How to write a prompt for Veo

Veo (Google's video model) is powerful, but it demands precision. This recipe teaches the SASCSL structure — six blocks that turn "a man running" into a cinematic shot.

Advanced Updated 2026-04-26

What this recipe solves

You write "a man running on the beach at sunset" and Veo returns something generic, plastic, AI-looking. The problem isn't the model — it's the prompt. No direction. No cinematic language.

The SASCSL formula

SSubject

AAction

SSetting

CCamera

SStyle

LLighting

Six blocks, always in this order. Each block answers a different question.

1 — SUBJECT

Who or what

Concrete. Approximate age, ethnicity if relevant, clothing. Not "a person": a 30-year-old woman, curly hair, faded denim jacket.

2 — ACTION

Concrete verb + tempo

Not "runs" — jogs slowly, breathing visible, hands relaxed. Veo needs to know the rhythm and the physical state.

3 — SETTING

Place with texture

Not "on a beach" — on a black-sand beach at dawn, low waves, light mist. Tactile detail anchors the model.

4 — CAMERA

Lens, angle and movement

This is the cinematic leap. Medium shot, 50mm anamorphic lens, slow dolly to the right.

35mm — documentary feel, character's eye
50mm — "human lens", neutral
85mm — compresses background, glamour portrait
Dolly — camera on tracks (smooth)
Handheld — documentary feel
Crane — low aerial

5 — STYLE

Visual reference

Instead of "cinematic", give a reference: shot on Sony FX3, color style of "Moonlight" (2016), light 16mm grain.

6 — LIGHTING

Direction and quality

Natural side window light at dawn, soft backlight, long shadows. Say where light comes from, what type, and how it behaves.

Anti-plastic lock

Paste this block at the end of any prompt to avoid the "shiny AI" look:

Shot on Sony FX3, anamorphic lens, natural skin texture with visible pores, slight 16mm film grain, no plastic shine, no overly smooth surfaces, realistic motion blur, photo-real lighting.

Full prompt (template)

[SUBJECT: 30-year-old woman, dark curly hair, faded denim jacket] [ACTION: walks slowly, hands in pockets, eyes down] [SETTING: narrow cobblestone street in Lisbon at dawn, light mist, shopfronts still closed] [CAMERA: medium shot, 50mm lens, slow dolly tracking from her right side] [STYLE: color style of "Moonlight" (2016), desaturated palette with cool blue shadows, 16mm grain] [LIGHTING: natural side light from sunrise, warm backlight, long shadows] Shot on Sony FX3, anamorphic lens, natural skin texture, slight grain, no plastic shine, photo-real motion. Duration: 5 seconds. Aspect ratio: 16:9.

Example: bad to good

Bad: "A man running on the beach at sunset, cinematic."

Good: "40-year-old man, lean, sweat-soaked white t-shirt, jogs slowly with visible breath along a black-sand beach. Low waves to his left, light mist over the waterline. Medium shot, 35mm lens, handheld camera tracking from behind. Color style of 'The Tree of Life' (2011), 16mm grain. Low backlit sun, golden halo on edges, sand in cool shadow. Shot on Sony FX3, realistic skin texture, no plastic shine."

Common mistakes

Asking for "cinematic" without a reference. Name the film. Name the film stock.
Listing empty adjectives. "Beautiful", "epic", "stunning" — the model ignores them.
Forgetting lighting. Light is 60% of the look. Without defined light, you get stock.
Multiple subjects. More than 1 person = more errors. Start with one.
Negatives. "Not cartoon style" — Veo reads "cartoon" and uses it. Describe what you want, not what you don't.

Related recipes

Next step

Refine the look further

Read the next recipe on the 4 levers that separate "obviously AI" from genuinely cinematic.

Cinematic AI video →