How do you write a cinematic prompt for Veo 3?

Veo 3 responds best to prompts that name camera, lens, light and film stock explicitly. Template: '[subject] [action] in [setting at time of day], [camera move and angle], [lens], [light], shot on [film stock or look].' Example: 'A widow walks along an empty beach at dawn, slow dolly-in tracking, 50mm anamorphic, soft backlight, shot on 35mm Kodak Vision3.'

  • Name camera, lens, light, film stock explicitly.
  • Veo 3 respects film-stock language ('Kodak Vision3', 'Fuji Eterna').
  • Keep prompts 30–80 words; longer dilutes.
  • Use real cinematographic vocabulary, not poetic abstractions.

Three working examples

Example 1: 'A young chef plates a dish in a steel kitchen at golden hour, slow overhead crane shot, 35mm, warm side light from the right, shot on Kodak Vision3 250D.'

Example 2: 'A black sports car rips along a coastal road, low chase tracking shot from behind, 24mm wide, harsh midday sun, shot on Fuji Eterna 500T.'

Example 3: 'A jazz pianist plays in a smoky club, slow push-in close-up on hands, 85mm, tungsten key light from above, shot on Cinestill 800T.'

What to avoid

Avoid abstract style words ('epic', 'amazing'). Avoid stacking too many style anchors ('cinematic, Wes Anderson, Tarantino, Kubrick' — the model picks one and ignores the rest). Avoid negative prompts; Veo 3 does not use them well.

FAQ

Does Veo 3 understand director names?

Loosely — naming a director nudges style but is less reliable than naming specific film stocks, lenses and lighting setups.