How to make an AI character sheet: turnaround, expressions, outfits
A sheet layout that video models read well, with prompts for each view and the mistakes that make a sheet useless.
Alex Mercer7 min read
Guides to consistent characters in AI video
Keep a cast on-model across a whole episode: build the reference set, use each model’s reference feature, stage scenes with several characters, and check every clip for drift before it reaches the edit.
14 guides · updated 2 Nov 2026
Start here, in this order
- How to keep characters consistent in AI video, across a whole episodeReference sets, a fixed character line in every prompt and a drift check on every clip: the full method, step by step.
- Build a reference pack with Nano Banana before you generate any videoFace, three-quarter view, outfits and props as separate images, made in an afternoon and reused for a whole season.
- How to keep character consistency in Veo 3.1: Ingredients vs Frames, testedThe same three characters through both reference modes, scored shot by shot, with the cost of each pass.
Reference sets
Make the images every shot will carry: faces, turnarounds, outfits and props.
Model by model
How Veo, Kling and Seedance take references, and how strictly each one holds them.
Seedance reference image vs omni reference: what actually holds a face
Two ways to hand Seedance a character, tested on a cartoon cast and a realistic one.
Alex Mercer8 min read
Scenes with several characters
Shots where the cast shares the frame, and the faces must not blend.
Kling 4.0 Elements tutorial: multi-character scenes that stay on-model
How to load a cast into Elements, which reference goes where, and what to do when two faces start to blend.
Alex Mercer9 min read
Keeping two or more characters consistent in the same shot
Staging, reference order and prompt wording for shots where the cast shares the frame.
Alex Mercer8 min read
Checking the result
Measure drift per clip and compare tools on the same episode.
Why your AI character’s face drifts, and how to measure it
Where drift comes from, how to score it per clip, and how to pick a pass mark you keep for the whole series.
Alex Mercer9 min read
Best AI video generators for consistent characters, tested on one episode
One script sheet, five models, the same cast: which held the face, which held the outfit, and what each usable second cost.
Alex Mercer13 min read
All verified guides in this topic shown above · Tested on Scena Studio v1.1.0
Browse all 9 blog topics →
Questions people ask
Can AI video keep the same character across shots?
Yes, if every shot carries the same reference images and the same character line; words alone drift.
Read the answer: How to keep characters consistent in AI video, across a whole episode
Which AI video model holds a face best?
It changes with each version; test your own cast on the same shot list before committing an episode.
Read the answer: Best AI video generators for consistent characters, tested on one episode
How many reference images does one character need?
Start with a front and a three-quarter face plus one image per outfit; more only if they agree.
Read the answer: How to make an AI character sheet: turnaround, expressions, outfits
About this topic
Character consistency is the hardest part of making a series with AI video: each clip is generated fresh, so a face, an outfit or a colour can change from one shot to the next.
The guides here cover the whole chain, from making the reference images to checking finished clips, and every method is tested on a real episode with the model versions named.
Related topics
Script to screen
Shot lists, storyboards and overnight queues: the production line between a script and an episode.
Model guides and prompts
Prompting Kling, Veo, Seedance, Hailuo, Wan, Vidu, Runway, Luma and LTX, version by version.
Kids and educational animation
Learning cartoons children deserve: cast, pacing, safety and YouTube’s made-for-kids rules.