B-roll is the single best use of AI video generation right now, and it is not close. You do not need perfect faces, lip-sync or narrative continuity — you need five seconds of coffee being poured, rain on a window, or a city street at dusk to cut under a voiceover. That is a problem AI video is genuinely good at solving today.
Below are 41 prompts built for exactly that, organised by the kind of shot you are looking for. Each one is written to Kling's preferred structure and is ready to paste as-is. First, the short version of how to write your own.
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How a Kling prompt should be structured
Kling responds best to prompts written in a specific order, because each part gives the model context the next part depends on:
Scene → Characters → Action → Camera → Audio & Style
Start by grounding the model in an environment. A prompt that opens with the location and lighting gives the model spatial and lighting context before you ask it to move anything, and that single change fixes a surprising share of failed generations. Then say who or what is in the shot, what precisely moves, how the camera behaves, and finally the look and sound.
Keep context elements to roughly three to five. Prompts that pile on ten competing details do not produce a richer shot — they produce a muddy one, because the model has to average across instructions that cannot all be satisfied at once.
The five rules that prevent most failures
- Always specify the camera. "Slow dolly in", "locked-off wide", "handheld tracking from the left". If you do not say, the model guesses, and its guess is usually a drifting push-in you did not want.
- Give the motion an endpoint. "Steam rises and dissipates", "the door closes", "she sets the cup down". Motion without a destination is the most common cause of a clip that mutates halfway through.
- One action per clip. B-roll is five seconds. One thing happens. Two actions in one prompt is how you get a shot where neither reads clearly.
- Name the lighting. "Golden hour backlight", "overcast diffused daylight", "single warm practical lamp". Lighting is the fastest route to footage that looks shot rather than generated.
- Describe the lens, not the emotion. "Shallow depth of field, 85mm" gets you further than "beautiful cinematic masterpiece". The model renders optics; it does not render adjectives about quality.
Which Kling model to generate on
Kling 3.0 launched in February 2026 and was the first model to produce native 4K at 60fps. It brought 15-second generations, multi-shot sequences with up to six camera angles, native audio and dialogue, stronger character consistency, and first-and-last-frame control. Its physics simulation — fluid motion, fabric drape, particle behaviour — is the most convincing of any current video model, which is exactly what B-roll depends on.
Kling 3.0 Turbo arrived in June 2026 and renders up to 20x faster at comparable quality. For B-roll, where you are generating many variations and throwing most of them away, Turbo is almost always the right default. Generate wide on Turbo, then re-run only your keepers on full 3.0 if a shot needs the extra fidelity.
There is a permanent free tier — 66 credits a day, refreshed every 24 hours, with a watermark and a five-second cap. That is genuinely enough to work through this list and learn what lands before paying anything. If you want to try these prompts on Kling yourself, start there and only upgrade once you know which shots you actually need.
Office and business B-roll
1. Laptop typing, close
A bright modern office at mid-morning, soft daylight from a large window to the left. Close-up on a pair of hands typing on a laptop keyboard. The fingers move in short deliberate bursts, then pause. Static locked-off shot, 50mm, shallow depth of field, background falls out of focus. Warm neutral grade, quiet room tone.2. Coffee and notebook
A wooden desk beside a window on an overcast morning. A ceramic mug of black coffee sits next to an open notebook and a pen. Steam rises from the mug and dissipates. Slow dolly in from the right, 35mm, shallow depth of field. Muted natural colour, soft diffused light.3. Meeting room, over the shoulder
A glass-walled meeting room, late afternoon, warm light raking across the table. Over-the-shoulder view of a person gesturing toward a whiteboard, then lowering their hand. Handheld camera with a gentle drift, 35mm. Natural colour, muffled office ambience.4. Whiteboard marker
A white office wall under even fluorescent light. Extreme close-up of a marker drawing a single clean line across a whiteboard, then lifting away. Camera tracks right alongside the marker tip, macro lens, very shallow focus. Clean cool grade, soft squeak of the marker.5. Handshake, cropped
A hotel lobby at midday, large windows behind, subjects backlit. Two people shake hands, framed from chest to waist so no faces are visible. The grip holds, then releases. Slow push in, 85mm, shallow depth of field, background bokeh. Warm professional grade.6. Empty office at dusk
An open-plan office after hours, lights off, city glow coming through floor-to-ceiling windows. Nobody present. Empty chairs and dark monitors. Slow lateral dolly left across the desks, 24mm, deep focus. Cool blue grade, faint hum of building ventilation.Food and drink B-roll
7. Coffee pour
A cafe counter with a dark wooden surface, single warm pendant lamp overhead. Espresso pours from a portafilter into a white cup, the stream thinning until it stops. Static macro shot, 100mm, extremely shallow depth of field. Warm amber grade, soft crema sound.8. Sizzling pan
A domestic kitchen at dusk, warm overhead light. A cast iron pan on the hob with butter melting and beginning to foam, then settling. Camera slowly rises from the pan rim, 50mm, shallow focus, steam catching the light. Rich warm grade, gentle sizzle.9. Knife through herbs
A marble worktop under cool diffused daylight. A chef knife rocks through a pile of fresh parsley, coming to rest. Overhead top-down shot, static, 35mm, deep focus. Clean bright grade, crisp chopping sound.10. Water into glass
A dark slate surface against a plain grey backdrop, single hard side light from the right. Water pours into a clear glass and settles, bubbles rising and clearing. Static macro shot, 100mm, high shutter, backlit so the water glows. Cool desaturated grade.11. Bread being torn
A rustic wooden table by a window, soft morning light. Two hands tear a crusty sourdough loaf apart, steam escaping, then hold still. Slow push in, 50mm, shallow depth of field. Warm natural grade, crackling crust.12. Cocktail garnish drop
A dim bar at night, single warm spotlight on the glass, dark background. A lime wheel drops into a tumbler of clear liquid over ice and settles. Static shot, 85mm, very shallow focus, high frame rate for smooth slow motion. Moody warm grade.Nature and landscape B-roll
13. Mist over pines
A dense pine forest at first light, low mist between the trunks. No people. The mist drifts slowly left to right and thins. Locked-off wide shot, 24mm, deep focus. Cool desaturated grade, distant birdsong.14. Waves on rock
A rocky coastline under an overcast sky, late afternoon. A wave rolls in, breaks against dark rock, and recedes. Static wide shot on a tripod, 35mm, deep focus, slight slow motion. Cool muted grade, heavy surf.15. Golden hour field
A wheat field at golden hour, sun low and directly behind the crop. Stalks sway in a light breeze and settle. Slow tracking shot moving right at crop height, 50mm, shallow depth of field, heavy lens flare. Warm golden grade, soft wind.16. Waterfall detail
A mossy gorge in flat overcast light. Water falls over a rock lip into a pool below, spray rising. Static medium shot, 70mm, shallow focus, slow motion. Cool green grade, loud water.17. Desert dunes
Sand dunes at sunrise, long shadows raking across the ridges. Wind lifts a thin veil of sand off a ridge line and it settles. Slow aerial push forward at low altitude, 24mm, deep focus. Warm ochre grade, wind only.18. Snow on branches
A quiet forest after snowfall, flat blue overcast light. Snow slides off a laden branch and falls, the branch springing back and stilling. Static close shot, 85mm, shallow depth of field. Cold blue grade, muffled silence.Urban and street B-roll
19. Crosswalk crowd
A busy city intersection at dusk, wet tarmac reflecting neon signage. A crowd crosses the road and clears the frame. Locked-off high wide shot, 35mm, deep focus, slight slow motion. Cool blue grade with warm sign accents, muted street ambience.20. Rain on window
A cafe window at night, blurred street lights beyond, interior dark. Rain runs down the glass in irregular tracks and pools at the sill. Static macro shot, 85mm, focus on the glass so the background is pure bokeh. Cool grade with warm highlights, steady rain.21. Subway arriving
An underground platform under harsh fluorescent light, tiled walls. A train enters from the left, motion blurs past camera, and slows to a stop. Static wide shot, 24mm, deep focus. Cool clinical grade, rumble and brake squeal.22. Neon alley
A narrow alley at night, wet ground, neon signs on both walls, steam from a vent. No people. Slow dolly forward down the centre of the alley, 35mm, shallow depth of field, signs falling out of focus. Saturated magenta and cyan grade.23. Rooftop timelapse feel
A city skyline from a rooftop at blue hour, clouds moving overhead. Lights flicker on across the buildings. Locked-off wide shot, 24mm, deep focus, very slow motion in the clouds. Cool blue grade with warm window light, distant traffic.Technology and product B-roll
24. Phone in hand
A plain concrete surface under soft north-facing daylight. A hand places a matte black phone down and withdraws. Overhead top-down shot, static, 50mm, shallow depth of field. Clean neutral grade, quiet.25. Server rack lights
A dark data centre aisle, the only light coming from equipment LEDs. Status lights blink in irregular sequence. Slow dolly forward between the racks, 35mm, shallow focus, heavy bokeh on distant lights. Cool cyan grade, low fan hum.26. Circuit board macro
A green circuit board on a dark backdrop, single hard raking light from the left. The camera tracks slowly across the components, coming to rest on a chip. Macro lens, extremely shallow depth of field. Cool technical grade, silent.27. Headphones on desk
A dark wooden desk beside a window at golden hour. Over-ear headphones rest beside a closed laptop, dust visible in the light beam. Slow orbit right around the headphones, 50mm, shallow focus. Warm grade, quiet room tone.28. Unboxing hands
A white table under bright even softbox light. Two hands lift the lid off a plain cardboard box and set it aside. Overhead top-down, static, 35mm, deep focus. Clean bright commercial grade, soft cardboard friction.People and lifestyle B-roll
29. Walking away, backlit
A tree-lined path at golden hour, sun low and directly ahead. A person walks away from camera and out of frame, seen only in silhouette. Static wide shot, 85mm, shallow depth of field, strong lens flare. Warm grade, footsteps on gravel.30. Reading by a window
A quiet living room on an overcast afternoon, soft light from a tall window. A person turns a page of a book and settles. Slow push in from the side, 50mm, shallow depth of field. Muted warm grade, page turn.31. Hands on a guitar
A dim room with a single warm lamp to the right. Close-up on a hand moving across guitar strings, then stilling. Static shot, 85mm, very shallow focus. Warm amber grade, soft string resonance.32. Cycling past camera
A city street on a bright overcast day. A cyclist rides past the camera from left to right and exits the frame. Static low-angle shot, 35mm, deep focus, slight slow motion. Natural grade, tyre noise and chain.33. Laughing in conversation
An outdoor cafe terrace at golden hour, warm backlight. Two people mid-conversation, one laughs and then settles, framed from the side and slightly behind. Handheld with gentle drift, 85mm, very shallow depth of field. Warm grade, ambient chatter.Texture and abstract B-roll
34. Ink in water
A clear tank of still water against a plain white backdrop, even backlight. A drop of black ink enters from the top and blooms outward, slowing. Static macro shot, 100mm, high frame rate for slow motion. High contrast monochrome grade, silent.35. Fabric falling
A dark seamless backdrop with a single hard light from the left. A length of silk falls through frame and settles out of shot. Static shot, 85mm, shallow depth of field, slow motion. Desaturated grade with warm highlight, silent.36. Dust in a light beam
A dark interior with a single shaft of sunlight from a high window. Dust motes drift through the beam. Static close shot, 100mm, extremely shallow depth of field so the motes sparkle in and out of focus. Warm grade, complete silence.37. Paint mixing
A white surface under flat even light, viewed from directly above. Two colours of thick paint spread into each other and stop. Overhead top-down macro, static, high frame rate. Saturated grade, silent.Weather and seasonal B-roll
38. Autumn leaves falling
A park path in autumn, low afternoon sun through the canopy. Leaves detach and fall through the frame, landing on the path. Static medium shot, 85mm, shallow depth of field, slow motion. Warm orange grade, light wind.39. Rain on tarmac
An empty road surface at night, lit by a single streetlight above. Heavy rain strikes the tarmac, droplets bouncing. Static overhead-angled shot, 50mm, shallow depth of field, high frame rate. Cool grade with warm lamp glow, heavy rain.40. Frost on a window
A single-pane window on a cold morning, pale blue daylight outside. Frost crystals cover the glass, edges catching the light. Very slow push in, macro lens, extremely shallow focus. Cold blue grade, silent.41. Heat haze on a road
A long straight desert road at midday, sun directly overhead. Heat haze shimmers above the tarmac in the distance, distorting the horizon. Locked-off telephoto shot, 200mm, compressed perspective, deep focus. Bleached warm grade, cicadas.Getting more out of every generation
A few things that consistently raise the hit rate once you are past the prompt itself.
Generate in threes. B-roll is cheap to re-roll and the variance between seeds is high. Three attempts at one prompt beats one attempt at three prompts almost every time.
Use first-and-last-frame control for anything that must match. If a shot has to cut cleanly against footage you already have, setting the end frame is far more reliable than describing the ending in words.
Cut on motion. Most AI clips are strongest in the middle. Trim the first and last few frames — where drift and settling artefacts live — and you will use a much higher proportion of what you generate.
Mind the credit expiry. Subscription credits expire at the end of each billing month and do not roll over, so plan your generation in batches rather than letting an allocation lapse. The free tier's 66 daily credits refresh every 24 hours and are a genuinely reasonable way to work through this list — you can start generating on Kling here and only move to a paid plan once you know which shots earn their place in your edit.
Common mistakes worth avoiding
- Asking for two actions. "She picks up the cup and walks to the window" is two shots. Prompt them separately and cut between them.
- Leaving the camera unspecified. The most reliable single improvement you can make to any prompt on this page is naming the move.
- Stacking quality adjectives. "Cinematic, 8K, masterpiece, award-winning" does nothing. Lens, lighting and grade do everything.
- Putting faces at the centre of B-roll. Hands, silhouettes, backs of heads and cropped framing are far more reliable and read as more professional anyway.
- Ignoring audio. Kling 3.0 generates native audio. Naming the sound you want is free and often saves a library search later.