Character Consistency in AI Video — Reference-First Workflows
When the same person, mascot, or SKU must recur, pure prompt-to-video often drifts. Character consistency starts with locked stills, then spends credits on motion.
Why does identity drift happen?
Each generate samples a new latent path. Without a shared reference, wardrobe, face shape, and product geometry can change between takes — especially across multi-shot stories.
When should I prefer image-to-video?
Prefer image-to-video for products, portraits, and brand frames. Use text-to-video for mood boards and B-roll where exact identity is optional.
- Catalog photo → product motion for ecommerce
- Hero portrait → talking-head or walk cycle with lip-sync
- Start/end frames when the model supports them
How do I keep consistency across a campaign?
- Build a small reference sheet (front, three-quarter, product close-up).
- Reuse the same stills across Marketing and Commerce studio jobs.
- Avoid extreme close-ups of hands and tiny on-screen text in-camera.
- Overlay packaging copy in post when readability matters.
What about multi-shot and storyboard modes?
Multi-shot and storyboard tools help when a narrative needs connected cuts instead of isolated GIFs. Treat them as consistency aids, not a guarantee — still lock wardrobe and SKU geometry first.