Agent skill

video-prompting-guide

Best practices and techniques for writing effective AI video generation prompts. Covers: Veo, Seedance, Wan, Grok, Kling, Runway, Pika, Sora prompting strategies. Learn: shot types, camera movements, lighting, pacing, style keywords, negative prompts. Use for: improving video quality, getting consistent results, professional video prompts. Triggers: video prompt, how to prompt video, veo prompts, video generation tips, better ai video, video prompt engineering, video prompt guide, video prompt template, ai video tips, video prompt best practices, video prompt examples, cinematography prompts

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Install this agent skill to your Project

npx add-skill https://github.com/inference-sh/skills/tree/main/guides/prompting/video-prompting-guide

SKILL.md

Video Prompting Guide

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

Video Prompting Guide

Quick Start

Requires inference.sh CLI (infsh). Install instructions

bash
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

bash
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

bash
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

bash
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

bash
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

bash
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

bash
# 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

bash
# 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

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