Video Prompting Guide Best practices for writing effective AI video generation prompts via inference.sh . Quick Start Requires inference.sh CLI ( infsh ). Get installation instructions: npx skills add inference-sh/skills@agent-tools infsh login

Well-structured video prompt

infsh app run google/veo-3-1-fast

--input

'{

"prompt": "Cinematic tracking shot of a red sports car driving through Tokyo at night, neon lights reflecting on wet streets, rain falling, 4K, shallow depth of field"

}'

Prompt Structure Formula

[Shot Type] + [Subject] + [Action] + [Setting] + [Lighting] + [Style] + [Technical]

Example Breakdown

"Slow motion close-up of coffee being poured into a white ceramic cup,

steam rising, morning sunlight streaming through window, warm color grading,

cinematic, 4K, shallow depth of field"

Shot Type

Slow motion close-up

Subject

Coffee

Action

Being poured

Setting

White ceramic cup, window

Lighting

Morning sunlight

Style

Warm color grading, cinematic

Technical

4K, shallow depth of field Shot Types Shot Type Description Use For Wide shot Shows entire scene Establishing location Medium shot Waist-up framing Conversations, actions Close-up Face or detail Emotion, product detail Extreme close-up Single feature Drama, texture Aerial shot Bird's eye view Landscapes, scale Low angle Camera looking up Power, grandeur High angle Camera looking down Vulnerability Dutch angle Tilted camera Unease, tension POV shot First person view Immersion Camera Movements Movement Description Effect Tracking shot Camera follows subject Dynamic, engaging Dolly in/out Camera moves toward/away Focus, reveal Pan Horizontal rotation Survey scene Tilt Vertical rotation Reveal height Crane shot Vertical + horizontal Dramatic reveal Handheld Slight shake Realism, urgency Steadicam Smooth following Professional, cinematic Zoom Lens zoom in/out Quick focus change Static No movement Contemplation, stability Lighting Keywords Keyword Effect Golden hour Warm, soft, romantic Blue hour Cool, moody, twilight High key Bright, minimal shadows Low key Dark, dramatic shadows Rim lighting Subject outlined with light Backlit Light from behind subject Soft lighting Gentle, flattering Hard lighting Sharp shadows, contrast Neon Colorful, urban, cyberpunk Natural lighting Realistic, documentary Style Keywords Cinematic Styles cinematic, film grain, anamorphic lens, letterbox, shallow depth of field, bokeh, 35mm film, color grading, theatrical Visual Aesthetics minimalist, maximalist, vintage, retro, futuristic, cyberpunk, steampunk, noir, pastel, vibrant, muted colors, high contrast, desaturated Quality Keywords 4K, 8K, high resolution, photorealistic, hyperrealistic, ultra detailed, professional, broadcast quality, HDR Prompt Examples by Use Case Product Demo infsh app run google/veo-3-1-fast --input '{ "prompt": "Smooth tracking shot around a sleek smartphone on a white pedestal, soft studio lighting, product photography style, reflections on surface, 4K, shallow depth of field" }' Nature Documentary infsh app run google/veo-3-1 --input '{ "prompt": "Slow motion extreme close-up of a hummingbird hovering at a red flower, wings in motion blur, shallow depth of field, golden hour lighting, National Geographic style" }' Urban Lifestyle infsh app run google/veo-3 --input '{ "prompt": "Tracking shot following a cyclist through busy city streets, morning rush hour, natural lighting, handheld camera feel, documentary style, authentic and candid" }' Food Content infsh app run bytedance/seedance-1-5-pro --input '{ "prompt": "Close-up of chocolate sauce being drizzled over ice cream, slow motion, steam rising, soft lighting, food photography style, appetizing, commercial quality" }' Tech/Futuristic infsh app run xai/grok-imagine-video --input '{ "prompt": "Futuristic control room with holographic displays, camera slowly pans across the space, blue and cyan lighting, sci-fi atmosphere, Blade Runner aesthetic, 4K", "duration": 5 }' Common Mistakes to Avoid Mistake Problem Better Approach Too vague "A nice video" Specify shot, subject, style Too complex Multiple scenes One scene per prompt No motion Static description Include camera movement or action Conflicting styles "Minimalist maximalist" Choose one aesthetic No lighting Undefined mood Specify lighting conditions Model-Specific Tips Google Veo Excels at realistic, cinematic content Supports audio generation (Veo 3+) Best with detailed, professional prompts Frame interpolation available in 3.1 Seedance Strong at dance and human motion First-frame control available Good for consistent character motion Works well with reference images Wan 2.5 Best for image-to-video Animates still images naturally Good motion prediction Works with any image style Grok Good general-purpose video Configurable duration (5-10s) Creative interpretations Works well with abstract concepts Workflow: Iterative Prompting

1. Start with basic prompt

infsh app run google/veo-3-1-fast --input '{ "prompt": "A woman walking through a forest" }'

2. Add specificity

infsh app run google/veo-3-1-fast --input '{ "prompt": "Medium tracking shot of a woman in a red dress walking through an autumn forest" }'

3. Add style and technical details

infsh app run google/veo-3-1-fast --input '{ "prompt": "Cinematic medium tracking shot of a woman in a flowing red dress walking through an autumn forest, golden hour sunlight filtering through leaves, shallow depth of field, film grain, 4K" }'