AI video prompts for Gemini (Veo), Sora and other video tools
These free AI video prompts are templates for text-to-video and image-to-video tools such as Google Gemini (Veo), Sora and Kling. Each one describes the subject, action, setting, camera, light and sound, which is what video models need to produce a clean clip. Copy a prompt, fill in the [BLANKS] and paste it into your video tool.
By the ThinkWithPrompt editorial team at Synottic · 10 prompts · Updated October 2026
What makes a good AI video prompt?
- Subject
- Who or what is on screen, with details that should stay the same in every frame.
- Action
- What happens from the first second to the last, in order.
- Setting
- The place, time of day and weather.
- Camera
- The shot and movement: close-up, tracking shot, slow push-in, drone shot.
- Look and light
- Lens, colour and lighting, for example “35mm, shallow depth of field, golden hour”.
- Sound
- Ambient sound, music or silence. Tools that generate audio, such as Veo, use this.
- Format
- Length and aspect ratio: 9:16 for Reels and Shorts, 16:9 for YouTube and slides.
How do you turn a prompt into a video?
- Open your video tool. In the Gemini app, choose the video option (Veo) if your plan includes it; Sora, Kling and others work the same way.
- Copy a prompt below and replace every [BLANK] with your details.
- To animate a photo, upload it first, then paste the photo-to-video prompt.
- If the result isn’t right, change one thing (the camera, the action or the light) and try again rather than rewriting everything.
10 AI video prompts to copy and paste
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks: replace them with your own details before sending.
A fill-in template for an 8-second cinematic clip in Veo, Sora, Kling or any text-to-video tool: subject, action, camera, light and sound.
Create an 8-second cinematic video.
Subject: [who or what is on screen, e.g. a tea seller pouring chai at a roadside stall]
Action: [what happens, in order, e.g. he lifts the kettle high and pours a long stream into small glasses]
Setting: [place and time, e.g. a busy Mumbai street at dawn, light rain]
Camera: [slow push-in / tracking shot from the side / static close-up / drone shot rising]
Lens and look: [35mm, shallow depth of field, warm film colours]
Lighting: [soft golden morning light / neon reflections on wet ground]
Sound: [rain, kettle hiss, distant traffic, no music / soft instrumental]
Aspect ratio: [16:9 / 9:16]
Rules:
- One continuous shot with realistic motion and physics.
- Keep the subject consistent from start to end.
- No text, captions, logos or watermarks on screen.
- Do not show real, identifiable people or copyrighted characters.
Fill in the blanks in the app
Turns an uploaded photo into a short, natural-looking video with gentle movement, keeping the people and scene exactly as they are.
Animate the uploaded photo into a short video.
Length: [5 / 8 seconds]
Movement: [gentle breeze in hair and clothes / the person slowly smiles and blinks / waves and water move in the background / camera slowly zooms in]
Camera: [static / slow push-in / slow pan from left to right]
Sound: [ambient sound that fits the scene / soft music / silent]
Aspect ratio: [same as the photo / 9:16 / 16:9]
Rules:
- Keep every face, body, outfit and background exactly the same as in the photo; only add natural motion.
- Movement should be subtle and realistic: no warping, melting or extra limbs.
- Do not make anyone say or do something they didn't do; no lip-synced speech.
- No text, logos or watermarks.
Only use a photo of yourself or of people who have agreed to it; for anyone under 18, only if you are their parent or guardian.
Fill in the blanks in the app
A prompt for a short, polished product video for ads or social media, with camera moves, lighting and an end frame for your brand.
Create an 8-second product showcase video.
Product: [PRODUCT, e.g. a stainless-steel water bottle]
Key detail to highlight: [e.g. condensation on the surface / the lid clicking shut / the texture of the fabric]
Setting: [clean studio with a soft gradient background / kitchen counter in morning light / outdoors on a rock by a stream]
Camera: [slow 360° orbit around the product / macro close-up sliding across the surface / product drops into frame and settles]
Lighting: [soft studio light with crisp reflections / warm natural sunlight]
Music or sound: [upbeat instrumental / subtle ambient sound / no sound]
Aspect ratio: [9:16 for Reels and Shorts / 1:1 / 16:9]
Rules:
- Show the product accurately: same shape, colours and proportions in every frame.
- Smooth, steady camera motion; realistic reflections and shadows.
- Leave the last second as a clean frame with empty space for my logo, to be added later.
- No on-screen text, other brands or logos.
Fill in the blanks in the app
Builds a vertical short-video prompt with a strong first-second hook, a clear moment and a loopable ending for Reels and Shorts.
Create an 8-second vertical video for Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts.
Topic: [TOPIC, e.g. making the perfect masala dosa]
Hook in the first second: [a striking visual, e.g. batter spreading in a perfect circle on a hot pan, seen from above]
Main moment: [what happens next, e.g. the dosa is folded and slides onto a banana leaf]
Ending: [ends close to how it starts so it loops smoothly / ends on a satisfying close-up]
Camera: [top-down / handheld close-up / quick push-in]
Lighting and colour: [bright, warm and appetising / moody evening light]
Sound: [sizzling and ambient sound / upbeat instrumental]
Aspect ratio: 9:16
Rules:
- Keep the main subject centred so it isn't hidden by app buttons at the edges.
- Realistic motion and textures; no distorted hands or objects.
- No on-screen text, logos or watermarks (I will add captions in the editing app).
- No real, identifiable people or copyrighted characters.
Fill in the blanks in the app
A prompt for a short festive greeting video for Diwali, Holi, Eid, Christmas or New Year to share on WhatsApp or social media.
Create an 8-second festive greeting video.
Festival: [Diwali / Holi / Eid / Christmas / New Year / Raksha Bandhan]
Scene: [e.g. rows of diyas lighting up one by one on a balcony at night / colour powder bursting in slow motion against a blue sky / lanterns glowing on a rooftop under a crescent moon]
Camera: [slow push-in / gentle pan / slow-motion close-up]
Mood and colour: [warm and golden / bright and joyful / calm and glowing]
Sound: [soft festive instrumental / ambient sound only]
Greeting text: [e.g. Happy Diwali from the Sharma family / no text]
Aspect ratio: [9:16 for WhatsApp status and Reels / 1:1 / 16:9]
Rules:
- Respectful, warm imagery; no deities or religious figures unless I describe them.
- If greeting text is shown, spell it exactly as written, in a clean, readable style, appearing in the last two seconds.
- Realistic light, smoke and particle motion.
- No logos or watermarks.
Fill in the blanks in the app
Generates a cinematic travel b-roll clip of a destination with camera movement, time of day and ambient sound you choose.
Create an 8-second cinematic travel b-roll clip.
Destination type: [Himalayan village / backwaters with houseboats / desert fort at sunset / misty tea gardens / old-city market]
Shot: [drone shot slowly rising over the landscape / tracking shot along a street / slow pan across the view / time-lapse of clouds moving]
Time and weather: [sunrise with mist / golden hour / after rain / blue hour with lights coming on]
Look: [natural colours, high detail / warm film look / crisp and vivid]
Sound: [ambient sound of the place: birds, wind, market chatter / soft instrumental]
Aspect ratio: [16:9 / 9:16]
Rules:
- Smooth, stable camera movement and realistic scale.
- Do not recreate a specific real landmark in detail unless I name it: [LANDMARK or none].
- People, if any, stay small in the background and are not identifiable.
- No text, logos or watermarks.
Fill in the blanks in the app
A prompt for a short animated explainer clip that shows one idea simply, for presentations, lessons or social posts.
Create an 8-second animated explainer clip.
Idea to explain: [ONE IDEA, e.g. how a UPI payment moves from your phone to the shop]
Visual metaphor: [e.g. a coin travels along glowing lines from a phone to a shop counter]
Style: [flat 2D motion graphics / soft 3D isometric / hand-drawn sketch style]
Colour palette: [brand colours: COLOURS / calm blues and greens]
Pacing: [one clear step every 2–3 seconds]
Sound: [light instrumental / subtle sound effects / silent]
Aspect ratio: [16:9 for slides / 9:16 for social]
Rules:
- One idea only; keep the scene simple and uncluttered.
- Smooth, steady motion with clear start and end positions.
- No on-screen text (I will add labels later), no logos.
- No copyrighted characters or real brand interfaces.
Fill in the blanks in the app
Creates a mouth-watering close-up food clip with steam, sizzle and slow motion for restaurant, recipe or delivery posts.
Create an 8-second close-up food video.
Dish: [DISH, e.g. butter chicken in a copper bowl / stack of hot jalebis / pizza being pulled apart]
Hero moment: [cheese pull / ghee poured on top / steam rising as the lid lifts / syrup dripping]
Camera: [slow-motion macro close-up / slow push-in at table height / top-down]
Setting: [rustic wooden table / restaurant table with soft background lights / street-food stall]
Lighting: [warm side light that makes the food glossy / bright daylight]
Sound: [sizzling and ambient kitchen sound / soft instrumental]
Aspect ratio: [9:16 / 1:1 / 4:5]
Rules:
- Food looks real and appetising: natural textures, realistic steam and liquids.
- Keep the dish the same throughout the clip.
- No hands with extra fingers; if hands appear, they look natural.
- No text, logos or watermarks.
Fill in the blanks in the app
A prompt for a smooth walkthrough clip of a room or property for listings and social media, with a steady gliding camera.
Create an 8-second property walkthrough clip.
Space: [living room / modern kitchen / bedroom with balcony / rooftop terrace / villa exterior]
Style of the home: [modern minimal / warm Indian contemporary / luxury]
Camera path: [glide from the entrance towards the window / slow orbit around the room / rise from the garden to show the facade]
Time of day: [bright morning light / golden hour / evening with lights on]
Sound: [soft instrumental / quiet ambient sound]
Aspect ratio: [16:9 / 9:16]
Rules:
- Smooth, stabilised, gimbal-like camera movement at walking speed.
- Realistic proportions, straight vertical lines and believable furniture.
- If this represents a real property, label the video as an AI visualisation when you share it.
- No people, text, logos or watermarks.
Fill in the blanks in the app
Paste a one-line video idea and get back a detailed, shot-by-shot prompt you can use in Veo, Sora, Kling or Gemini.
Act as an experienced video director and prompt writer for AI video tools.
My idea: [ONE OR TWO SENTENCES, e.g. a cat waking up its owner on a rainy Monday]
Tool I will use: [Veo / Sora / Kling / Gemini / other]
Length: [5 / 8 / 10 seconds]
Aspect ratio: [16:9 / 9:16]
Mood: [funny / calm / dramatic / inspiring]
Task: Rewrite my idea as one detailed video prompt. Describe, in this order: subject (with consistent visual details), action from start to finish, setting and time of day, camera shot and movement, lens and visual style, lighting, and sound.
Format:
1. The finished prompt as one paragraph I can paste directly.
2. Two alternative versions: one with a different camera approach, one with a different mood.
3. Three short tips for fixing common problems if the first result isn't right.
Rules: keep it to one continuous shot unless I ask for cuts; no real, identifiable people, copyrighted characters, logos or on-screen text.
Fill in the blanks in the app
Frequently asked questions
Can I make AI videos for free?
Several tools offer a limited number of free video generations, and the limits change often. The prompts on this page are free to use in any of them; check the current plan of the tool you choose.
What is a good prompt for Veo in Gemini?
A good Veo prompt describes one continuous shot: the subject, the action from start to finish, the setting, the camera movement, the look and the sound. The cinematic short clip template on this page follows that order.
How do I turn a photo into a video with AI?
Upload the photo to an image-to-video tool, then paste the “Animate a photo” prompt. Ask for subtle, natural movement and keep the rule that faces and the scene stay exactly the same.
Why does my AI video look distorted?
Video models struggle with fast motion, hands and many moving people. Keep to one subject and one simple action, slow the camera down and ask for “realistic motion and physics”.
Can I use AI videos in ads?
Check the terms of the tool you use, avoid real people, brands and copyrighted characters you don’t have rights to, and label realistic AI content where your platform or local rules require it.
More prompts
