Creating Consistent Characters in AI Film Scenes

Written By Asa Bailey

Using Veo3, Runway, and Kling AI – A Step-by-Step Workflow

AI tools have reached a point where it's now possible to generate real emotional performances on screen. But character consistency—especially across shots—is still a challenge, particularly when using Veo3 alone. This workflow, based on practical production experience, outlines a proven method for achieving consistency and emotion in AI-generated scenes.

Step 1: Generate Key Scenes Using Veo3

Start with Google DeepMind’s Veo3. It offers the strongest results for cinematic, text-to-video generation. It’s ideal for creating wide establishing shots, dramatic transitions, and high-end scene setups. But it comes at a cost—both in terms of credits and character consistency.

Use Veo3 for scenes where visual impact matters most. Think scale, mood, and movement. This is your stage.

Step 2: Capture Stills and Refine in Runway Gen-4

Once you've generated your key scenes, take high-quality screengrabs of important frames. Bring those stills into Runway Gen-4 and use Flux Kontext if needed.

This step is where you refine the emotional tone, tweak expressions, adjust the look, and prepare for continuity. Runway allows you to modify details that Veo3 may not have nailed—like eye contact, posture, or lighting.

Step 3: Generate Close-Ups with Kling AI 2.1 Master

With your revised stills, move into Kling AI 2.1 Master (img2video) to generate character-consistent close-up shots. Kling is currently one of the most reliable tools for maintaining visual identity across frames. It’s ideal for dialogue scenes, emotional beats, and moments that require viewer connection.

By using the Veo3 wide shots as your foundation and Kling AI for close-ups, you can maintain continuity across the scene, even if the models themselves don’t naturally align.

Cost Considerations

Running this workflow requires planning and budgeting:

  • Expect to spend upwards of $800 per project on credits alone.

  • Veo3 is expensive. Consider using Veo2 for simpler or less critical shots.

  • Kling AI is more cost-efficient for character consistency.

  • Supplement your assets with community resources like Freepik and Hedra.

  • Plan shot-by-shot: decide which tool fits each part of the scene before generating.

This process isn’t cheap—yet. But it’s effective. As tools evolve, the cost will come down. For now, smart allocation is key.

Tools Used in This Workflow

  • Google DeepMind Veo3 (text-to-video)

  • Runway Gen-4 with Flux Kontext

  • Kling AI 2.1 Master (img2video)

  • Freepik and Hedra (reference and visual elements)

Asa Bailey
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