Start-frame character lock
Video models that support saved characters (Kling Elements and similar) often ignore the character when a shot has no start frame. The result is a stranger with the right outfit. The fix is cheap: make a start frame for every shot first.
Steps
- Reference sheet. One clean image of the character: front face, full body, same outfit. This is the only source of truth.
- Start frame per shot. Use an image model that accepts a reference image. Prompt: "Cinematic film still, 16:9, the opening frame of this shot: [the character from the reference image, exactly the same face, hair and outfit] [what happens in the first second]."
- Check the frame. Face, hair, outfit, hands. Reject and regenerate before you spend any video time on it.
- Video. Start frame + the saved character in the prompt + the motion for this shot. Keep the camera move simple for the first second so the model stays on the start frame.
- Verify. Pull 3 frames from every clip (start, middle, end) and compare with the reference sheet side by side.
Why it works
The start frame pins identity at frame one; the saved character keeps it while the camera moves. Either one alone drifts.
Common mistakes
- A start frame from a different lighting setup than the shot description: the model fights the light and the face shifts.
- Close-up start frame for a wide moving shot: the model invents a new body.
- Batch-generating video before checking start frames.