Reference to video AI — same character, product and style in every shot
Upload up to 30 reference images, clips and voices. The AI keeps the face, outfit, product, location and look identical from shot to shot — no morphing, no reshoots. 4K, native audio, no watermark.
- 30 references per generation
- Face · product · location · style · motion · voice
- 5–30 s · 4K · no watermark
- Free credits, no card
Same actor, three scenes · Seedance 2.5
“The man from the reference walks through a subway, a forest and an office — same beard, same green jacket”
What is reference to video AI?
Reference to video AI generates a video from a text prompt and a set of reference assets — a face, an outfit, a product, a location, an art style, a motion clip or a voice — so the result stays consistent across shots instead of morphing. Kenerate accepts up to 30 references per generation (Seedance 2.5: 30 images, 10 clips, 10 audio), supports Kling 3.0 Element Lock and Wan 3.0 multi-reference, and exports 5–30 second clips in 4K with no watermark. Free credits on sign-up.
What a reference can lock
Seven kinds of reference, one consistent video
Tap the references you would attach. Each one tells the model what must stay fixed while everything else — scene, action, camera — comes from your prompt.
Your reference set
Made with references
Reference to video examples
Every clip below was generated from a reference set — tap to load the prompt.
How it works
How do I keep a character consistent in AI video?
Three moves, then reuse the same set for every shot, episode or product.
Upload references
Drop up to 30 images, 10 clips and 10 audio files. Tag each one: face, product, location, style, motion or voice.
Write the shot
Describe the scene and refer to your assets by name — "@maya walks into @bookshop holding @bottle". Pick Seedance 2.5, Kling 3.0 or Wan 3.0.
Generate the series
Render shot after shot with the same references. 5–30 s each, 4K, no watermark. Reuse the reference set for the next episode.
Consistency checklist
How many references do I need — and which ones?
One sharp photo is enough to start; 2–4 angles is the sweet spot. More than six of the same subject rarely helps — spend the slots on wardrobe, product and location instead.
Front-facing, evenly lit face photo with no sunglasses or heavy filters
Same outfit in every reference if the outfit must persist
Product shots on plain backgrounds, no cropping
Match the reference ratio to the output ratio
Name the references in the prompt and keep the action simple
Generate the widest shot first, then reuse it as an extra reference
Compared · 16 September 2026
Which reference to video AI is best?
Reference limits and what each tool can lock, from each vendor's own pages. Kenerate runs several of them side by side.
| Tool | References | What it locks | Clip · res | Free tier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenerate AI | 30 images · 10 clips · 10 audio | Face, product, location, style, motion, voice | 5–30 s · 4K | Free credits, no watermark | Seedance 2.5, Kling 3.0 Element Lock, Wan 3.0, Veo 3.1 in one place |
| Kling AI (Element Lock) | Up to 4 elements | People, objects | Up to 15 s · 4K Pro | Daily credits, watermark on free | Strong single-character identity |
| Vidu | 3–7 references | Multi-entity characters, products | Up to 8 s · 1080p | Credits | Multi-character scenes |
| Runway References | Up to 3 images | Characters, objects, style | 5–10 s · 1080p | Paid plans | Gen-4 cinematic look |
| Hailuo Subject Reference | 1 image | Face | 6–10 s · 1080p | Credits | Fast, single subject |
| VideoWeb / Media.io | 1–7 images | Face, style | Model-dependent | Credits | Aggregators wrapping Seedance / Kling |
Kling, Vidu and Runway are excellent on their own; Kenerate’s difference is 30 mixed references and the same credits across Seedance 2.5, Kling 3.0 and Wan 3.0. See Kling AI alternatives.
Reference-capable models
Seedance 2.5 vs Kling 3.0 vs Wan 3.0 vs Veo 3.1 for references
Pick by what you need to lock and how many shots you plan to make.
| Model | References | Locks | Clip | Max res | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seedance 2.5ByteDance | 30 img · 10 vid · 10 audio | Face, wardrobe, product, location, style, motion, voice | 5–30 s | 4K upscale | Multi-entity scenes, series, ads |
| Kling 3.0Kuaishou | Element Lock (up to 4) | People, objects, lip-sync | 5–15 s | 4K (Pro) | Single character realism, talking |
| Wan 3.0Alibaba | 20 refs (10 img · 5 vid · 5 audio) | Style, layout, on-screen text | 5–30 s | 1080p | Illustration, anime, explainers |
| Veo 3.1Google | Up to 3 images + first/last frame | Subject, scene | 8 s | 4K | Cinematic B-roll continuity |
Where consistency pays
From UGC ads to episodic series and e-commerce
UGC ads at scale
One creator reference, fifty product clips. Same face, same kitchen, new product every time.
Episodic series
Recurring characters and sets for shorts, explainers and brand storytelling.
E-commerce
Every SKU in lifestyle scenes without a reshoot — exact label, exact colour.
Storyboards → shots
Lock the look with a style board, then render every panel consistently.
Brand mascots
Keep proportions and colours of your mascot across campaigns and languages.
Talking presenters
Face + voice references for multilingual explainers with lip-sync.
Reference to video free
Is reference to video AI free?
Yes to start. References never cost extra credits, new accounts get free credits with no card, and exports carry no watermark. Pay-as-you-go packs from $15 when you need more; credits never expire.
- Free credits on sign-up — no credit card
- Unlimited references within the 30-asset limit
- No watermark on any export
- Full commercial rights (with consent for real people)
- References stay private to your workspace
After you generate
Finish the series in the same tab
From US teams
What people build with reference to video
“One creator reference, forty product variations in an afternoon. The face never drifts — our UGC ads finally look like one campaign.”
“Character sheets in, consistent episodes out. Seedance 2.5 with 20 references replaced our continuity checks.”
“Exact label on every SKU in every scene. We stopped scheduling product shoots.”
“Style board as a reference means every clip matches our guidelines. No more re-grading.”
People also ask
Reference to video AI FAQ
Reference to video AI generates a video from a text prompt plus reference assets — photos of a face, an outfit, a product, a location, a style board, a motion clip or a voice — so the result keeps those elements identical across shots instead of morphing. Kenerate accepts up to 30 references per generation.
Written by the Kenerate AI team
We run every reference-capable model on this page in production and re-test reference limits and identity hold when a model updates. Competitor figures come from their public pages. Last updated 16 September 2026. Corrections: hello@kenerateai.com.
Lock your character — free, no watermark
Upload references, describe the shot, generate a series that actually matches. Free credits on sign-up.
Everything you can make on Kenerate