Prompt Engineering Guide - Zoice Documentation

Introduction

Prompt engineering is the skill of crafting effective text descriptions to guide AI models in creating the content you envision. This guide covers best practices, techniques, and examples for all types of AI generation on Zoice.

Why Prompts Matter

Precision

Better prompts = more accurate results

Efficiency

Save time with fewer iterations

Quality

Achieve professional-grade outputs

Creativity

Unlock AI’s full creative potential

Universal Prompt Principles

1. Be Specific

❌ Vague: “A nice landscape” ✅ Specific: “A serene mountain lake at sunset with reflection, surrounded by pine trees, golden hour lighting”

2. Use Descriptive Language

❌ Generic: “A person” ✅ Descriptive: “A professional woman in her 30s with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a navy blazer, confident smile”

3. Include Style Keywords

❌ Missing Style: “A car” ✅ With Style: “A red sports car, professional automotive photography, studio lighting, high detail, 4K”

4. Specify Quality

❌ No Quality Terms: “A flower” ✅ With Quality: “A vibrant red rose, macro photography, sharp focus, detailed petals, professional quality, high resolution”

Image Generation Prompts

Basic Structure

[Subject] + [Action/Pose] + [Environment] + [Style] + [Lighting] + [Quality]

Example Breakdown

Photography
Artistic
Product

Subject: Professional headshot of a businesswoman
Details: Mid-30s, confident smile, navy blazer
Environment: Modern office background, slightly blurred
Style: Corporate photography
Lighting: Soft natural window light
Quality: High resolution, sharp focus, professional

Full Prompt: "Professional headshot of a businesswoman in her 
mid-30s with confident smile, wearing navy blazer, modern office 
background slightly blurred, corporate photography style, soft 
natural window lighting, high resolution, sharp focus, professional"

Subject: Mountain landscape
Details: Snow-capped peaks, alpine meadow
Environment: Swiss Alps, summer season
Style: Oil painting, impressionist
Lighting: Golden hour, warm tones
Quality: Detailed brushstrokes, vibrant colors

Full Prompt: "Mountain landscape oil painting in impressionist 
style, snow-capped peaks above alpine meadow, Swiss Alps in 
summer, golden hour lighting with warm tones, detailed visible 
brushstrokes, vibrant colors, artistic masterpiece"

Subject: Smartwatch
Details: Black metal band, round face, glowing screen
Environment: White marble surface
Style: Product photography, minimalist
Lighting: Soft studio lighting, subtle shadows
Quality: 4K, sharp detail, professional commercial

Full Prompt: "Smartwatch product photography, black metal band 
with round face and glowing screen, placed on white marble 
surface, minimalist composition, soft studio lighting with 
subtle shadows, 4K quality, sharp detail, professional commercial 
photography"

Power Keywords for Images

Quality Enhancers

High quality, high resolution, 4K, 8K
Detailed, sharp focus, crisp
Professional, masterpiece
Ultra detailed, intricate

Photography Styles

Professional photography
Studio lighting
Natural light, golden hour
Bokeh, shallow depth of field
Macro, wide angle, telephoto

Artistic Styles

Oil painting, watercolor, acrylic
Digital art, concept art
Pencil sketch, ink drawing
Anime, cartoon, comic book
Photorealistic, hyperrealistic

Mood & Atmosphere

Dramatic, cinematic, epic
Peaceful, serene, calm
Vibrant, colorful, bright
Dark, moody, mysterious
Warm, cozy, inviting

Video Generation Prompts

Video-Specific Elements

[Scene] + [Action/Movement] + [Camera Work] + [Lighting] + [Style] + [Duration Context]

Camera Movement Keywords

Camera Angles

Close-up, wide shot, aerial view
Low angle, high angle, eye level
Over-the-shoulder, POV

Camera Movements

Pan left/right, tilt up/down
Dolly in/out, tracking shot
Orbit, crane shot, zoom

Motion Types

Slow motion, time-lapse
Smooth, handheld, steady
Dynamic, static, flowing

Transitions

Fade in/out, cut
Dissolve, wipe
Seamless, smooth

Video Prompt Examples

Aerial drone shot flying over misty mountain valley at sunrise, 
camera moving forward and descending slowly, golden light breaking 
through clouds, cinematic color grading, smooth camera movement, 
epic landscape, 4K quality, professional cinematography

Close-up shot of smartphone rotating on white pedestal, camera 
orbiting smoothly around product, studio lighting with soft shadows, 
professional commercial style, clean minimalist background, slow 
motion rotation, high quality, detailed

Ocean waves gently rolling onto sandy beach, camera static at 
low angle, soft morning light, peaceful atmosphere, natural colors, 
continuous gentle motion, serene coastal scene, high detail, 
beautiful composition

Voice Generation Prompts

Text Formatting for Voice

Punctuation
Emphasis
Pronunciation

Use punctuation to control pacing:

Period (.) - Brief pause
Comma (,) - Short pause  
Question mark (?) - Rising intonation
Exclamation (!) - Emphasis and energy
Ellipsis (...) - Longer pause, trailing off
Em dash (—) - Dramatic pause

Add emphasis for important words:

This is *really* important.
This is VERY significant.
We need to focus on [pause] quality.

Guide pronunciation:

The CEO [see-ee-oh] announced...
SQL [sequel] database...
GIF [jiff] or [gift]...

Advanced Techniques

Negative Prompts

Specify what you DON’T want:

Positive: Beautiful sunset landscape, vibrant colors, peaceful
Negative: People, buildings, vehicles, text, watermarks, low quality

Weighted Keywords

Emphasize important elements:

(Professional photography:1.5), businessman in suit, 
(sharp focus:1.3), office background, natural lighting

Prompt Chaining

Build complex prompts in layers:

Base: A modern kitchen
+ Details: White cabinets, marble countertops, stainless appliances
+ Lighting: Bright natural light from large windows
+ Style: Interior design photography, professional
+ Quality: High resolution, sharp, detailed, 4K

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Too Vague

❌ “A nice picture” ✅ “Professional landscape photography of mountain lake at sunset”

Contradictory Instructions

❌ “Bright sunny day with dark moody atmosphere” ✅ “Bright sunny day, cheerful atmosphere” OR “Overcast day, moody atmosphere”

Overloading

❌ “A cat and dog and bird and fish in a house with garden and pool and…” ✅ “A cat and dog playing together in a sunny garden”

Missing Style

❌ “A portrait” ✅ “Professional portrait photography, studio lighting, high quality”

Prompt Templates

Template Library

Portrait
Landscape
Product
Abstract

[Age/gender] [ethnicity] person, [hairstyle], [clothing], 
[expression], [pose], [background], [lighting type], 
professional portrait photography, high quality, sharp focus

[Location/scene] during [time of day], [weather/season], 
[key elements], [color palette], [photography style], 
[composition], high detail, professional, beautiful

[Product] on [surface/background], [angle/view], [lighting], 
professional product photography, minimalist, clean composition, 
sharp focus, high quality, commercial photography

Abstract [theme/concept], [colors], [shapes/patterns], 
[style], [mood], modern art, high quality, professional, 
detailed, creative

Model-Specific Tips

For Fast Models (Nano Banana)

Keep prompts focused and clear
Use straightforward descriptions
Emphasize key elements
Include quality keywords

For Premium Models (Imagen 4 Ultra)

Add more detail and nuance
Include complex lighting descriptions
Specify fine details
Use advanced style references

For Video Models (Veo)

Always include camera movement
Describe action clearly
Specify duration context
Include motion type

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Improve This Prompt

Before: "A dog"
After: "Golden Retriever dog sitting in green meadow, happy 
expression, tongue out, sunny day, natural lighting, professional 
pet photography, shallow depth of field, high quality"

Exercise 2: Add Missing Elements

Incomplete: "City skyline"
Complete: "Modern city skyline at blue hour, illuminated skyscrapers 
reflected in calm river, dramatic purple and orange sky, long 
exposure photography, professional cityscape, high detail, 4K"

Resources & Next Steps

Image Models

Explore image generation models

Video Models

Learn about video models

Text to Image

Start generating images

Text to Video

Create your first video

Tips for Success

Remember: Prompt engineering is a skill that improves with practice. Don’t be afraid to experiment, iterate, and learn from your results!

Quick Checklist

✅ Specific subject description
✅ Style keywords included
✅ Lighting/atmosphere described
✅ Quality terms added
✅ Clear and focused
✅ No contradictions
✅ Appropriate length

Save your successful prompts! Build a personal library of prompts that work well for different use cases.

​Introduction

​Why Prompts Matter

Precision

Efficiency

Quality

Creativity

​Universal Prompt Principles

​1. Be Specific

​2. Use Descriptive Language

​3. Include Style Keywords

​4. Specify Quality

​Image Generation Prompts

​Basic Structure

​Example Breakdown

​Power Keywords for Images

​Video Generation Prompts

​Video-Specific Elements

​Camera Movement Keywords

Camera Angles

Camera Movements

Motion Types

Transitions

​Video Prompt Examples

​Voice Generation Prompts

​Text Formatting for Voice

​Advanced Techniques

​Negative Prompts

​Weighted Keywords

​Prompt Chaining

​Common Mistakes to Avoid

​Prompt Templates

​Template Library

​Model-Specific Tips

​For Fast Models (Nano Banana)

​For Premium Models (Imagen 4 Ultra)

​For Video Models (Veo)

​Practice Exercises

​Exercise 1: Improve This Prompt

​Exercise 2: Add Missing Elements

​Resources & Next Steps

Image Models

Video Models

Text to Image

Text to Video

​Tips for Success

​Quick Checklist

Introduction

Why Prompts Matter

Universal Prompt Principles

1. Be Specific

2. Use Descriptive Language

3. Include Style Keywords

4. Specify Quality

Image Generation Prompts

Basic Structure

Example Breakdown

Power Keywords for Images

Video Generation Prompts

Video-Specific Elements

Camera Movement Keywords

Video Prompt Examples

Voice Generation Prompts

Text Formatting for Voice

Advanced Techniques

Negative Prompts

Weighted Keywords

Prompt Chaining

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Prompt Templates

Template Library

Model-Specific Tips

For Fast Models (Nano Banana)

For Premium Models (Imagen 4 Ultra)

For Video Models (Veo)

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Improve This Prompt

Exercise 2: Add Missing Elements

Resources & Next Steps

Tips for Success

Quick Checklist