video-prompting-guide

video-prompting-guide

Video Prompting Guide

Best practices for writing effective AI video generation prompts via inference.sh.

Quick Start

Requires inference.sh CLI (infsh). Install instructions

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"
}'

Related Skills

# Generate videos
npx skills add inference-sh/skills@ai-video-generation

# Google Veo specific
npx skills add inference-sh/skills@google-veo

# Generate images for image-to-video
npx skills add inference-sh/skills@ai-image-generation

# General prompt engineering
npx skills add inference-sh/skills@prompt-engineering

# Full platform skill
npx skills add inference-sh/skills@infsh-cli

Browse all video apps: infsh app list --category video

Documentation

• Running Apps - How to run apps via CLI

• Video Generation Guide - Comprehensive video guide

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