Veo 3.1: The Next Era of AI Video Generation
The world of creative technology just got a major upgrade. Google has officially announced Veo 3.1 and Veo 3.1 Fast, the next generation of AI video generation models redefining what is possible for storytellers, developers, and creators.
To appreciate Veo 3.1, it helps to look back at its predecessors. Veo 2 introduced Google’s first major leap into generative video, allowing creators to turn simple prompts into short, high-quality clips with impressive visual fidelity. It laid the foundation for AI-driven storytelling by offering tools to generate cinematic scenes from text and basic image inputs, though with some limitations on length, audio, and creative control.
Veo 3 took things further, delivering more realistic motion, richer textures, and preliminary native audio support. Creators could now explore advanced prompt engineering, producing videos with more nuanced cinematic styles and smoother visual transitions.
Now, with Veo 3.1, Google pushes the boundaries even further. Available paid preview via the Gemini API, Google AI Studio, and Vertex AI, Veo 3.1 delivers cinematic realism, native audio, and an unprecedented level of creative control, all designed to help you go from imagination to motion picture in seconds.
🌟 To learn more about Veo 3.1’s new capabilities, watch the video below:
🎥 Prefer watching instead of reading? You can watch the NotebookLM podcast video with slides and visuals based on this blog here.
The Foundational Power of Veo 3.1
At its core, Veo 3.1 represents Google’s most advanced leap in generative video modeling, engineered for high-fidelity, high-speed, and high-control video creation.
1. High-Quality Video with Native Audio
Veo 3.1 produces visually stunning 8-second clips at 720p or 1080p resolution, bringing photorealistic scenes to life with crisp motion and fluid transitions. But what truly sets this release apart is native audio generation, now always on. Veo does not just generate visuals; it listens to your story. The model synchronizes sound effects, dialogue, and ambient audio directly with your video, creating a cohesive audiovisual experience.
Try prompting with:
- Dialogue: “This must be the key,” he murmured.
- Sound effect: (Tires screeching loudly.)
- Ambient cue: (A faint, eerie hum resonates in the background.)
🌟 With Veo 3.1, every frame and every sound tells the story together.
|
Prompt: A close up of two people staring at a cryptic drawing on a wall, torchlight flickering. A man murmurs, ‘This must be it. That’s the secret code.’ The woman looks at him and whispering excitedly, ‘What did you find?’ |
2. Creative Control and Input Flexibility
Forget one-size-fits-all generation. Veo 3.1 gives you director-level control over your scene. The model’s improved cinematic understanding means it now recognizes and adapts to prompt-level details like:
- Style: “film noir,” “anime,” “cartoon,” “vintage documentary”
- Camera motion: “dolly shot,” “handheld,” “eye-level”
- Composition: “wide shot,” “close-up,” “over-the-shoulder”
- Ambiance: “golden-hour glow,” “cool industrial tones”
🌟 Need it faster? Veo 3.1 Fast delivers comparable quality with optimized generation speed, ideal for iterative workflows and creative prototyping.
|
Prompt: Drone shot following a classic red convertible driven by a man along a winding coastal road at sunset, waves crashing against the rocks below. The convertible accelerates fast and the engine roars loudly. |
The New Creative Capabilities: Precision for Storytellers
Veo 3.1 is not just a technical upgrade; it is a creative revolution. Three new features, Reference-Guided Generation, Scene Extension, and Frame Interpolation, now give you unprecedented control over character consistency, story continuity, and shot composition.
1. Guide Generation with Reference Images (Ingredients-to-Video)
This is where Veo 3.1 becomes your personal production studio. You can now upload up to three reference images to guide generation, whether it is a character, product, or artistic style.
Veo 3.1 uses the reference images to preserve subject consistency, ensuring the detective, the woman, and the office maintain their appearance throughout the shot.
|
Prompt: Using the provided images for the detective, the woman, and the office setting, create a medium shot of the detective behind his desk. He looks up at the woman and says in a weary voice, “Of all the offices in this town, you had to walk into mine.” |
By using the reference image, Veo replicates the colors, textures, and cinematic tone, creating a visually cohesive and highly stylized scene.
|
Prompt: The video opens with a medium, eye-level shot of a beautiful woman with dark hair and warm brown eyes. She wears a magnificent, high-fashion flamingo dress with layers of pink and fuchsia feathers, complemented by whimsical pink, heart-shaped sunglasses. She walks with serene confidence through the crystal-clear, shallow turquoise water of a sun-drenched lagoon. The camera slowly pulls back to a medium-wide shot, revealing the breathtaking scene as the dress’s long train glides and floats gracefully on the water’s surface behind her. The cinematic, dreamlike atmosphere is enhanced by the vibrant colors of the dress against the serene, minimalist landscape, capturing a moment of pure elegance and high-fashion fantasy. |
🌟 For best results, choose reference images that are clear, well-lit, and representative of the key elements you want to maintain. This ensures your subjects stay consistent and the style matches naturally, giving your videos a polished, professional feel.
2. Create Longer Narratives with Scene Extension (Video Extension)
Short-form is great, but storytelling often demands continuity. With Scene Extension, you can now extend Veo videos by 7 seconds at a time, up to 20 times. That is a total runtime of nearly 2.5 minutes (148 seconds) per story.
|
Prompt: Track the butterfly into the garden as it lands on an orange origami flower. A fluffy white puppy runs up and gently pats the flower. |
Each new segment is intelligently generated based on the final second of the previous video, ensuring seamless transitions, both visually and audibly. Whether you are crafting a short film, demo reel, or cinematic teaser, your story now unfolds without interruption.
3. Control Transitions with First and Last Frame Interpolation
Cinematographers, meet your new favorite feature. Veo 3.1 lets you define your video’s opening and closing moments by specifying a starting image and an ending image.
|
Prompt: The camera performs a smooth 180-degree arc shot, starting with the front-facing view of the singer and circling around her to seamlessly end on the POV shot from behind her on stage. The singer sings “when you look me in the eyes, I can see a million stars. |
The model then generates a fluid, cinematic transition, complete with matching audio, to connect both frames. This gives you pixel-level precision over storytelling, pacing, and artistic intent.
Mastering the Prompt: How to Direct Veo 3.1 Like a Pro
Generative video promises to bring any idea to life, but without structure, it can feel like “prompt and pray.” Veo 3.1 changes that, with stronger prompt adherence, richer audiovisual output, and unprecedented creative control. To get the best results, start with a clear, descriptive prompt, then refine it using video-specific language.
The Five-Part Formula for Prompts
For consistent, high-quality videos, structure your prompt using this framework:
|
Cinematography + Subject + Action + Context + Style & Ambiance |
- Cinematography, Composition, and Focus: Set the tone and emotion with camera work and framing. Specify camera angles and motion (eye-level, aerial, dolly, POV), shot types (wide, close-up, two-shot), and lens effects (shallow depth of field, soft focus, macro).
- Subject and Action: Clearly define what the video is about. Who or what is the focus? What are they doing? (e.g., “a tired detective rubbing his temples” or “puppies running through a park”.)
- Context and Ambiance (Style): Describe the environment, mood, and artistic style. Include scene details (cluttered office at night, frozen waterfall), creative direction (film noir, sci-fi, cartoon), and lighting or color cues (warm golden tones, harsh fluorescent lights).
Directing the Soundstage
Veo 3.1 natively generates audio, synchronized with your visuals. You can guide it with:
- Dialogue: Use quotes for speech. Example: “This must be it. That is the secret code.”
- Sound Effects (SFX): Describe specific sounds. Example: SFX: Tires screeching as the car drifts around a corner.
- Ambient Noise: Set the background atmosphere. Example: Faint city murmurs and distant chatter.
Refining Outputs with Negative Prompts
Negative prompts let you exclude unwanted elements. Instead of saying “no walls,” describe what to avoid: Example: “wall, frame, urban background, dark stormy atmosphere”
🌟 This method gives Veo 3.1 a clearer understanding of your creative intent.
Advanced Workflows
Combine these prompts with Veo 3.1’s advanced capabilities for maximum control:
- Ingredients to Video: Use up to three reference images to maintain consistent subjects or styles.
- First and Last Frame: Generate seamless transitions between a starting and ending image.
- Timestamp Prompting: Assign actions and cinematic details to precise segments, e.g., [00:00-00:02] Medium shot, detective looks up.
🌟 Pro Tip: Start descriptive, then refine iteratively. Experiment with cinematography, style, and audio cues to unlock the full potential of Veo 3.1. The more detail you provide, the more cinematic and controlled your results will be.
Accessing Veo 3.1: Choose Your Creative Engine
Veo 3.1 is accessible to developers and creators through the Gemini API and integrated platforms like Google AI Studio and Vertex AI.
- Veo 3.1 Fast: Available with a Google AI Pro plan, built for rapid iteration and creative exploration.
- Veo 3.1 (Ultra): Available with the Google AI Ultra plan, offering the highest video fidelity, native audio depth, and extended narrative support.
And as part of Google’s responsible AI commitment, every Veo-generated video includes a visible watermark and SynthID digital watermarking embedded in each frame.
Dream It. Describe It. Done.
From cinematic scenes and animated characters to conceptual product videos, Veo 3.1 makes it all possible. No cameras. No crew. No limits.
Start creating today on Gemini API, AI Studio, or Vertex AI, and watch your imagination come alive, one frame at a time.
Ready to bring your ideas to life? Contact us today to discover how Veo can transform your concepts into high-fidelity, fully controllable AI-generated videos.
Author: Umniyah Abbood
Date Published: Nov 19, 2025
