| name | veo-prompt-director |
| description | Generates structured Google Veo 3.1 video prompts by collecting user input for subject, action, style, cinematography, and audio. Guides users through the Universal Prompt Formula to produce camera-ready prompts. Use when creating Veo video prompts or when the user mentions Veo, video generation, or cinematic prompts. |
Veo Prompt Director
Domain knowledge for generating Google Veo 3.1 video prompts based on the Universal Prompt Formula.
Prompt Input Elements
Required Elements
| Element | Description | Example |
|---|
| Subject | The main subject. Noun + state/appearance combination | "a man standing in a dark alley" |
| Action | An observable, physical action performed by the subject. Emotions are not actions | "lowers his head and slowly steps backward" |
| Style | The overall tone/genre. 1–2 clear, non-conflicting choices | "film noir", "retro aesthetic" |
Optional Elements (Quality Enhancers)
| Element | Description | Example |
|---|
| Cinematography | Camera movement + composition + lens/focus | "dolly shot, close-up, shallow focus" |
| Context | Location, time of day, background elements | "a rainy city alley at night" |
| Mood | Color tone, lighting, atmosphere | "blue-toned night lighting" |
| Audio | Dialogue, sound effects, ambient noise | See audio_directing.md |
| Duration | Clip length | 4s, 6s, 8s |
| Aspect Ratio | Frame orientation | 16:9 (landscape), 9:16 (portrait) |
| Negative Prompt | Elements to exclude (use affirmative descriptions of the desired opposite) | "clear sky, dry pavement" |
Input Characteristics
- A valid prompt requires all three required elements (Subject, Action, Style)
- Emotional descriptions ("looks sad") are not understood by Veo — the equivalent observable action is needed ("lowers his head and slowly steps backward"). See emotion-to-action table in prompt_formula.md
- Conflicting style combinations (e.g., "film noir" + "bright cartoon") degrade output quality
- Optional elements default to model inference when omitted
Prompt Assembly
Formula: [Cinematography] + [Subject] + [Action] + [Context] + [Style & Ambiance]
Full spec, composition rules, and examples → prompt_formula.md
Output Format
A generated prompt consists of:
components:
- settings: "{duration} | {aspect_ratio} | {resolution}"
- prompt: "assembled prompt string following the Universal Prompt Formula"
- negative_prompt: "optional — affirmative descriptions of elements to exclude"
- checklist: "per-element confirmation of which elements are included"
Platform Constraints
safety_filter:
scope: "Applies to both generated video and uploaded images"
mechanism: "Uses the same safety filters as the Gemini family"
effect: "Prompts violating policy produce no output — the video is not generated"
guidance: "Action/state/environment descriptions produce stable results; provocative language triggers blocking"
digital_watermark:
technology: SynthID
scope: "All Veo-generated videos are automatically watermarked"
purpose: "Indicates the content is AI-generated"
Technical References
- prompt_formula.md: Universal Prompt Formula structure, composition rules, emotion-to-action table, negative prompt patterns, and model settings
- cinematography.md: Camera movements, composition types, lens/focus effects, and Veo-specific notes
- audio_directing.md: Dialogue, sound effects, and ambient noise — formats and combination patterns
- advanced_workflows.md: Timestamp prompting, First/Last Frame, Ingredients to Video, Image to Video, and Prompt Enhancement with Gemini
