Veo 3.1 Prompting Guide: How to Write Prompts for Google's AI Video Generator

Google's Veo 3.1 is the most capable AI video generation model available in 2026. It produces cinematic-quality video with coherent motion, realistic lighting, and natural physics. The difference between a mediocre output and a stunning one is almost entirely in how you write the prompt.

This guide covers prompt anatomy, the vocabulary Veo 3.1 responds to best, 20+ example prompts with breakdowns, camera movement commands, common mistakes, and how to combine Veo 3.1 with other AI models for commercial production.

What Is Veo 3.1 and What Can It Do?

Veo 3.1 is Google DeepMind's flagship video generation model. It represents the third major iteration of the Veo family, with significant improvements in motion coherence, temporal consistency (objects and characters maintain their appearance throughout the video), and prompt adherence (the model does what you ask it to do).

Key Capabilities

Veo 3.1 generates up to 4K resolution (3840 x 2160), 8 seconds per generation, at 24-30 fps. It supports all major aspect ratios (16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:3, 3:4) and styles from photorealistic to animated. It renders realistic physics for water, cloth, smoke, fire, and hair. It can generate synchronized audio and dialogue.

What Makes Veo 3.1 Different

Four primary advantages: Prompt fidelity -- it follows complex, multi-part prompts more accurately than alternatives. Temporal coherence -- characters and objects maintain appearance from first to last frame. Natural motion -- movement looks physically plausible, especially fabric, water, and hair. Cinematic quality -- default output has natural depth of field, film-like color, and professional composition.

The Anatomy of a Veo 3.1 Prompt

Every effective Veo 3.1 prompt contains five core components. You do not need all five in every prompt, but understanding each component lets you control the output precisely.

Component 1: Subject

The subject is who or what appears in the video. Be specific about:

• Physical description: Age range, build, hair color and style, clothing, accessories
• Position: Where the subject is in the frame (center, left third, background)
• Expression or posture: Emotional state, body language, facial expression

Weak subject description: "A woman walking"
Strong subject description: "A woman in her 30s with shoulder-length auburn hair, wearing a tailored navy blazer and white sneakers, walking with confident strides"

The more specific your subject description, the more consistent and intentional the output looks. Vague descriptions force the model to make choices -- and those choices may not align with your vision.

Component 2: Action and Motion

Describe what happens in the video. Veo 3.1 excels when you describe motion with specificity:

• Verb precision: "Strolling" produces different motion than "striding" or "rushing" or "ambling." Each verb carries motion information that Veo 3.1 interprets.
• Speed indicators: "Slowly," "quickly," "in slow motion," "at half speed" all work as modifiers.
• Sequential actions: Describe actions in temporal order. "She picks up the cup, takes a sip, then places it back on the saucer" generates a coherent action sequence.
• Interaction with environment: "Running her hand along the railing," "leaves swirling around her feet," "steam rising from the coffee mug" add environmental motion that makes scenes feel alive.

Component 3: Camera Direction

Veo 3.1 responds to professional cinematography language. Specify movement (static, pan, tilt, dolly, tracking, orbit, crane, zoom, push-in, steadicam), shot type (extreme wide to macro), angle (eye level, low, high, bird's eye, Dutch), and lens (wide-angle, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, anamorphic, shallow/deep focus).

Component 4: Lighting and Atmosphere

Lighting gives Veo 3.1 the most information per word. Specify quality (soft, harsh, diffused, dappled), direction (backlit, sidelit, rim light, overhead), source (golden hour, overcast, neon, candlelight, studio strobe), color temperature (warm, cool, tungsten, blue hour), and atmosphere (hazy, foggy, rainy, smoky).

Component 5: Visual Style

Use cinematic references ("shot on 35mm film," "documentary style," "noir lighting"), technical style ("photorealistic," "minimalist," "high contrast"), color grading ("teal and orange," "desaturated," "muted pastels"), and texture ("film grain," "clean digital," "vintage").

20+ Example Prompts With Breakdowns

These prompts demonstrate effective techniques for different use cases. Each prompt is followed by an explanation of why specific word choices matter.

Product and E-commerce Prompts

Prompt 1: Beauty product hero shot
"Close-up of a luxury skincare bottle with a matte gold cap, sitting on a wet marble surface. Water droplets bead on the bottle's glass surface. Slow camera push-in. Soft, directional lighting from the upper left. Shallow depth of field. Clean, minimalist composition. Shot on macro lens."

Key technique: Water droplets provide micro-motion. Specific materials ("matte gold cap," "glass surface") reduce randomness.

Prompt 2: Fashion product in motion
"Medium shot of a flowing silk dress in deep burgundy on a wooden hanger against cream linen. A gentle breeze causes the fabric to ripple left to right. Soft natural window light from the right. The camera slowly orbits 45 degrees. Shallow depth of field."

Key technique: Fabric type ("flowing silk") and breeze direction control the physics. Orbit shows multiple angles.

Prompt 3: Food product with steam
"Top-down macro shot of a ceramic coffee cup with latte art. Wisps of steam rise, catching warm morning light. A slow camera pull-out reveals a rustic wooden table with a croissant beside the cup. Golden hour sunlight from a window off-camera left."

Key technique: Top-down to pull-out creates a reveal. Steam provides continuous natural motion.

Advertising and Commercial Prompts

Prompt 4: Tech product reveal
"A sleek matte-black laptop sits closed on a minimal white desk. The lid slowly opens, revealing a glowing screen. Camera starts low angle, transitions to medium shot as lid opens. Cool studio lighting with subtle blue rim light. Clean, futuristic aesthetic. Sharp focus throughout."

Key technique: Lid opening provides a natural action arc. Low-to-medium camera transition adds visual interest.

Prompt 5: Lifestyle scene for social ad
"A young woman in her mid-20s with short dark hair sits cross-legged on a balcony, tapping on a tablet. Out-of-focus cityscape at golden hour behind her. Medium close-up, eye level, steady. She looks up directly at camera and smiles. Warm natural lighting. Shallow depth of field. Organic, authentic feel."

Key technique: "Looks up directly at camera" creates UGC-style viewer connection. "Authentic feel" nudges away from overly cinematic rendering.

Prompt 6: Automotive commercial
"Tracking shot of a silver sedan on a coastal highway at sunset. Camera moves alongside at wheel height. Ocean in background with golden reflections. Slight motion blur conveying speed. Metallic paint reflections. Cinematic widescreen. Anamorphic lens with subtle lens flares."

Key technique: "Wheel height tracking" is a classic automotive technique. "Anamorphic lens" pushes toward premium commercial aesthetics.

Creative and Atmospheric Prompts

Prompt 7: Moody establishing shot
"Wide shot of an empty cobblestone street in an old European city at blue hour. Wet pavement reflects vintage streetlamps. Fog rolls slowly from background toward camera. A single figure with an umbrella walks away in the distance. Static camera. Warm tungsten highlights against cool blue shadows. Film noir atmosphere."

Key technique: Wet surfaces + fog = two layers of atmospheric motion. Distant figure adds scale without needing detailed rendering.

Prompt 8: Nature macro
"Extreme close-up of a dewdrop on a green leaf. The dewdrop slowly trembles and rolls to the edge, falling in slow motion. Soft overcast lighting. Razor-sharp focus on the dewdrop, soft green bokeh background. Photorealistic."

Key technique: Clear, simple physics action. Specific motion path ("trembles and rolls to the edge").

Prompt 9: Abstract motion design
"Flowing ribbons of metallic gold and deep navy blue liquid swirl against a pure black background. Viscous, mercury-like quality. They orbit a central point, creating spiral patterns. Camera slowly pushes in toward center. Studio lighting with high-contrast highlights."

Key technique: Specify material properties ("viscous, mercury-like") and motion pattern ("orbit, spiral") -- without these, abstract prompts produce random motion.

Prompt 10: Timelapse
"Timelapse of a city skyline from day to night. Clouds cast moving shadows across glass skyscrapers. Headlights appear on highways as sky darkens from golden to deep blue to black. Windows illuminate one by one. Static tripod, wide shot, elevated position."

Key technique: Sequential events (clouds, headlights, windows) give the model a clear temporal arc.

UGC and Social Content Prompts

Prompt 11: Product unboxing POV
"First-person POV of two hands opening a white product box on a clean desk. Hands lift the lid slowly to reveal product in foam packaging. Camera looks straight down. Natural desk lamp lighting from left. Warm color temperature. Steady, deliberate motion. Casual, authentic tone."

Key technique: POV shots are well-understood by Veo 3.1. "Steady and deliberate" controls speed. "Authentic tone" prevents over-stylization.

Prompt 12: Talking head setup
"Medium close-up of a woman in her early 30s, natural makeup, simple black top, speaking to camera with expressive hand gestures. Well-lit home office, blurred bookshelf background. Ring light reflection in eyes. Conversational energy. Static camera. Shallow depth of field."

Key technique: "Ring light reflection" grounds the video in the creator aesthetic. "Conversational energy" produces natural rather than stiff motion.

Cinematic and Narrative Prompts

Prompt 13: Film opening shot
"Slow drone ascending over a vast wheat field at golden hour. Camera starts at ground level brushing wheat tops, rises to reveal a lone farmhouse with one lit window. Warm amber light. Wind moves wheat in undulating waves. 35mm film grain. Cinematic widescreen."

Key technique: Ascending trajectory with farmhouse reveal gives the shot narrative purpose. Wind-in-wheat renders exceptionally well.

Prompt 14: Action sequence
"Close-up tracking shot of a runner's feet hitting wet pavement in slow motion. Water splashes with each footstrike. Camera moves backward at runner's pace. Blurred neon reflections in wet street. High contrast, deep shadows. Gritty, energetic feel."

Key technique: Slow motion gives the model temporal space to render splash details. Wet pavement + neon = rich visual surface.

Prompt 15: Emotional close-up
"Extreme close-up of a person's eyes slowly opening. Bright green iris with visible texture. A tear forms and slowly rolls down the cheek. Soft diffused lighting from above. Natural skin texture. Still camera. Intimate, quiet mood."

Key technique: Specific physical micro-actions (tear forming, rolling) test and showcase temporal coherence.

Environment and Setting Prompts

Prompt 16: Underwater scene -- "Slow-motion underwater shot looking upward toward the surface. Shafts of sunlight pierce through the blue-green water, creating visible god rays. Tiny bubbles rise past the camera. A sea turtle glides through the frame from left to right. Static camera. Deep blue and aqua palette. Peaceful atmosphere."

Prompt 17: Rainy window -- "Close-up of raindrops streaming down a window pane. Through the glass, a blurred cityscape with warm bokeh lights. Raindrops merge and split as they travel downward. Cool blue light from outside, warm amber from inside. Static camera. Moody, contemplative tone."

Prompt 18: Nighttime neon -- "Wide shot of a narrow Tokyo-style alley at night, lined with neon signs in pink, blue, and warm yellow. Wet pavement reflects neon colors in long streaks. Light steam rises from a street-level vent. The camera slowly dollies forward. High contrast. Cyberpunk atmosphere without being cartoonish."

Prompt 19: Desert landscape -- "Sweeping wide shot of sand dunes at sunrise. A gentle wind lifts fine sand particles from the dune crest, creating a translucent veil catching the golden light. Camera pans slowly left to right. Warm amber and deep shadow palette. Epic, vast scale."

Prompt 20: Interior design -- "Slow steadicam walk-through of a modern minimalist living room. White walls, concrete floor, floor-to-ceiling windows revealing forest outside. Midday sun casts geometric shadow patterns. The camera enters from a hallway and moves smoothly through the space. Architectural photography aesthetic."

Prompt 21: Seasonal transition -- "Static medium shot of a single oak tree in an open field. The scene transitions through seasons: spring green leaves, summer dark canopy, autumn red and orange, winter bare branches. Each season holds two seconds. Lighting shifts with each season. Timelapse style."

Camera Movement Vocabulary Reference

Veo 3.1 responds to standard cinematography terminology. Here is a reference for camera movement commands and what they produce.

Movement	Prompt Keyword	Description
No movement	"static camera," "locked off," "tripod shot"	Camera does not move at all
Pan	"camera pans left/right"	Camera rotates horizontally on a fixed point
Tilt	"camera tilts up/down"	Camera rotates vertically on a fixed point
Dolly	"dolly in/out," "camera moves forward/backward"	Camera physically moves toward or away from subject
Tracking	"tracking shot," "camera follows"	Camera moves alongside a moving subject
Orbit	"camera orbits around"	Camera circles around the subject
Crane	"crane shot," "camera rises/descends"	Camera moves vertically (up or down)
Zoom	"zoom in/out," "push in"	Lens zooms (different from dolly -- creates compression effect)
Steadicam	"steadicam," "smooth handheld"	Smooth, floating movement with slight organic drift
Handheld	"handheld camera"	Subtle, organic camera shake (not jittery)
Drone	"aerial shot," "drone shot," "bird's eye"	Elevated perspective with smooth aerial movement
Whip pan	"whip pan"	Very fast horizontal pan creating motion blur
Rack focus	"rack focus from X to Y"	Focus shifts from one subject to another

Pro tip: Combine movements for more dynamic shots. "Slow dolly in while panning slightly right" or "Crane shot descending while orbiting 90 degrees" work well. Limit combinations to two movements -- three simultaneous movements tend to produce unpredictable results.

Common Veo 3.1 Prompt Mistakes

Mistake 1: Being Too Vague

Bad: "A person walking in a city"
Good: "A man in his 40s wearing a charcoal overcoat walks briskly down a rain-slicked sidewalk. Medium shot, tracking alongside. Overcast lighting, cool blue tones."

Vague prompts produce generic results. Specificity makes output look intentional.

Mistake 2: Overloading With Actions

Bad: "A woman opens a door, walks in, sits down, opens a laptop, types, looks up, stands, walks to bookshelf, picks up a book, reads."
Good: "A woman opens a laptop at a desk and begins typing. Medium shot. Soft window light. Camera pushes in toward the screen."

Veo 3.1 generates 8 seconds. Limit prompts to 1-3 actions maximum.

Mistake 3: Contradictory Instructions

Bad: "Bright sunny day with dramatic dark storm clouds."
Good: "Dark storm clouds with a break allowing warm sunlight to illuminate the foreground."

Conflicting instructions produce muddled results. Describe how contrasting elements coexist.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Camera Direction

Prompts without camera direction produce default static medium shots at eye level. Adding even basic direction ("slow push-in," "low angle," "tracking shot") immediately elevates the output.

Mistake 5: Using Negative Prompts

Veo 3.1 responds better to positive direction than negative exclusion. Instead of "no blurry background," say "deep focus, everything in sharp focus." Instead of "don't make it look artificial," say "photorealistic, natural-looking."

Mistake 6: Expecting Perfect Text Rendering

AI video models still struggle with legible text. Avoid prompts that rely on readable signs or labels. Add text in post-production instead.

Combining Veo 3.1 With Other AI Video Models

No single AI video model is best at everything. Professional creators combine multiple models, using each for its strengths.

Model Strengths Comparison

Model	Primary Strength	Best For
Veo 3.1	Prompt fidelity, cinematic quality, natural motion	Hero shots, product videos, cinematic content
Sora 2	Imaginative and artistic generation, strong narrative	Creative concepts, surreal scenes, story-driven content
Wan 2.5	Character consistency, Asian aesthetic styles	Character-driven content, anime-influenced styles
Kling 2.6	Fast generation, good motion dynamics	Quick iterations, motion-heavy content, rapid prototyping
Runway Gen-4	Image-to-video fidelity, style control	Converting existing images to video, maintaining brand aesthetic

Multi-Model Workflow

A professional ad production workflow combines models: concept test with Kling 2.6 (fast iterations), hero shots with Veo 3.1 (maximum quality), image-to-video with Runway Gen-4 (brand asset fidelity), character scenes with Wan 2.5 (consistency), and creative flourishes with Sora 2 (artistic accents).

AdCreate's text-to-video provides access to all five models through a single interface. Write your prompt once, select the model, and generate. The image-to-video feature works the same way for animating existing photography. For talking-head content, AdCreate's Persona AI offers 100+ AI avatars in 40+ languages -- purpose-built for direct-to-camera content that generative models are not optimized for.

Commercial Use Guidelines

Veo 3.1 output can be used commercially in paid advertising, social media, client deliverables, product pages, and marketing websites. You can modify, edit, composite, and combine generated video with other footage.

Key considerations for commercial use:

• Generated video includes invisible SynthID watermarks embedded by Google for AI content identification
• Some platforms may flag or label AI-generated content (Meta's labeling system, for example)
• Always check Google's current terms of service before large-scale deployment -- terms may evolve
• Do not generate content that impersonates real, identifiable people without consent
• Some industries (pharmaceuticals, financial services, political advertising) have specific AI content regulations
• Keep records of your prompts and generation dates for compliance purposes
• Review generated content for artifacts or brand-inappropriate elements before publishing

Building a Prompt Library

As you develop prompts that produce reliably good results, build a library organized by use case. Use these templates as starting structures:

Product Showcase: "[Shot type] of [product] on [surface]. [Motion]. [Camera movement]. [Lighting]. [Depth of field]. [Style]."

Lifestyle Scene: "[Person description] [action] in [setting]. [Time of day]. [Camera shot and angle]. [Camera movement]. [Mood]. [Style]."

B-Roll / Atmospheric: "[Shot type] of [environment]. [Atmospheric elements]. [Camera movement]. [Lighting]. [Color palette]. [Style]."

Save your best-performing prompts with notes on model used, settings, and what you would change. This library becomes your most valuable creative asset over time.

AdCreate's Ad Wizard includes 50+ pre-built templates that serve as prompt starting points, each optimized for specific ad formats and industries. AdCreate's AI Toolbox also includes prompt refinement tools that expand rough concepts with the technical vocabulary (camera movements, lighting terms, style references) that Veo 3.1 responds to best.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a Veo 3.1 prompt be?

The ideal length is 40-100 words. Under 30 words produces generic results. Over 150 words causes the model to lose focus on later instructions. Include all five components (subject, action, camera, lighting, style) in their most essential form.

Can Veo 3.1 generate videos longer than 8 seconds?

A single generation produces up to 8 seconds. Chain multiple generations using the last frame as a reference for the next. Some platforms, including AdCreate, automate this. For ad content, 8 seconds is typically sufficient -- most high-performing social ads are 6-15 seconds.

What is the difference between Veo 3 and Veo 3.1?

Veo 3.1 offers enhanced temporal coherence, improved face rendering, better cloth and liquid physics, and faster generation. The prompting syntax is identical -- any Veo 3 prompt works unchanged in Veo 3.1.

How does Veo 3.1 compare to Sora 2 for ad content?

Veo 3.1 produces more photorealistic, cinematically polished output -- ideal for product showcases and premium brand content. Sora 2 excels at imaginative, conceptually creative output -- better for attention-grabbing social content and creative storytelling. Many creators use both.

Can I use Veo 3.1 to generate realistic human faces for ads?

Yes, but for talking-head content (speaking directly to camera), AdCreate's Persona AI produces more consistent results. Use Veo 3.1 for characters within scenes and Persona AI for presenter segments.

Do I need to credit Google or Veo 3.1 in my ads?

No attribution is required. Content contains invisible SynthID watermarks for AI detection, but you can use the output commercially without crediting the tool.

What file formats does Veo 3.1 output?

MP4 (H.264) by default. Through AdCreate, output is automatically formatted for your target platform -- Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or custom dimensions.

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The gap between a mediocre AI video and a stunning one is the prompt. Master Veo 3.1 prompting, and you unlock cinematic-quality video generation on demand. AdCreate gives you access to Veo 3.1 alongside Sora 2, Wan 2.5, Kling 2.6, and Runway Gen-4 -- all through one platform. Write your prompt, pick your model, and generate. Start with 50 free credits, explore 50+ Ad Wizard templates, and use 100+ Persona AI avatars for talking-head content. The best AI video starts with the best prompt.