Part 1. The character's face is different every time, and it's a problem.
When generating images with AI, it is common for the eye color, hairstyle, and clothing design to change slightly each time. Especially when it comes to videos, there are times when you feel like "Who was this girl?" Consistency will greatly increase the viewer's immersion.
Part 2. Midjourney Edition
Midjourney has functions called "character reference (cref)" and "omni reference (omniref)" that allow you to reference character images.
◾️Character Reference (cref)
Fix a character with a single reference image. Can be used with Midjourney v6 and nijijourney niji6.
◾️Omni Reference (omniref)
Reference multiple images at once. Feature exclusive to Midjourney v7.
Specify a character sheet with the front face, full body, and back of the character you want to use. Entering the character's appearance information in the prompt will also make it easier to generate a more consistent character image.
Part 3. Stable Diffusion: Teaching a Character to "Stick" with LoRA
If you want to lock in a character’s appearance and ensure they show up consistently across multiple generations, LoRA (Low-Rank Adaptation) in Stable Diffusion is a powerful tool. Simply put, it allows the AI to "learn" the distinctive features of a character, so no matter how many images you generate, the same character keeps showing up with the same look.
To train a LoRA model, you’ll need to prepare around 30 to 50 reference images, tag them appropriately, and fine-tune them using a specialized tool. It takes a bit of effort, but it’s incredibly useful if your character appears in a long-running project or across multiple artworks.
You can teach the AI specifics like: “this girl has this hairstyle, wears this outfit, and often has this expression.” LoRA excels at capturing and reproducing such fine details, offering much greater consistency and reliability than other methods.
Part 4. Using Reference Images in Other AI Tools
Recently, more and more image generation AIs have introduced features that let you say things like, “Use this girl as the base.”
◾️ Flux.1 Kontext Max: Reads the character’s context from the image and incorporates it into the output
◾️ ChatGPT / Gemini: Shares a consistent world or style through image prompts
◾️ Runway: Maintains visual consistency of characters and backgrounds using the built-in Reference feature in Gen-4
Put simply, all of these tools let you say, “Here’s an image—make something with a similar vibe.” They’re especially useful for fine-tuning the look and avoiding inconsistencies in character design or atmosphere.
Part 5. Vidu Edition: Generate Videos with Consistent Characters
Vidu AI Video Generator offers a "Reference to Video" feature that lets you create videos from still images while keeping character consistency.
◾️ Normal ReferencePerfect for maintaining consistency in a single shot.
◾️ My ReferenceIdeal for ensuring consistency across multiple shots. You can also define a character’s personality and behavior, allowing for not just visual consistency but also continuity in movement and overall mood.
By simply preparing a few reference images—such as characters, backgrounds, and props—you can easily generate videos with consistent characters. Since there's no need to manually create complex keyframes one by one, the production process becomes much more accessible.
(My Reference Settings)
(Reference to Video Generation)
Part 6. Techniques for Improving Consistency with Other Approaches
Character consistency doesn't have to rely entirely on AI tools—creative techniques in image and video editing can also make a big difference.
◾️ Refine Keyframes with Image Editing Software
Use tools like Photoshop to make small adjustments to character images generated by Midjourney or Stable Diffusion. You can also seamlessly place multiple characters into the same scene or blend assets created with different tools.
◾️ Composite in Video Editing SoftwareInsert character images generated by Vidu into background footage using chroma keying or other compositing techniques. This gives you more precise control over the overall look and flow of your video.
By combining these more hands-on methods with AI tools, you can achieve greater flexibility and a more polished final result.
