Characters

Characters are central to storytelling. Lazer provides comprehensive character profile management to ensure consistency in visual design, personality, and portrayal across all generated assets.

Character Overview

Access character management from the Characters tab in project detail view. Each project can have unlimited characters, from main protagonists to background extras.

Character Profiles

Each character profile contains detailed information used to guide asset generation and maintain consistency.

Basic Information

• Name - Character's full name
• Role - Protagonist, antagonist, supporting, extra
• Age - Approximate age or age range
• Gender - Gender identity (optional)
• Occupation - Character's job or role in the story
• First Appearance - Scene where character first appears

Physical Description

Document the character's physical attributes:

• Height - Short, average, tall, specific measurement
• Build - Slim, athletic, stocky, heavyset
• Hair - Color, length, style
• Eyes - Color and distinctive features
• Skin Tone - Complexion description
• Distinctive Features - Scars, tattoos, accessories, unique traits

Clothing and Style

Define the character's wardrobe and aesthetic:

• Default Outfit - Primary clothing worn in most scenes
• Style - Fashion sense, period, cultural influences
• Colors - Preferred color palette for this character
• Accessories - Jewelry, glasses, hats, signature items
• Variations - Alternate outfits for specific scenes

Consistent clothing helps viewers immediately identify characters across shots, especially in AI-generated content where subtle inconsistencies can occur.

Design Philosophy

The Design Philosophy section captures the creative vision for each character.

Visual Tone

Define the visual approach:

• Realistic - Photorealistic portrayal
• Stylized - Artistic interpretation with exaggeration
• Cartoonish - Simplified, animated style
• Impressionistic - Loose, painterly quality
• Mixed - Combination of approaches

Emotional Range

Document the character's emotional spectrum:

• Primary Emotion - Default emotional state
• Emotional Arc - How emotions evolve through the story
• Expressions - Key facial expressions to emphasize
• Intensity - Subtle vs. dramatic emotional displays

Thematic Elements

Connect character to story themes:

• Symbolism - What the character represents
• Color Associations - Colors linked to character's theme
• Visual Motifs - Recurring visual elements
• Archetypal Role - Hero, mentor, trickster, etc.

Visual Cues

Visual cues are specific elements that help AI generation platforms create consistent character portrayals.

Defining Visual Cues

Add visual cues in the character profile:

1. Click "Add Visual Cue"
2. Enter cue category (posture, gesture, expression)
3. Describe the specific cue
4. Add reference images if available
5. Save the cue

Visual Cue Categories

Posture

• Standing stance (upright, slouched, wide-legged)
• Sitting style (formal, relaxed, cross-legged)
• Walking gait (confident, hesitant, hurried)

Gestures

• Hand movements (expressive, minimal, fidgeting)
• Signature gestures (pointing, hand-on-hip, crossed arms)
• Nervous habits (nail-biting, hair-twirling)

Facial Expressions

• Resting face (neutral, stern, pleasant)
• Smile type (wide grin, subtle smirk, closed-mouth)
• Eye contact (direct, avoidant, intense)
• Eyebrow position (raised, furrowed, relaxed)

Body Language

• Confidence level (assertive, timid, relaxed)
• Openness (arms open, crossed, hands in pockets)
• Personal space (close proximity, distant, defensive)

Visual cues are included in generation prompts to improve character consistency across different shots and platforms.

Character Portraits

Upload reference images to establish visual consistency.

Portrait Types

Primary Portrait

• Main reference image
• Full face, neutral expression
• High-resolution, clear lighting
• Used as primary visual reference

Expression Set

• Multiple portraits with different expressions
• Happy, sad, angry, surprised, fearful, neutral
• Helps AI understand character's emotional range

Outfit References

• Images of character in different clothing
• Key wardrobe pieces and variations
• Costume details and accessories

Action Poses

• Character in motion or specific poses
• Helps with dynamic shot generation
• Fighting, running, sitting, etc.

Uploading Portraits

Add reference portraits to a character profile:

1. Open character profile
2. Navigate to Portraits section
3. Click "Upload Portrait"
4. Select image file (JPG, PNG, WebP)
5. Choose portrait type (Primary, Expression, Outfit, Action)
6. Add caption or notes
7. Save portrait

Using Portraits in Generation

When generating assets, reference portraits can be:

• Included directly in prompts
• Used by platforms with image-to-video features
• Sent to AI models for consistency guidance
• Compared against generated results for quality control

AI generation platforms handle reference images differently. Test which approach works best for each platform.

Character Relationships

Document relationships between characters:

Adding Relationships

1. Open a character profile
2. Click "Add Relationship"
3. Select related character
4. Choose relationship type:
   • Family (parent, sibling, child)
   • Romantic (partner, former partner, interest)
   • Professional (colleague, boss, employee)
   • Friendly (friend, acquaintance, rival)
   • Antagonistic (enemy, competitor, nemesis)
5. Add relationship notes
6. Save relationship

Relationships appear on both character profiles for easy reference.

Relationship Dynamics

Describe how characters interact:

• Power Dynamic - Equal, dominant, submissive
• Emotional Dynamic - Warm, cold, conflicted
• History - Backstory of the relationship
• Arc - How relationship changes over time

Character Consistency Tools

Consistency Checker

Lazer analyzes generated assets for character consistency:

1. Navigate to a character profile
2. Click "Check Consistency"
3. Lazer reviews all assets featuring this character
4. Identifies inconsistencies in appearance
5. Flags assets that need review or regeneration

Character Prompt Templates

Create reusable prompt templates for each character:

1. Open character profile
2. Click "Create Prompt Template"
3. Write a detailed character description prompt
4. Include physical traits, clothing, style
5. Save template

Use templates when generating assets to ensure consistent prompts across platforms.

Example Template: "A tall, athletic woman in her early 30s with shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes. Wearing a dark blue leather jacket over a white t-shirt and jeans. Confident posture with hands in pockets. Slight smirk. Urban, modern style."

Character Scenes

View all scenes featuring a specific character:

1. Open character profile
2. Navigate to Scenes tab
3. See list of scenes where character appears
4. Click a scene to navigate to it
5. Filter by scene status or type

Useful for tracking character arc and ensuring consistent portrayal.

Character Assets

View all assets featuring a specific character:

1. Open character profile
2. Navigate to Assets tab
3. See all generated assets with this character
4. Filter by asset type, platform, status
5. Review consistency across assets

Asset Tagging

Manually tag assets with characters:

1. Open an asset detail view
2. Click "Tag Characters"
3. Select characters visible in the asset
4. Save tags

Tagged assets appear in the character's asset list.

Character Export

Export character profiles for reference or sharing:

Export Formats

• PDF Profile - Formatted character sheet with all information
• JSON - Machine-readable for integrations
• Character Bible - Comprehensive document with all characters

Character Bible

Generate a character bible for the entire project:

1. Click "Generate Character Bible" from Characters tab
2. Lazer compiles all character profiles
3. Includes portraits, descriptions, relationships
4. Exports as PDF or web page
5. Share with team or generation platforms

A character bible ensures everyone on the team has consistent reference material when creating assets.

AI Character Generation

Use AI to help develop character profiles:

Generate Character Description

1. Create a new character
2. Click "Generate with AI"
3. Provide basic information (name, role, age)
4. AI suggests detailed physical description
5. Review and edit suggestions
6. Save to character profile

Generate Visual Cues

1. Open character profile
2. Click "Suggest Visual Cues"
3. AI analyzes character description
4. Suggests appropriate posture, gestures, expressions
5. Review and accept suggestions

Generate Character Portrait

1. Open character profile
2. Click "Generate Portrait"
3. AI uses character description to create prompt
4. Send to connected generation platform
5. Capture generated portrait back to Lazer
6. Add as reference portrait

Character Collaboration

Team Access

All team members can view and edit character profiles based on their role:

• Admins - Full edit access
• Editors - Can edit all fields except deletion
• Viewers - Read-only access

Character Comments

Add comments and feedback to character profiles:

1. Open character profile
2. Click "Comments" tab
3. Add note or feedback
4. Tag team members for discussion
5. Resolve comments when addressed

Version History

Track changes to character profiles:

1. Click "History" in character profile
2. See all edits with timestamps
3. View previous versions
4. Restore earlier version if needed

Character Best Practices

Start Detailed

Invest time in detailed character profiles early. Consistency becomes harder to maintain later in production.

Use Visual References

Always upload reference portraits. Descriptions alone are insufficient for AI generation consistency.

Document Evolution

As characters evolve during production, update profiles to reflect current design. Note major changes in version history.

Test Prompts

Test character prompt templates on generation platforms early. Adjust descriptions based on what works best for each platform.

Review Regularly

Periodically review all assets featuring a character to ensure consistency. Use the consistency checker tool proactively.

Character consistency is one of the biggest challenges in AI-generated content. Detailed profiles and regular review are essential.

Next Steps

After setting up character profiles, use them when generating assets to maintain visual consistency. Return to Scenes to continue organizing your production, or explore the Command Palette for quick navigation.