
# Complete VEO 3.1 Prompting Guide

Google's VEO 3.1 generates 4-8 second videos with optional high-quality audio from text prompts. The audio can include dialogue, voice-overs, sound effects, and music.

## ⚠️ CRITICAL WARNINGS

### Celebrity/Real Person Detection

**Google VEO 3.1 frequently FAILS if it detects the character resembles a real person or celebrity.** If you use an influencer image and Google's system flags it as sensitive or resembling a real person, **your generation WILL FAIL and your credits WILL BE LOST with NO REFUND.**

**⚠️ For talking videos with influencer faces, use the "Talking Video" tab instead - it's much more reliable for influencer content.**

### NSFW Content Warning

Google VEO 3.1 does not support NSFW content. If your prompt or images contain adult content, generation may fail and credits will not be refunded. Only WAN 2.2 (Normal Quality) supports NSFW content.

## 🎯 VEO 3.1 Works Best With

- **AI-generated original faces** (not real person images)
- **Abstract, artistic, or non-sensitive content**
- **Text-to-video** (no image selected) for creative scenes
- **High-quality audio output** included automatically

## Basic Prompting Structure

A well-crafted prompt should include these elements:

- **Subject**: Who or what is in the scene
- **Context**: Where is the subject located
- **Action**: What is happening in the scene
- **Style**: Visual aesthetic (cinematic, animated, etc.)
- **Camera motion**: How the camera moves
- **Audio**: Dialogue, ambient sounds, music

### Basic vs Detailed Prompts

**Basic**: A man answers a phone

**Detailed**: A desperate man in a weathered green trench coat picks up a rotary phone mounted on a gritty brick wall, bathed in the eerie glow of a green neon sign. The camera uses a shaky dolly zoom from far away to close-up, revealing tension on his face. Background has neon colors and shadows.

## Dialogue and Speech

### Writing Dialogue

Use this format for character speech:
```
Character says: "Your dialogue here"
```

**Tips for dialogue:**
- Keep speech short (8 seconds max)
- Use colon format, not quotes
- Add "(no subtitles!)" to avoid unwanted text
- Be specific about who is speaking in multi-character scenes

### Examples

**Explicit dialogue**:
```
A chef in a white apron says: "The secret to perfect pasta is timing!" (no subtitles!). Kitchen sounds in background.
```

**Implicit dialogue**:
```
A chef explains the secret to perfect pasta cooking (no subtitles!). Kitchen ambiance.
```

## Audio Prompting

VEO 3 generates audio with each video. Consider these elements:

- **Dialogue**: What people are saying
- **Ambient noise**: Environmental sounds (busy street, cafe, etc.)
- **Sound effects**: Specific noises (phone ringing, footsteps)
- **Music**: Background music style and mood

### Audio Examples

```
Soft jazz music plays with gentle cafe ambiance
Epic orchestral music with medieval sounds
Kitchen sounds, gentle sizzling in background
Birds chirping, soft wind through leaves
```

## Professional Style Examples

### Talking Characters

**Cafe Conversation**:
```
A friendly woman with curly brown hair in a cozy cafe, wearing a cream sweater, looks directly at the camera with a warm smile. She says: "Welcome to our little coffee corner! I just made the most amazing latte art, want to see?" (no subtitles!). Soft jazz music plays in the background with gentle cafe ambiance.
```

**Travel Vlog Selfie**:
```
A selfie video of a travel vlogger with short blonde hair, wearing a vintage denim jacket, exploring a bustling Tokyo street market. She holds the camera at arm's length, her arm visible in frame. She says: "You have to try this ramen place when you visit Tokyo - it's been family-owned for 50 years!" (no subtitles!). Background sounds of busy market, distant chatter.
```

**Cooking Tutorial**:
```
A chef with a white apron and friendly smile in a modern kitchen, hands moving expressively as he explains. He says: "The secret to perfect pasta is timing - al dente means it should have just a tiny bite to it" (no subtitles!). Kitchen sounds, gentle sizzling in background.
```

### Artistic Styles

**Pixar Animation**:
```
In the style of Pixar animation: A cheerful robot with big expressive eyes discovers a small flower growing through concrete in a futuristic city. The robot gently touches the flower with wonder. Soft orchestral music plays with gentle wind sounds.
```

**LEGO Style**:
```
In the style of LEGO: A LEGO minifigure knight stands heroically on a castle wall at sunset, wind blowing through a LEGO flag. Epic cinematic music with medieval ambiance sounds.
```

**Anime Style**:
```
In the style of anime: A young warrior with silver hair stands on a mountain peak, cape flowing in the wind, overlooking a vast fantasy landscape with floating islands. Dramatic orchestral music with wind sounds.
```

### Camera Movements

**Dolly Shot**:
```
A slow dolly shot moves through a misty forest at dawn, revealing ancient trees covered in moss. Gentle nature sounds, birds chirping, soft wind through leaves.
```

**Zoom Out**:
```
A dramatic zoom out from a close-up of a dewdrop on a flower petal to reveal a vast meadow filled with wildflowers under morning sunlight. Peaceful nature ambiance.
```

## Selfie-Style Videos

VEO 3 excels at creating authentic-looking selfie videos:

- Start with "A selfie video of..."
- Make the arm visible: "holds the camera at arm's length, arm visible in frame"
- Include natural eye movement: "occasionally looking into the camera"
- Add grainy texture: "The image is slightly grainy, looks film-like"

## Avoiding Common Issues

### Preventing Subtitles

- Use "(no subtitles!)" in your prompt
- Use colon format for dialogue: `says: "text"`
- Avoid quote format: `says "text"`
- Add "No subtitles. No subtitles!" if needed

### Fixing Wrong Audio

Specify the audio you want to avoid unwanted elements:
- **Problem**: Unwanted studio audience laughter
- **Solution**: Add specific ambient audio descriptions

**Example**:
```
A standup comic tells a joke at a music festival. Sounds of distant bands, noisy crowd, ambient background of a busy festival field (no studio audience).
```

### Character Consistency

Keep character descriptions consistent across generations:
```
John, a man in his 40s with short brown hair, wearing a blue jacket and glasses, looking thoughtful
```

## Advanced Techniques

### Physics and Motion

VEO 3 excels at realistic physics simulations. Describe natural movements:
- Water flowing, objects falling, wind effects
- Natural human gestures and expressions
- Realistic lighting and shadows

### Style Variations

Available styles include:
- LEGO, Claymation, South Park, Pixar
- 8-bit retro, Graphic novel, Origami
- Simpsons, Blueprint, Anime, Marble

### Camera Terms

Use these for specific camera work:
- Eye level, High angle, Worm's eye
- Dolly shot, Zoom shot, Pan shot
- Tracking shot, Zoom in/out
- Left to right pan

## Pro Tips Summary

1. **Add "(no subtitles!)" to avoid unwanted text**
2. **Use colons for dialogue: 'Character says: "Hello"'**
3. **Describe audio: ambient sounds, music, effects**
4. **Be specific about character appearance for consistency**
5. **Include style, camera movement, and mood for best results**
6. **Change prompts between generations for variety**
7. **Keep dialogue short (8 seconds max)**
8. **Specify background audio to avoid unwanted sounds**

## Best Practices

- **Think like a filmmaker** - layer in subject, setting, action, camera work, audio, and mood
- **Start broad, then get specific** if you're exploring ideas
- **Use detailed character descriptions** for consistency
- **Test different styles** to find what works for your content
- **Always specify audio elements** for better results

## Getting Help

If you need assistance with VEO 3:
- Experiment with the example prompts
- Start simple and add complexity gradually
- Study successful prompts from the community
- Contact support for technical issues

Remember: VEO 3 is powerful but works best when you understand its strengths and limitations. Focus on original content and detailed prompting for the best results! 🎬

Master Google VEO 3.1 video generation with professional prompting techniques, warnings, and best practices