Create cinematic video with AI in minutes. This Gemini API Veo 3.1 guide shows how to turn clear prompts, reference images, and scene extensions into smooth, story-driven clips with native audio. Learn the new features, when to use them, and simple steps to keep characters, style, and sound consistent across shots.

Gemini API Veo 3.1 guide: What’s new and why it matters

Veo 3.1 and Veo 3.1 Fast are available in paid preview through the Gemini API in Google AI Studio and Vertex AI. You can also try Veo in the Gemini app and Flow. The update brings big creative gains for video generation:

Richer native audio: more natural dialogue and synced effects

Better cinematic control: stronger grasp of styles, lenses, and pacing

Improved image-to-video: higher prompt accuracy and consistent characters

Reference images: guide looks and identities with up to three images

Scene extension: build longer shots by adding clips that continue the action

Frame-to-frame transition: bridge a starting image and ending image with a smooth scene and audio

In this Gemini API Veo 3.1 guide, you’ll learn how to use these upgrades to plan, prompt, and produce videos that feel intentional and cinematic.

Set up in Google AI Studio or Vertex AI

You can start fast in a browser or go deeper with managed ML tools.

Google AI Studio

Open AI Studio and choose the video generation app for Veo.

Select the Veo 3.1 or Veo 3.1 Fast model in the panel.

Add your prompt, upload reference images if needed, and generate.

Vertex AI

Open Vertex AI Studio → Media tools.

Pick the Veo 3.1 preview model.

Configure inputs (prompt, image(s), or a base video for extension) and run a generation job.

Tip: Keep versions and settings in project folders so you can compare iterations and lock your creative direction.

Write prompts that direct the camera

Veo 3.1 responds well to clear, film-style language. Think like a director. Tell the model what to see and hear.

Focus on five elements

Subject: who or what is in the scene

Setting: location, time of day, weather, era

Camera: shot size, lens, movement, angle

Action: what happens, in what order

Audio: dialogue, ambience, music mood, sound effects

Sample prompt

A good prompt is short, direct, and concrete: “Golden retriever runs through a foggy pine forest at dawn. Wide shot with gentle handheld movement. Soft warm backlight through trees. Dog splashes through a shallow stream. Ambient birds and water. Subtle footstep sounds synced to movement.” This prompt tells Veo 3.1 what to frame, how to move the camera, and how to shape sound.

Start from text, images, or both

Veo 3.1 supports multiple workflows. Choose what matches your project.

Text-to-video for fast exploration

Use a short prompt to test story ideas and styles.

Add camera moves and audio cues for stronger direction.

Iterate. Change one variable per pass: lens, lighting, or motion.

Enhanced prompt adherence means Veo 3.1 tracks your instructions more closely, and its native audio syncs better with on-screen action.

Image-to-video for style and continuity

You can guide the video with up to three reference images. This keeps characters, props, and art style consistent across shots.

Upload 1–3 stills of your character, object, or set.

Describe the scene and movements you want.

Generate and check face/wardrobe consistency shot to shot.

Use cases:

Brand mascot or product films

Storyboard to animatic pipelines

Stylized shorts with a fixed look

Extend a scene to build longer shots

Scene extension lets you grow your video beyond the first clip. Veo 3.1 generates each new segment using the final second of your previous clip, which preserves continuity and timing. You can build sequences that last a minute or more.

Generate an initial clip that establishes your subject and motion.

Run scene extension and keep your prompt consistent.

Repeat to add length while maintaining look, pace, and audio bed.

Tips for clean extensions:

End each clip with a stable moment (not a whip-pan or cut) to avoid jarring changes.

Keep background ambience continuous so the audio flows across segments.

If the scene evolves, add a short update in your prompt: “Snow begins to fall; camera slowly pushes in.”

Use this Gemini API Veo 3.1 guide approach when you need a single elegant shot, like a slow reveal or a steady chase through a hallway.

Transition between a first and last frame

Veo 3.1 can bridge two images into a single, smooth sequence with matching audio. You provide a starting frame and an ending frame. The model generates the connective action and sound.

Pick two images that define start and end states (same aspect ratio helps).

Describe the transition: “Dissolve to sunrise,” or “Dolly past the character as the city lights turn on.”

Generate and review how surface textures, lighting, and objects evolve.

Great uses:

Title/opening shots that morph into the first scene

Before-and-after product reveals

Time-lapse style passes that maintain tone and music

Work with native audio the smart way

Veo 3.1 produces richer native audio tied to the scene. You can guide it with clear cues.

Audio prompt ideas

Dialogue: “Two friends chat softly; no crowd noise.”

Ambience: “Forest birds at dawn; distant stream; light wind.”

Effects: “Footsteps on gravel synced to each step; zipper closes at the cut.”

Music feel: “Gentle piano chords, minimal, not dominant.”

If you need final-grade audio, use Veo’s track as a guide. Later, replace or enhance it in your editor. Match hit points and timings from the generated clip for a faster sound design pass.

Keep characters consistent across shots

Character drift breaks immersion. Veo 3.1 helps you stay on model.

Best practices

Use up to three reference images that show face, clothing, and silhouette.

Repeat key traits in each prompt: “Freckled teen, red beanie, round glasses.”

Avoid conflicting style requests across shots (for example, switching from painterly to photoreal without stating it).

When extending scenes, keep wardrobe and lighting notes steady unless the story changes them.

If a character slips off-model, regenerate with a stronger identity line in the first sentence of your prompt, and keep the same references.

Plan your story with simple beats

Even short clips improve with structure. Draft a mini-beat sheet before you prompt.

Beat 1: Establish the setting and mood.

Beat 2: Introduce the subject with a clear action.

Beat 3: Build tension or reveal new detail.

Beat 4: Payoff or transition to the next scene.

Use this to decide when to generate new shots, when to extend, and where to place a frame-to-frame transition.

Practical settings and workflow tips

Aspect ratio and framing

Decide format early: 16:9 for YouTube, 9:16 for stories, 1:1 for feeds.

State your framing in the prompt: “Wide establishing,” “Medium over-the-shoulder,” or “Extreme close-up on hands.”

Clarity and constraints

One action per sentence: “The drone rises above the ridge. The sunrise reveals the valley.”

Name what not to include if it matters: “No text on screen. No logo.”

Keep tone consistent: “Warm, hopeful, quiet.”

Iteration

Lock your look with references. Then vary only motion or timing.

Save high-scoring drafts to A/B later.

Use scene extension to test pacing without rewriting the whole prompt.

Where to use Veo 3.1 today

Veo 3.1 is in paid preview in the Gemini API through Google AI Studio and Vertex AI. It also appears in the Gemini app and Flow for hands-on creation and testing. This means you can brainstorm ideas in the app, then move to AI Studio or Vertex AI for production workflows and team review.

What others are building

Two examples show how teams are using the model right now:

Promise Studios uses Veo 3.1 in its MUSE Platform for director-led storyboarding and previsualization. This helps plan shots with production-quality guidance earlier in the process.

Latitude experiments with Veo 3.1 to bring user stories to life in a generative narrative engine. This turns written ideas into playable scenes with visuals and sound in near real time.

These projects show how the model supports early creative choices, where style and continuity matter.

Troubleshooting and quick fixes

Prompt misses a detail

Move the most important instruction to the first sentence.

Replace vague words with concrete ones: “soft light” → “warm backlight at golden hour.”

Character drift

Add up to three reference images that show the same face and outfit.

Repeat identity cues in every shot: “Blue denim jacket, curly hair, silver hoop earrings.”

Choppy transitions

When extending, end the current clip with a steady frame and minimal motion blur.

For image-to-image transitions, choose frames with related composition and lighting.

Audio not matching the action

Call out sync points: “Footsteps match each step across the bridge.”

Limit sound layers: too many requests can confuse the mix.

Step-by-step workflows you can trust

Storyboard to animatic with image references

Create three key frames per scene (wide, medium, close).

Upload those frames as reference images.

Prompt movement and audio for each shot.

Assemble clips; use scene extension for longer actions.

Product hero film with frame-to-frame reveal

Start frame: product in shadow; End frame: product in bright showcase.

Prompt the reveal: “Light sweeps across the product; reflections bloom; subtle whoosh synced to the light pass.”

Generate, then polish with a title card on top in your editor.

Travel reel with continuous ambience

Prompt a first clip with a clear ambience bed: “Light city crowd, distant traffic, soft cafe music.”

Extend scenes to build a minute-long walk-through.

Keep ambience constant and update only when the location clearly changes.

Ethical and brand safety notes

Use reference images you own or have rights to use.

Avoid sensitive likenesses or real people without consent.

Label AI-generated media in your publishing workflow.

Bring your story to screen

Veo 3.1 delivers sharper visuals, smoother motion, and convincing native audio. With clear prompts, reference images, scene extension, and frame-to-frame transitions, you can build sequences that feel planned and cinematic. Use the steps in this Gemini API Veo 3.1 guide to keep your style consistent, your pacing natural, and your sound aligned with the picture. Whether you work in AI Studio, Vertex AI, the Gemini app, or Flow, you can move from idea to edit fast, and still hold onto creative control.

(Source: https://developers.googleblog.com/en/introducing-veo-3-1-and-new-creative-capabilities-in-the-gemini-api/)

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