Made with a small budget, a lot of testing, and probably too many failed generations.

When I started creating AI videos, I thought the hardest part was finding the best model.

It wasn't.

The real problem was keeping the same character from changing every time.

A face would look slightly different. Hair would change. Clothes would disappear. The style would slowly drift until it was basically another character.

After testing different workflows, I stopped trying to make one tool do everything. Instead, I started giving each tool a specific job.

This is the workflow I currently use with ChatGPT, Midjourney, FLUX, Kling, and CapCut to create more consistent AI characters without expensive software or a big production setup.

1. [CREATE ONE STRONG CHARACTER REFERENCE]

The biggest mistake I made at the beginning was generating every scene separately.

It looks fun at first, but after a few generations you notice the problem:

Same prompt ≠ same character.

AI doesn't remember your character. Every generation is a new interpretation.

Now I always start by creating one "master image".

This image is not just a pretty picture.

It becomes the identity of the character.

I pay attention to:

• Face structure

• Hair style

• Eye color

• Clothing details

• Accessories

• Lighting style

• Camera style

If the base image is weak, everything after it becomes harder.

A good reference image saves hours later.

2. [BUILD A CHARACTER DESCRIPTION]

Before generating more scenes, I create a small character sheet.

This is where ChatGPT helps me.

Not because it creates the images, but because it helps me keep everything organized.

I keep the important details in one place:

• Character appearance

• Personality

• Outfit description

• Color palette

• Visual style

• Camera preferences

Before doing this, I was changing small details without noticing.

One generation had different hair.
Another had different clothes.
Another had a completely different vibe.

Having a fixed description reduced these random changes.

3. [USE SEED LOCK AND REFERENCE IMAGES]

Seed is one of those things that many beginners ignore.

A seed does not magically create the exact same image forever, but it helps keep generations closer when you use the same model and settings.

My process:

Create a good result.

Save:

• Prompt

• Seed

• Model

• Settings

• Reference image

Then I build from that.

I don't randomly change everything because it makes troubleshooting almost impossible.

If something changes, I want to know what caused it.

4. [IMAGE GENERATION WITH MIDJOURNEY AND FLUX]

For creating the character, I usually test between Midjourney and FLUX.

I don't believe there is one "best" model.

Each one has different strengths.

Sometimes one gives better facial details.

Sometimes another gives better control over style.

The important thing is not generating hundreds of random images.

The important thing is finding one strong identity and expanding from it.

I usually create:

• Front view

• Side view

• Different expressions

• Different poses

These become my reference library.

5. [ANIMATE WITH KLING IMAGE-TO-VIDEO]

This was probably the biggest improvement in my workflow.

At first, I tried text-to-video.

The results were interesting, but the character consistency was unpredictable.

The solution was simple:

Start with an image.

Then animate it.

My workflow:

Master Image

↓

Kling Image-to-Video

↓

Simple Motion Prompt

↓

Short Clip

The image already contains the important information.

The prompt only needs to describe movement.

For example:

Good:

slow cinematic walk, natural movement, slight camera push

Bad:

a beautiful woman with blonde hair and green eyes wearing...

The second one gives the AI another chance to reinterpret the character.

I let the image handle the identity.

I let the prompt handle the motion.

6. [COLOR MATCHING IN CAPCUT]

After combining clips from different AI tools, another problem appears:

The colors don't always match.

One clip can look warm.

Another can look cold.

Skin tones can change.

The video starts feeling like different projects combined together.

This is where CapCut becomes useful.

I usually adjust:

• Temperature

• Contrast

• Saturation

• Highlights

• Shadows

• Overall tone

I don't try to completely change the original.

The goal is making every shot feel like it belongs to the same world.

7. [MY BIGGEST MISTAKES]

Things that wasted the most time:

Generating every scene from zero

This creates too many variations.

Changing the style halfway

Anime, realistic, cinematic... mixing styles usually breaks consistency.

Using too many reference images

More references don't always mean better results.

Sometimes they confuse the model.

Writing huge motion prompts

The more unnecessary details I add, the more chances the AI changes something important.

Ignoring color correction

Even good generations can look disconnected without a final color pass.

8. [MY CURRENT ZERO-BUDGET PIPELINE]

This is the simple version of my workflow:

Idea

↓

ChatGPT
(Character planning + prompt organization)

↓

Midjourney / FLUX
(Create master reference)

↓

Seed + Reference Management

↓

Kling
(Image-to-Video animation)

↓

CapCut
(Color correction + final editing)

↓

Final Video

FINAL THOUGHTS

The biggest lesson I learned is that AI tools are not replacing the workflow.

The workflow is what makes the tools useful.

A better model can help, but a bad process will still create inconsistent results.

For me, the goal is not generating one cool image.

The goal is creating a character that can survive multiple scenes, multiple tools, and multiple generations.

That is where AI production starts becoming more predictable.