Great Prompt Anatomy

Every solid Veo 3 prompt requires 8 mandatory components.

The 8 Must-Have Components

1. Subject

What it is: Who or what appears in the shot

Example: "A glass of red wine" or "Young couple under umbrella"

Why mandatory: Defines focal point; AI will invent subject if not specified

2. Setting

What it is: Where and when the scene happens

Example: "White linen tablecloth" or "Rain-soaked cobblestone street at dusk"

Why mandatory: Anchors spatial and temporal context

3. Action

What it is: What's unfolding in the scene

Example: "Tips over in slow motion" or "She adjusts umbrella, faint smile"

Why mandatory: Drives narrative momentum; static without action

4. Style/Genre

What it is: Visual aesthetic and mood category

Example: "Cinematic realism" or "Neo-noir with high-contrast shadows"

Why mandatory: Guides AI's aesthetic decisions; consistency requires explicit style

5. Camera/Composition

What it is: Shot size, angle, and movement

Example: "Close-up, low angle" or "Medium shot with gentle dolly-in"

Why mandatory: Defines cinematography; without this, AI chooses randomly

Reference: Use camera-movements skill for movement vocabulary

6. Lighting/Mood

What it is: Light sources and emotional tone

Example: "Moody with single warm spotlight" or "Soft natural sunlight, muted palette"

Why mandatory: Shapes atmosphere; lighting is 50% of visual impact

7. Audio

What it is: Dialogue, ambient sound, music cues

Formats:

• Dialogue: He says: "We don't have much time."

• Ambience: "Soft string quartet fades into silence"

• Clean frames: Add (no subtitles) if dialogue without text overlay wanted

Why mandatory: Sound sells the scene; silence is also a choice that must be specified

8. Constraints

What it is: Prohibitions or exact requirements

Example: "(no subtitles)" or "exactly six candles on the table"

Why mandatory: Prevents unwanted elements; AI creative unless constrained

Complete Example

Basic Prompt (all 8 components):

Close-up, low angle. A glass of red wine tips over in slow motion on a white linen tablecloth. Rich burgundy liquid spills and spreads. Lighting: moody, with a single warm spotlight. Audio: soft string quartet fades into silence. (no subtitles)

Component Breakdown:

• ✅ Subject: Glass of red wine

• ✅ Setting: White linen tablecloth

• ✅ Action: Tips over in slow motion, liquid spills

• ✅ Style: (Implied cinematic realism from description)

• ✅ Camera: Close-up, low angle

• ✅ Lighting: Moody, single warm spotlight

• ✅ Audio: Soft string quartet fades to silence

• ✅ Constraints: (no subtitles)

Audio Detail Patterns

Dialogue Format

• Standard: Character name: "Dialogue text"

• Example: She whispers: "Stay a little longer."

Ambient Sound

• Be specific: "Hollow wind whistling through ruins" vs generic "wind"

• Layer sounds: "Soft rainfall, muffled footsteps, distant café hum"

Music

• Describe style and timing: "Soft piano underscore with subtle reverb"

• Note changes: "String quartet fades into silence"

Silence

• Specify explicitly: "No background music" or "Complete silence"

• Silence is intentional, not default

Subtitle Control

• Clean frames: Add (no subtitles) after dialogue

• Example: He says: "Perfect timing." (no subtitles)

Styling & Realism Controls

Big-budget drama: "Shot on 50mm lens, soft natural light, muted color palette"

Gritty and raw: "Handheld camera shake, harsh fluorescent lighting, visible grain"

Stylized neo-noir: "High-contrast shadows with glowing neon signs, wet reflections"

Continuity rule: Repeat same visual cues across multiple prompts for recurring characters and consistent style.

Validation Checklist

Before releasing prompt, verify:

• All 8 components present

• Camera movement uses standardized vocabulary

• Audio format correct (dialogue with colon)

• Constraints explicitly stated

• Style clear and consistent

When to Read Extended Examples

For detailed examples of each component with variations, see: references/examples.md

Load examples.md when:

• Need inspiration for specific component

• Exploring different style approaches

• Learning genre-specific patterns

• Want to see complete prompt variations

Stay in SKILL.md when:

• Quick validation needed

• Basic understanding sufficient

• Working with familiar patterns