber cocktail poured over a large clear ice cube in a crystal glass, orange peel twisted above it, dim bar lighting with bokeh. SFX: ice crack, liquid pour.

Tracking shot, a chef in a busy restaurant kitchen flambéing a pan, flames rising toward the hood. Warm tungsten light, documentary feel. SFX: sizzling, clanging pans. The chef calls out, "Service!"

Anime style, a determined teenage girl cooking omelette rice in a tiny apartment kitchen, sparkles as the egg flips, warm sunset through the window. Energetic anime opening music. She shouts, "Perfect!"

Stop-motion claymation, a small orange fox in a knitted scarf building a snowman in a cozy village square, slightly jerky handmade motion, visible fingerprints in the clay. Whimsical music box tune.

Stylized 3D animation, a small round cleaning robot discovering a flower growing through a crack in a factory floor, big expressive eyes, soft volumetric light. SFX: curious beeps. Gentle strings.

Watercolor painting come to life, a slow pan across a seaside village, paint washes shifting as boats bob in the harbor, soft pastel colors. Ambient: gulls, gentle waves. Light acoustic music.

Slow orbit around a singer on a rain-soaked rooftop at night, neon signs glowing pink and blue behind her, wind in her hair. She sings softly, "We were never meant to sleep." Synthwave track.

Wide shot, a four-piece rock band playing on a stage in an empty desert at dusk, dust swirling, warm backlight. Handheld energy. Gritty electric guitar riff and drums.

Slow-motion medium shot, a contemporary dancer spinning in an empty city street in the rain, streetlights glowing, water spraying from her sleeves. Emotional piano and strings.

Tracking shot, a parkour athlete sprinting and vaulting across city rooftops at sunset, leaping a gap in slow motion, lens flare. SFX: footsteps, heavy breathing, wind rush. Pounding drums.

POV shot from the front seat of a wooden rollercoaster cresting the top of a huge drop, the park spread out below, then plunging down. SFX: clacking chain, screams, rushing wind.

Low-angle shot from the water as a surfer drops into a massive turquoise wave, spray catching the sunlight, slow motion as the lip curls overhead. SFX: roaring wave, water spray.

Smooth fly-through animation inside a human cell, glowing organelles, a narrator's calm voice says, "This is where your energy is made." Clean scientific 3D style, soft blue and orange lighting. Gentle ambient music.

Slow push-in on an ancient Roman forum reconstructed at midday, crowds in togas, merchants calling out. A narrator says, "Two thousand years ago, this was the center of the world." Ambient: crowd murmur.

[00:00-00:02] Medium shot from behind a young explorer with a leather satchel pushing aside a jungle vine.
[00:02-00:04] Reverse shot of her face, eyes wide with awe. SFX: rustling leaves, distant bird calls.
[00:04-00:06] Tracking shot as she steps into a clearing and touches carvings on a crumbling stone wall.
[00:06-00:08] Wide crane shot rising to reveal her standing small in a vast temple swallowed by jungle. A gentle orchestral score swells.

@[image1] sits at a café table and slides @[image2] across to the camera, smiling. Medium shot, warm afternoon light, shallow focus. She says, "Your new favourite bag." Ambient: café chatter.

The camera performs a smooth 180-degree arc around the singer, from her face to the view behind her of the cheering crowd. The crowd's roar rises as the stage lights flare. She sings, "When you look at me, I see a million stars."

{
  "shot": "slow dolly-in, medium close-up",
  "subject": "a barista in her 20s with a nose ring and a denim apron",
  "action": "pours latte art, looks up and smiles",
  "setting": "small sunlit café, plants in the window, morning",
  "style": "warm natural light, shallow depth of field, 35mm film look",
  "audio": {
    "dialogue": "She says, \"Best one today.\"",
    "sfx": "milk steamer hiss, cup set on saucer",
    "ambient": "quiet café chatter"
  }
}