Content Creation with Google Veo

The golden prompt structure: The 5 building blocks

Directing with text requires on tight structure. You must no longer think as a lyricist, but as a director and cameraman. The order of your prompt determines the result. A tight structure ensures that AI will not fill in images on its own n. There are five building blocks that are important in each scene.

The basic setting and composition

Your prompt should always begin with the frame in which the camera should start. This sets the tone for the entire clip. First, determine the location of the scene. Choose interior (inside) or exterior (outside). From there, determine the shot type, where you need to be technical. A wide shot you use to show the grandeur of an environment. A close-up you use, for example, to show emotion in a face. You can also use an over the shoulder shot, which works well for dialogue or to have the viewer look over a character’s shoulder at an object. So there are even more shot types to choose from.

Basic setting and composition prompt: “Exterior, overall shot of an abandoned tank pump in a dusty desert during dusk. The camera is at eye level and pointed straight at the entrance.”

The action and character details

With the character, you don’t just describe who is in the picture, but you are more specific. A vague description such as “a man” gives AI too much freedom. Mention your character’s age, height, hair color, hair length and eye color. Also consider the clothes the character is wearing. Add texture details for more realism. Think mud stains on cheeks, wrinkles at the corners of eyes or shiny brass buttons on a jacket. Next, add an action with active words. Describe the intention of the movement. Not ‘ a man walks,’ but ‘ a man walks with a determined stride while looking nervously over his shoulder.

Character Description prompt: “a 45-year-old man with short salt-and-pepper hair and deep wrinkles around his piercing blue eyes. He wears a weathered, dark brown canvas jacket with dull brass buttons. He wears sallow red, rugged charcoal gray work pants with reinforced knees and subtle oil stains. His footwear consists of heavy, scuffed dark leather combat boots with thick soles and worn laces. Cinematic outdoor lighting, hyper-realistic textures, 8k resolution, robust aesthetics, standing on a desolate gravel road.”

Action and character prompt: “a 45-year-old man with short salt-and-pepper hair and deep wrinkles around his piercing blue eyes. He wears a weathered, dark brown canvas jacket with dull brass buttons. He wears sallow red, rugged charcoal gray work pants with reinforced knees and subtle oil stains. His footwear consists of heavy, scuffed dark leather combat boots with thick soles and worn laces. Cinematic outdoor lighting, hyper-realistic textures, 8k resolution, robust aesthetics, standing on a desolate gravel road. He walks to the pump with a determined stride.”

Environment and set design

The background is never an afterthought in a video. Details in the environment provide realism and depth. Avoid vague terms such as “a city,” as this will give you a generic image. Make sure you make the image tangible. For example, describe the state of the asphalt, weather or reflections. Also include important objects that support the story. Are you creating a scene about a time traveler? Then describe what the time machine looks like: is it made of shiny chrome or rusty iron with flashing lights?

Environment and set design prompt: “The area around the gas station is dilapidated, with cracked asphalt through which tufts of dry weeds grow. Two old, rusty gas pumps with chipped red paint stand askew under a leaking canopy. In the distance you can see the endless, empty highway disappearing into the sweltering heat of the desert.”

Cinematography (camera and lighting)

Describe how the viewer moves through your scene. Want a stable, smooth image? Then use the term steadicam. Do you want more chaos or tension? Then choose handheld, for example. You can also rotate the camera around an object or slowly drive it forward (dolly in). Emotion is determined by light and color. Use terms such as cinematic lighting for a cinematic look or golden hour for a warm, soft atmosphere. Add visual effects such as lens flare, film grain for a vintage feel or high contrast for a raw look. If you are knowledgeable about different camera lenses, you can also name them to get the image you want.

Cinematography prompt: “The camera performs a shaky handheld movement, following the man low to the ground as he walks between rusty pumps. Cinematic lighting with a harsh backlight source from the setting sun, creating long shadows across the asphalt. Add subtle lens flare and light film grain for a grainy, raw effect.”

Sound Design

Bring your scene to life with the tag “sound design:” at the end of your prompt. Create layers in your sound plan. Start first with ambient sounds for atmosphere and add textural sounds. Think of a roaring engine, the ticking of metal on metal or the echo of a passing car. When your character talks, put the dialogue in “quotation marks.” Do not give stage directions in the dialogue itself, but describe the tone of voice.

Sound Design Prompt: “sound design: the distant echo of an approaching storm, the whirring sound of an idling engine and the scuffing sound of footsteps on gravel. The man shouts in a hoarse, angst-ridden voice, “Wait for me!”, commanding with a heavy accent.”

The result

If you put all these little pieces of prompt together and enter them into Veo, you end up with a clip. Here’s an example of what we got from this prompt.