Depth StudioHow to Create an AI Character: A Guide to Consistent, Realistic AI Characters
Updated: October 9, 2026 · Depth Studio
Producing one beautiful frame is easy; keeping the same person recognisable in frame forty is the hard part. This guide shows how to define a character once, reuse it in every generation — and make it look real by combining it with real footage.
The Depth Studio tools that do this
Kagami — one video, a new cast
Keep the motion and the scene of any clip and recast it with your character — or swap one thing in the shot for your photo. The original sound stays.
Try Kagami →Scene Compositor — everything in one frame
Bring the character, the location, the wardrobe and the props into a single shot; say what each photo is for, then set the camera and the light. The light and the perspective settle themselves.
Try Scene Compositor →The 7 steps to create an AI character
Decide what the character is for
A brand face for commercials, a series character, a mascot or an AI influencer? The purpose decides age, style, framing and the platforms where the character will appear.
Describe the character with concrete traits
Not "a beautiful woman": age range, facial structure, skin, hair and beard, style of dress, bearing. Vague adjectives produce a different face every time; concrete traits bring the same face back.
Build from scratch or start from a photo
In Character Studio the face is either built entirely from your description or starts from a reference photo. Only use a real person's photo with that person's consent.
Generate a character sheet
A character sheet shows the front, profile and full-body views on one page — the reference pack that locks the character's identity. If you only need the face identity, choose the portrait layout.
Pick a candidate and revise
Each round returns two candidates; pick the one you like and revise it in words ("hair a little shorter", "a stronger jawline"). Wardrobe can be given separately as a photo or as text.
Save it to the project and reuse it everywhere
The approved character lives in the project's Characters module and is attached as a reference to new image and video generations, so the face does not drift from scene to scene.
Combine the character with real footage
The shortest route to realism is putting the character inside a real shot. Kagami's Motion transfer mode keeps the motion and the scene of your video and recasts the person with your character.
Why is consistency the hardest part of an AI character?
Image models re-interpret the face on every generation; even repeating the same prompt word for word can produce a different person. The fix is not rewriting the character from memory each time, but turning it into a reference system:
- Separate what is fixed: face, skin, eyes, hair and proportions are the identity — they never change.
- Separate what varies: wardrobe, light, pose and location change with the scene.
- Keep the identity in a multi-angle pack: a single portrait is not enough once the head turns.
- Check every output against the pack: catching a drifting face early is cheaper than regenerating every frame later.
In Depth Studio the character sheet and the character record in the project do exactly this: the team works from one source, and every new generation is tied to the same identity.
Character sheet or portrait?
A character sheet shows the character from several angles on a single 16:9 page. It is the right choice when you introduce the character to the team, generate video or use the character in Kagami — the model also knows how the character looks from the side and from behind.
A portrait produces the face identity only, in 16:9, cinematic 21:9 or vertical 9:16. It is ideal for posters, profile images or face-led frames.
To make it look real: put the character into real video
In a scene generated entirely by AI, everything is synthetic: light, camera movement, fabric, background and body language. The viewer's eye picks up the small inconsistencies across all those layers. When you place the character into a real shot, the light, the camera shake, the location and the motion are real; the only thing AI does is replace the person. Most of the cues that read as "artificial" disappear. Step by step: How to make realistic AI characters.
Responsible use
Only use a real person's face with their consent — including photos of celebrities, actors and models. Since 2 August 2026, Article 50 of the EU AI Act requires AI content that shows real people and could pass as authentic (a deepfake) to be clearly disclosed as AI-generated. Depth Studio asks you to confirm these responsibilities before your first generation — and separately before your first clip in Kagami, which works on real footage.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need drawing or 3D skills to create an AI character?
No. You describe the character in words; Character Studio builds the face from your description or from a photo you provide. You pick between candidates and revise in words.
Will my AI character stay the same across scenes?
Yes, when you save the character to the project and use it as a reference in every generation. The approved character sheet fixes the face, hair and proportions; only wardrobe, light and pose change with the scene.
How do I turn an AI character into a video?
Two ways: animate the character image with the video models in AI Studio, or use Kagami to put the character in place of the person in a real video. The second keeps real light and camera movement, so it looks more realistic.
Can I use the character I create in commercial work?
You are responsible for the content you create and how you use it; the copyright status of AI output varies by country. Get consent for characters that resemble real people and disclose AI generation where required.
Sources and further reading
Create your character once, use it in every scene
Depth Studio brings Character Studio, image and video generation, Kagami for real footage and the team workflow into one workspace. Early access is opening in limited groups.
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