Veo 3.1 Prompt Examples

Veo responds best to natural, flowing film direction — describe the shot the way you'd brief a cinematographer. Veo also generates audio natively, so include sound cues: ambience, effects, even short dialogue in quotes.

Cinematic with ambience

A cinematic wide shot of an old lighthouse keeper climbing a spiral staircase at dusk, his lantern casting long moving shadows on the stone walls. The camera slowly cranes up alongside him. Waves crash faintly against the rocks outside, and the wind whistles through a cracked window.

Cinematic · Ambience

A photorealistic aerial shot gliding over a night city in the rain. Neon signs smear into reflections on wet streets as the camera descends toward a lone taxi waiting at a red light. Rain patters steadily; distant traffic hums; a jazz saxophone drifts from a nearby bar.

City · Rain audio

A slow dolly-in on a grandmother's hands kneading dough in a sunlit farmhouse kitchen, flour dust floating in the warm morning light. The wooden table creaks softly under her rhythm, and a kettle begins to whistle off-screen.

Warm · Domestic

Dialogue & character

A medium shot of a young astronaut in a cramped capsule, checking switches during re-entry. The hull rattles and alarms ping intermittently. She exhales, steadies her voice and says: "Houston, we're coming home." The camera holds steady as orange plasma light flickers across her visor.

Dialogue · Sci-fi

A handheld close-up of a street busker finishing a violin piece in a subway tunnel. The final note reverberates off the tiles, a few coins clink into his case, and scattered applause echoes from passersby. He looks up and smiles, slightly out of breath.

Music · Reverb

An over-the-shoulder shot of a chess master in a dim club, sliding her queen forward with a soft click. She leans back, taps the clock, and whispers "checkmate." Cigarette smoke curls through a cone of lamplight above the board.

Tension · Dialogue

Nature & documentary

A documentary-style tracking shot following a herd of wild horses galloping across a windswept steppe at golden hour. Hooves thunder on dry grass, manes catching the low sun, dust glowing behind them like smoke.

Wildlife · Golden hour

A serene macro shot of a dewdrop hanging from a spider's web at dawn, the forest behind it dissolved into soft bokeh. Birdsong builds slowly as the light warms, and the drop finally falls in slow motion.

Macro · Dawn chorus

An FPV drone shot diving off a snow-covered ridge and skimming down the mountain face, powder spraying in the wind. The rush of air roars past; distant avalanche control echoes like thunder across the valley.

FPV · Mountain

Commercial & stylized

A luxury commercial shot of dark chocolate squares falling in slow motion onto a marble slab, cocoa powder blooming on impact. Each landing produces a deep, satisfying thud. Studio lighting sweeps from cool to warm as the camera orbits the arrangement.

Food · ASMR

A stylized anime shot of a girl releasing a paper lantern over a night river festival. The lantern rises past strings of glowing lights as fireworks bloom silently in the distance, then the crowd gasps and cheers as the sky fills with color.

Anime · Festival

A cyberpunk tracking shot following a courier weaving a motorcycle through holographic billboards in heavy rain. Engines whine, tires hiss on wet asphalt, and synthwave music pulses from a passing arcade.

Cyberpunk · Synthwave

Tips for Veo 3.1

FAQ

Does Veo really generate the sounds I describe?

Yes — Veo 3.1 generates audio natively, including ambience, sound effects and short dialogue. Keep dialogue brief and in quotation marks for best results.

How long should a Veo prompt be?

Two to four sentences is the sweet spot: one for the subject and action, one for camera, one for light/mood, one for audio.

More libraries: Seedance 2.5 prompts · Sora 2 prompts · Kling 3.0 prompts