Magic Hour character consistency

Make the same character survive changes of scene, pose, and camera. A repeated name or seed does not establish visual identity.

Reuse the existing character and series context. Choose staging and technical settings yourself when delegated; do not make the user fill out a character template or repeatedly approve in-budget work. Respect requested review points and show the accepted scenes first. For a cast, new angle or recurring episode, read series continuity.

For an original recurring character without an accepted design, read character design.

Establish the anchor

Read the existing character sheet or approved image before asking for another. Separate fixed traits (face shape, hair silhouette, build, distinctive marks, rendering style) from scene variables (pose, expression, setting, lighting). Clothing is fixed only when the brief requires continuity. Record visible facts; do not infer hidden details or a real person's identity.

For a named saved character, call list_saved_items (or authenticated GET /v1/saved-items through the existing API) with type: character. Match the name and paginate with next_cursor as needed; disambiguate multiple matches. Inspect its primary IMAGE asset and any additional views the shot requires. Reuse their durable file_path values in compatible image fields, not the item ID or temporary preview URL. Keep an explicitly supplied anchor authoritative. Check the library before deciding no reference exists.

If there is no reference, create one useful view with generate_image. Prefer a clear face and readable silhouette at the scale the story needs. An elaborate turnaround is unnecessary for two similar shots; a back view or unusual angle may need its own reviewed anchor. Keep only individually accepted views—an inconsistent contact sheet is not a better reference.

Build shots from the original

For each scene, use edit_image with the approved identity image in assets.image_file_paths. If using additional pose/style images, describe each reference's role and check the chosen model's input limit. Do not merge a style donor's face or clothing into the character. Never claim reference ordering or weighting controls that the live schema does not expose.