Advanced Veo 3.1 Prompting: Professional Techniques
The official formula, timestamp scripting, multi-shot workflows, and audio direction - everything Google recommends for production-quality results.
Basic prompts get basic results. This guide covers the advanced techniques Google recommends for professional Veo 3.1 output - the same workflows used by WPP, Pocket FM, and QuickFrame in production.
The 5-Part Prompting Formula
Google's recommended structure for consistent, high-quality results:
[Cinematography] + [Subject] + [Action] + [Context] + [Style & Ambiance]
| Element | What to Include | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Cinematography | Camera work, shot type, movement | "Medium shot", "Tracking shot", "Crane shot ascending" |
| Subject | Main character or focal point | "A tired corporate worker", "A female explorer" |
| Action | What the subject is doing | "Rubbing his temples in exhaustion" |
| Context | Environment, background, setting | "In a cluttered 1980s office late at night" |
| Style & Ambiance | Aesthetic, mood, lighting, film style | "Retro aesthetic, shot on 1980s colour film, slightly grainy" |
Full Example
Medium shot, a tired corporate worker, rubbing his temples in exhaustion, in front of a bulky 1980s computer in a cluttered office late at night. The scene is lit by harsh fluorescent overhead lights and the green glow of the monochrome monitor. Retro aesthetic, shot as if on 1980s colour film, slightly grainy.
Every element is covered. The model knows exactly what to generate.
Cinematography Language That Works
The cinematography element is your most powerful tool for controlling tone and emotion.
Camera Movement
| Term | Effect |
|---|---|
| Dolly shot | Camera physically moves toward/away from subject |
| Tracking shot | Camera follows subject laterally |
| Crane shot | Camera moves vertically (ascending/descending) |
| Aerial view | Bird's eye perspective |
| Slow pan | Gradual horizontal rotation |
| POV shot | First-person perspective |
// Crane shot example
Crane shot starting low on a lone hiker and ascending high above, revealing they are standing on the edge of a colossal, mist-filled canyon at sunrise. Epic fantasy style, awe-inspiring, soft morning light.
Composition
| Term | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Wide shot | Shows full environment, subject in context |
| Close-up | Face or object detail |
| Extreme close-up | Isolated detail (eyes, hands, texture) |
| Low angle | Camera below subject, looking up (power, dominance) |
| High angle | Camera above subject, looking down (vulnerability) |
| Two-shot | Two subjects in frame together |
Lens & Focus
| Term | Visual Effect |
|---|---|
| Shallow depth of field | Subject sharp, background blurred (cinematic, intimate) |
| Deep focus | Everything sharp (documentary, wide establishing) |
| Wide-angle lens | Expanded perspective, slight distortion at edges |
| Macro lens | Extreme close-up of small objects |
| Soft focus | Dreamy, romantic quality |
// Shallow depth of field example
Close-up with very shallow depth of field, a young woman's face, looking out a bus window at the passing city lights with her reflection faintly visible on the glass. Inside a bus at night during a rainstorm. Melancholic mood with cool blue tones, moody, cinematic.
Directing Audio
Veo 3.1 generates synchronised audio from text instructions. Use these conventions:
Dialogue
Use quotation marks for specific speech:
Sound Effects
Use SFX: prefix for specific sounds:
Ambient Noise
Define the background soundscape:
Combined Example
Medium shot of a barista preparing coffee behind an espresso machine. She tamps the grounds, locks in the portafilter, and pulls the shot. Ambient noise: Busy cafe atmosphere with soft conversation. SFX: The hiss of steam, the clatter of cups. She looks up and says, "The usual?" Warm lighting, indie coffee shop aesthetic.
Timestamp Prompting: Multi-Shot Sequences
This is the advanced technique. Script an entire multi-shot sequence in a single generation using timestamp markers.
Syntax
[00:00-00:02] First shot description... [00:02-00:04] Second shot description... [00:04-00:06] Third shot description... [00:06-00:08] Fourth shot description...
Full Example
[00:00-00:02] Medium shot from behind a young female explorer with a leather satchel and messy brown hair in a ponytail, as she pushes aside a large jungle vine to reveal a hidden path. [00:02-00:04] Reverse shot of the explorer's freckled face, her expression filled with awe as she gazes upon ancient, moss-covered ruins in the background. SFX: The rustle of dense leaves, distant exotic bird calls. [00:04-00:06] Tracking shot following the explorer as she steps into the clearing and runs her hand over the intricate carvings on a crumbling stone wall. Emotion: Wonder and reverence. [00:06-00:08] Wide, high-angle crane shot, revealing the lone explorer standing small in the centre of the vast, forgotten temple complex, half-swallowed by the jungle. SFX: A swelling, gentle orchestral score begins to play.
Result
A complete 8-second sequence with four distinct shots, varied angles, consistent character, and directed audio - all from one generation.
Why This Matters
Without timestamp prompting, you'd need to:
- Generate four separate clips
- Hope for visual consistency
- Edit them together manually
- Add audio separately
Timestamp prompting does it all in one pass.
First & Last Frame: Controlled Transitions
Create a specific camera movement or transformation between two defined images.
Step 1: Generate your starting frame
Step 2: Generate your ending frame
Step 3: Animate with Veo 3.1
Use Cases
- Product reveals: Start on packaging, end on product in use
- Before/after: Transition between two states
- Location changes: Move from one setting to another
- Perspective shifts: Front to back, inside to outside
Ingredients to Video: Multi-Reference Consistency
Maintain consistent characters and settings across multiple shots by providing reference images as "ingredients."
Step 1: Generate reference images
- Character A (the detective)
- Character B (the mysterious woman)
- Setting (the noir office)
Step 2: Generate Shot 1 using all references
Step 3: Generate Shot 2 with same references
Result
Two shots with consistent character appearances, consistent setting, directed dialogue, and matching visual style. This is how you build scenes, not just clips.
Negative Prompting
Tell the model what to exclude, but phrase it positively:
| Instead of... | Use... |
|---|---|
| "No buildings" | "A desolate landscape with no buildings or roads" |
| "No text" | "Clean frame without any text overlays or watermarks" |
| "Not shaky" | "Smooth, stabilised camera movement" |
The model responds better to descriptive exclusions than simple negatives.
Quick Reference: Audio Syntax
| Type | Syntax | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Dialogue | Quotation marks | says, "Hello there." |
| Sound effects | SFX: prefix | SFX: Door slams shut. |
| Ambient | Ambient noise: | Ambient noise: Ocean waves, seagulls. |
| Music | Describe in style | Gentle piano score plays. |
| Silence | Explicit request | No audio. / Silent. |
Quick Reference: Timestamp Format
[MM:SS-MM:SS] Shot description with all five elements.
- Use 2-second increments for 8-second videos:
00:00-00:02,00:02-00:04, etc. - Include cinematography, subject, action, context, and style in each segment
- Add
SFX:and dialogue within each timestamp block - Maintain character consistency by describing the same subject across shots
Summary
| Technique | When to Use |
|---|---|
| 5-part formula | Every prompt - it's the foundation |
| Timestamp prompting | Multi-shot sequences in one generation |
| First & Last Frame | Controlled transitions between two points |
| Ingredients to Video | Consistent characters across multiple shots |
| Audio syntax | Dialogue, SFX, ambient sound direction |
| Negative prompting | Excluding unwanted elements |
Master these and you're not just generating video - you're directing it.
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Put these techniques to work with Veo 3.1 in ChilledSites.
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