How do I keep an AI character consistent across videos?
Give the video model a picture of the character every time, not just a description. Keep one master reference image and one written description that never change, start each video from a still frame painted off that reference, and write the outfit into every prompt.
The four things that keep a face stable
- One master reference image. A reference image is a picture you attach to the generation so the model copies the face, hair and outfit instead of inventing them. Use the same file every time; a new picture is a new character to the model.
- One master description. Hair, face, outfit, then two or three words of personality. Paste it unchanged into every prompt. If you edit it between videos, the model treats the edit as a redesign.
- Generate the first frame, then animate it. A video model that starts from your still keeps the face far better than one that only reads text. The image prompt carries the look; the video prompt only describes motion, dialogue and sound.
- Write the outfit every time. When the outfit is left to the model, it drifts. Write it out in full, even when it is the default look.
In our own explainer Penny builds a bank, 31 separate clips each started from a frame painted off the same master image. The style sentence lived in the image prompt and the video prompt described only movement. The result reads as one character across 82 seconds.
Do you need a character sheet?
Not to start. One clean, full-body, front-facing picture on a plain background does most of the work. More views help when the character turns away from the camera or the model supports several references per character: Kling says its Omni Reference takes up to 15 reference assets, including multiple views of one character[1], and Seedance 2.0 accepts up to 9 images per generation[2]. If you only have one picture, keep the camera roughly facing the character so the model is never guessing at a side it has not seen.
Why the face still drifts, and the fixes
- Text only, no image. Each generation samples a new face that merely fits the words. Fix: attach the reference.
- Frames derived from frames. When each new still is made from the last one instead of the master, small errors stack up. Fix: always go back to the master image.
- Several people in one shot. Faces average toward each other. Fix: restate each character's hair, skin and expression and pass each one's own reference. See group shots.
- A face that looks like a famous actor. Video models can block it, and redesigning the face later breaks consistency with every earlier video. Design an original face from the start.
- Changing the look on purpose. For a new style, generate the new look first, then lock each frame back to the master face with an image-edit step.
Consistency is also behaviour. Give the character a catchphrase, a gesture or a prop that appears in every video; viewers recognise those faster than a face. Our longer write-up, with what broke along the way, is the character consistency guide. For why a specific face changed, see why does my AI character's face change.
Where Cast fits
- You want a reusable character without managing files: describe them in a sentence, pick one of four drawn looks (15 credits), and that look is sent as the reference in every later video.
- You want two or three recurring characters in one video: Cast sends each one's picture and description as numbered references in the same order every time.
- You want to try it free: the first 5-second video with the premade Malfoid & Friends pack costs nothing and needs no sign-up.
Where it does not:
- Keeping a character from your own photo or drawing consistent: Cast cannot take an uploaded image; its characters are drawn from a text description.
- A consistent avatar of yourself.
- Long films with dozens of shots: Cast clips are 5 to 15 seconds. Katechon Arc handles multi-episode dramas: https://arc.katechon.technology/.
People also ask
- What is a reference image?
- A picture you attach to a generation so the model copies a specific face, hair and outfit. Without one, the model invents a new face that only matches your words.
- Can I keep a character consistent with prompts alone?
- Only roughly. A very detailed description narrows the range of faces, but in our renders only an attached image held the same face across separate generations.
- Is there a free way to make a consistent AI character?
- Any tool that accepts a reference image can do it on its free credits. The method above matters more than the tool: same image, same description, every time.
- Which tools are best at character consistency?
- The ones that take several reference images and keep a character library. We compare them on reference inputs, clip length and price in the best AI video generator for consistent characters.
Sources
Claims about other companies come from their own pages, read on the date shown. Products and prices change; check the link for the current version.
- Kling AI: AI video generator (Kling 4.0) (read )
- ByteDance Seed: Seedance 2.0 official launch (read )
Related answers
- Why does my AI character's face change between videos?
- How do I keep two or three AI characters consistent in one video?
- What is the best AI video generator for consistent characters?
- How do I make an AI character video?
- How do I make a video of my OC with AI?
Part of the Cast answers library (Character consistency).
Updated