
# Complete VEO 3 Prompting Guide

Google's VEO 3 generates 8-second videos with 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 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 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 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 video generation with professional prompting techniques, warnings, and best practices