The same person, not simply a similar face
Preserve recognisable features, age, expression and presence while moving from controlled references into narrative, animated scenes.
CASE 04
AI creative production · Character system
Katia
A directed AI character system exploring identity across scenes, wardrobe, framing and different video-generation models.
01 / FINAL REEL
Leonardo AI · Seedance · Kling · Creative direction and editing
A multi-angle identity anchor
I built a compact front, three-quarter, profile and back reference set. Each generation starts from this identity and adds only the required scene, action, wardrobe and camera language.
A character that can move between stories
Katia moves through formal, creative, social and everyday worlds, with a broader emotional register than a single polished portrait. Identity drift is documented and used to guide model selection.
AREAS OF WORK
- Creative direction
- Character design
- Visual prompting
- Editing and continuity
PRODUCTION WORKFLOW
- Leonardo AI
- Seedance 2.0 Fast
- Kling Video O3 Omni
- Seedance 2.0 Mini · CapCut
IDENTITY ANCHOR
One character.
Four angles.
The reference set reduces ambiguity before animation: it anchors face, proportions, hair and silhouette without forcing every scene into one pose.
IDENTITY UNDER MOVEMENT
One face.
More than one frame.
A second reference set tests Katia with loose hair, casual styling and changing angles. The turn study checks whether the identity survives the transition between profile and frontal view.
PORTABILITY TEST
Another scene.
The same Katia.
The second sequence changes format, wardrobe and hairstyle. Kling Video O3 Omni moves the character into a jewellery store while preserving the traits that keep her recognisable.
CONTEXT & WARDROBE
A life beyond
the reference sheet.
Katia shifts from a working artist to an editorial portrait and an outdoor lifestyle scene. Each setting changes the visual language while retaining the character's recognisable core.
EMOTIONAL RANGE
Not one perfect face.
A believable character.
Expression tests move beyond beauty shots and into performance: open joy, grief, controlled anger and the quieter imperfection of an everyday morning.
NARRATIVE WORLDS
One character.
Two dramatic formats.
The same visual system extends from a vertical social teaser to a widescreen cinematic sequence. The work tests how character, styling, atmosphere and story survive across formats.
ITERATION IS PART OF DIRECTION
Failure is
useful evidence.
Piano tests exposed the trade-off between motion quality and identity. Happy Horse produced stronger drift and hand issues; Seedance improved the action, while Mini delivered the most usable motion study without replacing the ballroom as the primary identity proof.
TEST 01 · HAPPY HORSERejected
TEST 02 · SEEDANCE 2.0Rejected · facial drift
TEST 03 · SEEDANCE 2.0 MINISupporting motion study
PROMPT → TEST → DECISION
Prompts are
production tools.
I do not rely on one “magic” sentence. I structure each generation around the approved identity, the shot objective and explicit quality checks, then compare the output against the brief before selecting it.
Identity anchorActionCameraEnvironmentConstraintsAcceptance criteria
01 · SEEDANCE 2.0 FASTSelected lead
Ballroom narrative
Representative prompt excerpt
“Using the approved multi-angle Katia reference, create a cinematic ballroom sequence with the same 23-year-old woman: very fair freckled skin, light blue eyes and natural blonde curls. Preserve facial proportions, age and identity across every shot. Elegant controlled movement, warm chandelier light and realistic fabric motion. No facial redesign, beauty retouching, age shift or hairstyle drift.”
- Checked
- Identity · shot continuity · editable motion
- Decision
- Strongest narrative continuity; used as the lead sequence.
02 · KLING O3 OMNISelected support
Jewellery-store portability
Representative prompt excerpt
“Use the approved Katia identity reference. Place the same recognisable woman in a contemporary jewellery store in vertical framing, with natural body movement and believable interaction with the space. Preserve face, freckles, eye colour, hair texture and age. Keep hands, jewellery and environment stable; avoid morphing, extra fingers, product deformation and identity drift.”
- Checked
- Wardrobe · vertical format · objects · facial continuity
- Decision
- Identity survived a new scene and styling; retained as support.
03 · MULTI-MODEL TESTRevised
Piano action study
Representative prompt excerpt
“Animate Katia seated at a grand piano in an elegant ballroom. Maintain the approved face, freckles and age while both hands perform a short, believable piano action. Stable camera, correct finger-to-key contact, realistic wrist movement, consistent instrument geometry and no facial or hand morphing.”
- Iteration
- Simplified the action, reinforced the identity reference and compared models.
- Decision
- Rejected drift; kept Seedance Mini only as a supporting motion study.
04 · HIGGSFIELD GENJUTSUUsable study
Shopping-cart motion transfer
Representative prompt excerpt
“Replace the original subject with Katia while preserving the shopping-cart camera motion, timing and scene dynamics. Low point of view from inside the cart in a bright Nordic-style furniture store. Katia is a 23-year-old blonde woman with natural curls, blue eyes and freckles, wearing a white off-shoulder blouse, both hands on the cart rails. Keep the plant, blanket and cushion stable. No morphing, extra limbs, scene changes or cuts.”
- Checked
- Motion timing · character replacement · hand placement · prop continuity
- Result
- Katia remained recognisable and the new environment integrated convincingly.
- QA note
- Minor rail warping and slight facial drift were documented for the next pass.
The excerpts above show the working structure. Production prompts were refined with visual references, negative constraints and shot-specific notes.
SELECTION CRITERIA
The model is a tool.
The decision is the work.
ModelBest contributionDecision
Seedance 2.0 FastNarrative continuity and editabilityLead sequence
Kling O3 OmniWardrobe and scene portabilitySupporting sequence
Seedance 2.0 MiniPiano action and hand stabilityMotion study
Happy HorseEarly motion explorationRejected
PROCESS
Create, compare
and decide.
- 01
Define
Create the character and a coherent multi-angle reference set.
- 02
Test
Compare scenes, wardrobe, action and models against clear objectives.
- 03
Evaluate
Review identity, anatomy, object continuity, audio and motion.
- 04
Edit
Select takes, repair continuity and build the final reel in CapCut.