01 The Core Formula
Kling 3.0 understands structured direction: who, what they do, how the camera moves, where, and in what style. This chapter breaks a good prompt into five reusable parts, then shows you how to script multi-shot stories with numbered shots — once this skeleton is in place, every later chapter is just an extension of it.
1.1 The Basic Prompt Formula
Everything starts with one sentence: subject plus motion are the two required parts; camera, environment, and aesthetics stack on as needed. Play the clip in your head first, then write it down following the formula.
[Subject] + [Motion] + optional [Camera] [Environment] [Aesthetics]
Subject
The star of the frame — a person, animal, or product. The more specific, the better.
Motion
What the subject does, with body parts and pace spelled out.
Camera
Framing and camera movement: close-up, push-in, orbit — one move per shot.
Environment
Setting and mood: place, time of day, lighting, weather.
Aesthetics
Art direction and image quality: color grade, texture, cinematic feel.
A Corner Café at Dawn
Prompt
The outdoor terrace of a corner café in early morning, sunlight slanting across the cobblestones. A woman in a beige trench coat sits in a wicker chair and opens a book, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. A waiter crosses the background carrying a tray. The camera slowly pushes in to the pages in her hands. Quiet, cozy mood, warm golden tones, rich detail.
Two sentences for subject + motion, one each for camera and environment — that's a solid basic prompt. Suggested settings: 5s, 1080p, 16:9.
1.2 Camera Language
Camera terms are a Kling 3.0 strength: push in, pull back, pan, tracking, orbit, and dive all execute reliably. One rule of discipline — give each shot a single camera move. Stacking push, orbit, and pan in one shot just buys you shaky footage.
Orbiting a Cliffside Lighthouse
Prompt
A red-and-white lighthouse stands on a coastal cliff at dusk, its lamp just switching on as waves crash against the rock face in white spray. The camera slowly orbits the lighthouse, rising from sea level to a top-down view, while the setting sun dyes the clouds orange and violet. Cinematic quality, layered lighting, smooth and stable footage.
"Slowly orbit around X" is the most reliable way to write an orbit move; add the change of camera height for shape. Use 8s so the orbit has time to complete.
1.3 Shot Sequencing
Anything longer than one shot deserves a numbered storyboard: Shot 1, Shot 2, Shot 3 — each naming its content, subject action, and camera move. Don't pin exact seconds; the model paces the story itself. Your job is a clear story; its job is the rhythm.
A Red Balloon Crosses the City
Prompt
Shot 1: In a city square at dawn, a little girl loses her grip on a red balloon. It rises slowly, and the camera tilts up to follow its ascent. Shot 2: The balloon drifts across the skyline between high-rises as a flock of pigeons flies past. The camera tracks it smoothly from the side, morning light glinting off glass facades. Shot 3: The balloon floats out over a river, mirrored on the still water. The camera slowly pulls back to a wide view of the city and the river. Warm, bright palette throughout, airy feel, no subtitles, no watermark.
Number the shots, give each one a single camera move, then close with image-quality and constraint words. Use 10s so all three shots play out comfortably.
02 Native Audio
Sound effects and dialogue are Kling 3.0's headline feature: rain, wind, footsteps, and spoken lines are generated together with the picture, automatically in sync — no post-production dubbing. The writing style is just as direct: like the visuals, the more specifically you describe sound, the more precisely you get it. Both examples in this chapter come with native audio pre-enabled.
2.1 Ambient Sound
Ambient sound is written as "name it + layer it": list each sound you want, then state which is foreground and which is distant. If the rain is the star, put it first; let far-off thunder pad the background. Describe nothing and the model improvises — not always the mood you wanted.
Night Rain on a Forest Cabin
Prompt
At night, the porch of a wooden cabin in the forest, warm yellow light glowing from the windows. Heavy rain drums on the eaves and leaves, and runoff streams off the porch edge in a beaded curtain. Static camera framing just one corner of the porch and the curtain of rain. Audio: up close, dense raindrops hammering the wooden roof and the tick of drops hitting puddles; in the distance, an occasional low rumble of thunder. Calm, soothing atmosphere.
Layer the audio from near to far — main sound, detail, backdrop — and close with a mood word. Use 5s; native audio is pre-enabled.
2.2 Character Dialogue
Dialogue is written as "lines in quotes + who speaks + how": put the exact words in quotation marks, identify the speaker by appearance, and attach a delivery cue like "softly" or "with a smile." The model lip-syncs automatically — the shorter the line, the steadier the sync and pronunciation.
The Bookseller's Recommendation
Prompt
Afternoon sunlight spills into a small bookshop. The owner, a woman with round glasses, pulls a book from the shelf, turns to the young customer at the counter, and says with a smile: "I just finished this one last week — you're going to love the ending." The customer takes the book with both hands, glances at the cover, and replies warmly: "Then I'm starting it tonight." Static medium shot, walls of books behind them, quiet and cozy. Audio: the soft rustle of pages, the two voices at a natural volume, faint street noise in the distance.
Two short lines, each in quotes, speakers identified as "the owner with round glasses" and "the young customer"; layer the audio last. Use 8s; native audio is pre-enabled.
03 Image to Video
One photo plus one motion description — Kling 3.0 brings the frame to life. Image-to-video has one important rule: the output aspect ratio automatically follows your first-frame image. Portrait in, portrait out; square in, square out. Crop before you upload and you'll never fight the ratio. Your prompt's focus shifts from describing the picture to describing motion — the picture is already there.
3.1 Bring a Photo to Life
An image-to-video prompt writes only three things: what moves, how it moves, and whether the camera moves. Don't force in things that aren't in the photo — but anything already there can be awakened: drifting hair, moving clouds, a blink and a smile. Small motions hit most reliably.
A Blink and Smile in an Old Photo
Prompt
The person in the photo slowly blinks, the corners of her mouth rising into a gentle smile as her gaze settles toward the camera, loose strands of hair stirred by a light breeze. The camera stays fixed; lighting and color grade carry over from the photo's original texture. Subtle, natural motion.
Requires 1 first-frame image; write only the motion, and let "carry over the photo's original texture" hold the style. The output ratio automatically follows your uploaded image.
3.2 Product Showcase
For e-commerce product clips, the prompt covers two things: how the product moves (rotate, levitate, tilt) and how the camera plays along (orbit, push in). Add one line — "keep the product identical to the image" — to lock the details, then name the lighting and backdrop. That's a studio-grade asset.
A Levitating Mechanical Watch
Prompt
The mechanical watch from the image levitates against a dark backdrop and rotates one full turn, its dial texture and hands catching the light as it spins. The camera slowly pushes in to a close-up of the dial, showing off the reflective glass. Keep the product identical to the image. Studio lighting, clean premium look.
Requires 1 product image; "one full rotation + push-in close-up" is the classic product-showcase combo. Use 8s; output ratio follows the product image.
04 Element References
Reference-to-video (r2v) locks characters and elements with 2–4 images: feed it the same character from different angles and outfits, and the model builds a complete "identity file" that survives any change of scene. Reference your uploads as "Image 1", "Image 2" in the prompt — the platform handles the reference syntax automatically, no special symbols needed. Hard rule: you must upload 2–4 reference images; fewer than 2 cannot be submitted.
4.1 The Element Reference Formula
An element-reference prompt is a three-part structure: bring the assets on stage with "Image N", describe what happens in the new scene, then close with a consistency line. Upload order is the numbering order — the first upload is Image 1, the second is Image 2.
[Elements: Image 1, Image 2…] + [Scene description] + keep [element] consistent
Reference Elements
2–4 images, cited in the prompt as "Image N"; upload order is the numbering order.
Scene Description
What happens in the new scene: action, environment, camera.
Consistency
A closing line like "keep it identical to the reference images" reinforces the lock.
A Brand Mascot's Day Out
Prompt
The little blue whale mascot from Image 1 and Image 2 appears in a bright bakery. It stands on tiptoe at the counter, eyeing a tray of freshly baked croissants with curiosity, its tail swaying happily. The camera slowly pushes in from a medium shot to its face. Keep the mascot identical to the reference images. Warm, wholesome feel, 3D animation quality.
Requires 2–4 reference images (fewer than 2 cannot be submitted); multiple angles of the same character work best. The platform handles the reference syntax for you.
4.2 Combining Multiple Elements
Give each image one job: Image 1 owns the lead, Image 2 owns the co-star, Image 3 owns the prop. Name each image's duty by number and the model won't mix them up — this matters most when you upload people and props together.
A Two-Person Travel Moment
Prompt
The man from Image 1 and the woman from Image 2 walk side by side down an avenue of ginkgo trees in autumn, golden leaves drifting on the wind. She reaches out to catch a leaf and turns to show him with a laugh; he raises his camera and captures the moment. The camera tracks them smoothly from the side. Both people's faces, hairstyles, and outfits stay identical to the reference images. Warm tones, natural and lively.
Requires 2–4 reference images; for two-person scenes, state "Image 1 = who, Image 2 = who" up front and refer to them consistently afterward. Use 8s.
05 Long-Duration Storytelling
Kling 3.0 generates any whole-second duration from 3 to 15 seconds. Longer isn't automatically better: 5s is for fast iteration, 8–10s fits a storyboarded sequence, and 12s+ is reserved for "a continuous take that plays to the end" — unbroken action, a complete dialogue scene. What short durations can't hold is exactly where long duration shines.
5.1 One Complete Continuous Take
The key to a long continuous take is queuing actions in time order: what happens first, what follows, where it ends — laid out like a mini screenplay. The model paces it; your job is a coherent chain of actions that don't fight each other.
A Skateboarder's Empty Morning Street
Prompt
An empty city street in the early morning. A teenager with a backpack rides in on a skateboard from far down the road, picking up speed. He hops cleanly onto a low ledge, grinds along it, lands smoothly, and keeps rolling — then stops at an intersection, plants one foot, and looks back toward the rising sun. The camera tracks him the whole way from a low angle, morning light stretching long shadows across the quiet street. Youthful, cinematic feel.
Queue the actions in order — ride in, ledge, land, stop and look back — with a single tracking move throughout. Use 12s to give the full action chain room.