Best Practices

This guide covers practical tips and workflows for efficiently producing high-quality AI short-form dramas with Cutflow.

Overview

The most important factors in AI short-form drama production are maintaining character consistency, an efficient workflow, and writing good prompts. This document compiles practical tips you can apply immediately.

Character Consistency Tips

1. Use High-Quality Reference Images

The quality of the reference image greatly impacts Character Sheet generation results.

Good reference image criteria:

Clear image with resolution of 512px or higher
Simple background that lets the character stand out
Even lighting without excessive shadows
Character's key features (hair color, outfit, body type) clearly visible

Reference images to avoid:

Blurry or low-resolution images
Images with multiple people where the character is hard to distinguish
Extreme angles (bird's eye view, profile only, etc.)
Images with excessive filters or effects applied

2. Include a Front-Facing View

For a Character Sheet to generate properly, the reference image should include a front-facing or 3/4 angle view of the face. The clearer the front-facing view, the more accurately the Character Sheet generates various angles (front, side, expressions).

3. Write Detailed Appearance Descriptions

Write the Appearance Description as specifically as possible when registering a character.

Good appearance description example:

"Mid-20s Korean woman. Black bob hair falling to the shoulders. Large double-lidded eyes. Slim build. Usually wearing a beige trench coat with a white t-shirt."

Insufficient appearance description example:

"Pretty woman"

4. Use Strong Consistency Models

For scenes where character consistency is critical, use models with a strong consistency rating.

Model	Consistency Rating	Best For
InstantCharacter	strong	Single character, various poses
IP-Adapter Face ID	strong	Face close-ups
Flux Kontext Pro	strong	Character editing/modification
Flux 2 Flex	strong	Multi-character, complex scenes

5. Maintain Consistent Character Descriptions

Always use @charactername when describing characters in prompts. The AI system automatically references the registered character's appearance information to maintain consistency.

Efficient Workflow

Recommended Production Order

The most efficient production order is as follows:

0. Character & Location Design (Studio)
   -> Characters: Appearance description -> Concept images -> Character Sheet
   -> Locations: Place description -> Location images
   -> Variations: Outfit changes, time-of-day changes, etc.

1. Storyboard Construction (Editor)
   -> Full episode script -> Shot Plans or AI chat for cut splitting

2. Batch Script Writing/Editing
   -> Complete all cut scripts first (using the block editor)

3. Batch Keyframe Generation
   -> Auto-Flight for batch generation, or manual per-cut generation

4. Keyframe Refinement
   -> Preview with Fast model -> Final with Standard/Premium model

5. Batch Video Generation
   -> Generate videos based on finalized keyframes

6. Export
   -> Select representative Takes -> Sequence render

Tips for Each Stage

Step 0: Design in the Studio First

Start by designing all characters and locations in the Studio.
Generate concept images (5cr) to verify appearances before investing in Character Sheets (10cr).
Create variations for outfit changes, time-of-day differences, or weather changes.
Register locations with @LocationID and generate location images (10cr) for consistent backgrounds.

Step 1: Split Cuts with AI Chat or Shot Plans

Enter your full episode idea or script into AI chat, or use Shot Plans for automated splitting.
Shot Plans also recommend models, estimate credits, and can batch-generate keyframes.
Specifying a concrete number of cuts like "Split into 5 cuts" works well.

Step 2: Complete Scripts First

Complete all cut scripts before generating images/videos.
Scripts must be complete for prompt auto-generation to be accurate.
You can quickly iterate on script revisions with AI chat (free).

Steps 3-4: Prompts & Keyframes

Apply prompts to all cuts first, then batch-generate keyframes.
Check composition across all cuts first with a Fast model (Flux 2 Flash, 1cr).
Once composition is satisfactory, generate final keyframes with a Standard model.

Step 5: Generate Videos Last

Video generation is the most expensive task, so proceed only after keyframes are fully finalized.
Test with short durations (4-6 seconds) first, then generate at the desired length if satisfied.

Prompt Writing Guide

Basic Structure: Subject + Action + Background + Style

An effective prompt consists of four elements:

[Subject] + [Action/Pose] + [Background/Environment] + [Style/Mood]

Example:

"@Soyeon, standing by the window looking out at the rain, cozy cafe interior with warm lighting, cinematic, soft bokeh, golden hour"

Writing Tips by Element

Subject (Who)

Reference characters with @charactername.
Specifically describe the character's expression and emotion.
Example: "@Jaden with a melancholy expression", "@Soyeon smiling warmly"

Action/Pose (What)

Static poses: "sitting on a bench", "leaning against the wall"
Dynamic actions: "walking through the crowd", "turning around suddenly"
Interactions: "handing a letter to @Soyeon", "looking at each other"

Background/Environment (Where)

Location: "in a dimly lit alley", "on a rooftop at sunset"
Weather: "rain pouring outside", "snow falling gently"
Time of day: "golden hour", "midnight", "early morning mist"
Use @LocationID for registered locations to ensure consistency.

Style/Mood (How)

Visual style: "cinematic", "film noir", "anime style"
Lighting: "dramatic side lighting", "soft natural light", "neon glow"
Color palette: "warm color palette", "desaturated", "vibrant colors"
Camera: "close-up", "wide shot", "over-the-shoulder"

@Character and @Location Usage

When you use @charactername or @locationname in a prompt:

The AI automatically references the registered character's appearance description and location's place description.
The Character Sheet and location image are automatically attached as reference images.
Consistent character appearance and backgrounds are maintained.

Good: "@Jaden sits at a @Cafe table, looking at his phone with a slight frown"
Bad: "A man sits at a cafe table" (cannot identify which man or which cafe)

Camera & Video Prompts

Video prompts describe changes over time, unlike image prompts:

Good video prompt:
"Camera slowly dollies in on @Soyeon's face as her expression changes from
surprise to a gentle smile. Warm sunlight gradually fills the room. Soft
background music ambiance."

Bad video prompt:
"@Soyeon in a room with sunlight." (static description, no movement)

Emotion Keywords

Keywords for effectively conveying character emotions:

Emotion	English Keywords
Sadness	melancholy, sorrowful, tearful, heartbroken
Joy	joyful, beaming, elated, radiant
Anger	furious, enraged, seething, clenched jaw
Fear	terrified, anxious, wide-eyed, trembling
Surprise	shocked, astonished, gasping, frozen
Love	tender, loving gaze, warm smile, affectionate
Determination	determined, resolute, steely gaze, confident

Avoiding Common Mistakes

1. Generating Scenes Without a Character Sheet

Problem: If you generate scene images without finalizing the Character Sheet, the character's appearance will differ from cut to cut.

Solution: Always generate and finalize the Character Sheet first, then generate scene images.

2. Using Expensive Models Right Away

Problem: Using Premium models (Flux 2 Flex 8cr, Veo 3.1 40cr) while the prompt is still uncertain leads to significant credit waste.

Solution: Check the prompt and composition with a Fast model first, then use a higher model with the finalized prompt.

3. Writing Prompts Without a Script

Problem: Writing prompts directly without entering a script means you cannot take advantage of AI auto-prompt generation and context linking.

Solution: Write the script first, then ask the AI to generate the prompt. Script-based prompts produce more accurate and consistent results.

4. Generating Long Videos First

Problem: Generating 10-15 second videos from the start consumes a lot of credits, and the loss is significant when the result is unsatisfactory.

Solution: Check motion and style with short 4-6 second videos first, then regenerate at the desired length.

5. Ignoring Model Compatibility

Problem: Selecting a model that only supports 1 reference image (InstantCharacter) when you have 4 reference images causes a compatibility error.

Solution: Use Cutflow's auto-recommendations or check compatibility warnings during model selection.

6. Static Descriptions in Video Prompts

Problem: Including only static descriptions like "A woman in a red dress standing in a garden" in a video prompt results in an awkward video with no movement.

Solution: Include camera movements, character actions, and environmental changes -- elements that change over time.

7. Missing @Character References

Problem: Referring to characters as "the girl" or "the man" in prompts means registered characters are not referenced, breaking appearance consistency.

Solution: Always use the @charactername format to reference characters.

Production Checklist

A checklist to review before starting a project:

Have all characters been registered and their sheets finalized in the Studio?
Have all locations been registered with images generated?
Have variations been created for characters/locations that need them?
Is the project aspect ratio set correctly? (16:9 / 9:16 / 1:1)
Has the full episode script been split into cuts?
Does each cut have a prompt with @character and @location references?
Have keyframes been finalized for all cuts?
Has a representative Take been selected for each video?
Is the credit balance sufficient?

FAQ

Q: How many credits are needed to produce one short-form drama?

Approximate estimated credits for a 10-cut production:

Character Sheets for 2 characters: 20cr
Keyframes for 10 cuts x 4 images (Flux 2 Pro): 200cr
Videos for 10 cuts (MiniMax 02 Pro, 6 sec): 200cr
Total: approximately 420 credits (producible with a Creator pack at $30)

Actual costs vary based on the number of regenerations, but using Fast model testing and AI chat can significantly reduce credit consumption.

Q: If you had to name one most important tip?

"Thoroughly review at the image stage." Keyframe image generation costs 1-8cr, which is inexpensive, but video generation costs 12-40cr+, which is expensive. Generating video only when the keyframe is perfect greatly reduces credit waste.