How to make a character reference sheet for AI video

Build a character reference sheet that keeps an AI character's face and outfit consistent: which angles to draw, how to light them, and a description template.

October 14, 2026, 4 min read

The short answer

A character reference sheet is a set of images of one character from several fixed angles, in the same outfit and the same neutral light, plus a short written description. You hand those images to the video model with every shot so the face, hair and clothes stay the same from clip to clip.

Animation studios have used model sheets, or turnarounds, for decades for the same reason: many artists drawing one character need a single source of truth. With AI video, the many artists are many generations, and the sheet is what keeps them in line.

What goes on the sheet

These are the views that do the most work. Each one answers a question the model would otherwise guess.

Front view, head and shoulders: the core of the face, eye color, hairline.
Three-quarter view: the view most shots actually use. Shows nose shape and cheekbones.
Profile: the side silhouette of the nose, lips, chin and hair.
Full body front: proportions, height feel, the whole outfit and shoes.
Full body three-quarter or back: how the outfit looks from other sides.
Close-ups: hands, any distinctive accessory, glasses, a scar, a tattoo or a pattern on the clothing.
Optional expression shots: a neutral face, a smile and one stronger emotion.

How to draw the reference images

Reference images are for information, not beauty. Treat them like passport photos, not campaign shots.

Plain, light background with nothing behind the character.
Flat, even, soft light from the front. No dramatic shadows, no colored gels. The model should see the true colors.
The same outfit in every image, described the same way in every prompt.
A neutral pose: arms relaxed, standing straight. Poses can come later in the video prompts.
Sharp focus on the face. No motion blur, no heavy depth of field.
No text, logos or watermarks anywhere in the frame.

Before and after: the description

Before: "A beautiful young woman with nice hair and a stylish outfit."

Why it fails: nothing in that line can be checked. Every generation will produce a different beautiful woman with different nice hair.

After: "Maya, a fictional woman in her late twenties. Warm brown skin, oval face, dark brown eyes, thick straight eyebrows, a small mole above the left corner of her mouth. Black hair in shoulder-length loose curls with a centre parting. Outfit: rust-orange oversized knit cardigan, plain white t-shirt, high-waisted straight-leg blue jeans, white canvas sneakers, small gold hoop earrings."

Try this prompt in Create Video

The fixed version gives a name to anchor on, an age range that is clearly adult, and specific checkable features: the mole, the parting, the earrings. It also lists the outfit piece by piece, which is the part that drifts most often.

A template you can copy

Fill this in once and paste it at the top of every video prompt for this character.

Name and role: "[Name], a fictional [adult age range] [role, such as cooking host]". Try it
Face: skin tone, face shape, eye color and shape, eyebrows, one distinctive mark.
Hair: color, length, texture, parting, usual style.
Build: general build and posture, described neutrally.
Signature outfit: each piece with color and material, top to bottom, plus accessories.
Never changes: two or three things that must appear in every shot, such as the glasses or the earrings.

Building the sheet in ClickPop

The Characters studio does this for you. You design a fictional adult character once, choose the image model, and draw from 1 to 10 reference photos covering the front, three-quarter, full body, close-up and profile views. Those photos then go with every video you make with that character, so the face and outfit stay the same across Create Video, UGC, Drama Studio and the rest.

Choose the image model to match the look. The image models available for characters include Seedream 5.0, Nano Banana Pro, GPT Image 2 and FLUX.2. Try the same description on two of them and keep the one that best fits your style before you draw the full set.

More references are not always better. Each one should add a view the others do not show. Ten near-identical front shots teach the model less than five distinct angles.

Outfit changes and new scenes

If your character needs a second outfit, treat it as a new set of references, not a prompt tweak. Draw a front and a full-body image in the new outfit, and keep the face description identical. That way the face carries over while the clothes change on purpose.

For a series, keep a simple log: which outfit appears in which episode or post, and which reference set you used. Continuity mistakes in a series are usually wardrobe mistakes.

Mistakes to avoid

Basing a character on a real person. Using someone's likeness without permission is not allowed, and it is a legal and ethical risk. Design an original face.
Making characters that are minors or that read as minors. Keep characters clearly adult.
Dramatic lighting in references. Hard shadows get baked into the face and the character looks different in every scene.
Busy patterns and logos on clothes. Fine patterns shimmer in motion and third-party logos are not allowed. Solid colors and simple textures hold up best.
Changing the description between shots. Paste the same text every time.

Questions

How many reference images does an AI character need?

Enough to cover the distinct angles: usually front, three-quarter, profile, full body and a close-up or two. In ClickPop you can draw between 1 and 10 reference photos, and distinct views matter more than quantity.

Why does my AI character's face keep changing?

The model is guessing features that were never fixed. Use reference images with flat even light, a specific written description with a distinctive mark, and send the same references with every shot.

Can I make a reference sheet of a real person?

Not without their permission, and ClickPop does not allow real people's likeness without it. Design a fictional adult character instead.