Consistent AI characters: keep the same person across every shot

Why characters change

A description fits many people. If you write “a young man with dark hair”, every shot can land on a different young man. The model needs something narrower to hold on to.

Three methods, from weakest to strongest

1. Fixed details in the prompt

Give specifics: “a young man with a short beard, round glasses and a mustard jacket”. Keep the words the same every time.

2. Start from an image

Use an image as the first frame. Great for a single shot, since the look is locked at the start.

3. Reference images

Attach pictures of your character and the model carries them into new scenes. This is the method to use for anything with more than one shot.

How to prepare reference images

• Use two or three clear images, one front-on and one from the side.
• Choose a plain background and even light.
• Keep the same clothing across all of them.
• If you have no pictures, generate a frame you like and reuse it.

Consistency over long videos

In a long video or a series, characters are defined at the start and carried through each shot. Keep the cast small, since fewer people means fewer things to keep track of.

Real people

Only use a real person's likeness with their permission. Do not use anyone's image to make them appear to say or do something they did not.