Why doesn’t it look like me? Or: why do faces keep changing in AI video and what can you do about it?

Not long ago I delivered a fresh promo to a client. She loved the lighting, the motion, everything, until her avatar turned its head and suddenly wore someone else’s face. Even today, after a huge leap in video models, facial consistency is still tricky. The algorithm does not actually know what you look like; it guesses anew in every single frame. Change the angle, the light, or the pace and that guess drifts, leaving you with a slightly different version of the character you animated.

When do faces stay put?

• Slow movement and a front facing angle let the model remember you.

• Short clips - most tools top out around eight seconds - give faces little time to wander.

• High resolution and steady lighting lock in sharp details the model can hold on to.

When do faces start shifting?

A fast head turn, a dramatic pull back, or a long scene with changing lights forces the AI to invent features it never saw. That is when you get jumps in the eyes, nose, or chin-exactly what I witnessed in that client’s video.

What is new in the leading tools

• Runway Gen 4 rolled out Consistent World, a way to keep characters and backgrounds stable across multiple angles in one scene.

• Kling 2.1 upgraded prompt understanding and the Elements feature so the avatar keeps its identity even through medium runs and quicker spins, though still not perfectly.

• Veo 3 from Google supports text to video with built in audio and lets you upload a reference image right in the interface; in short clips it keeps expressions and lip sync without flicker.

• Hailuo S2V 01 focuses on dynamic clips up to six seconds; its Subject Reference engine reads a single headshot and keeps that face steady even in fast action.

• Higgsfield with Soul ID aims at extreme cinematic effects. Thanks to Consistent Characters it holds one avatar across different styles so long as you stay within angles the original image covered. • Midjourney V1 Video Beta now produces short clips up to twenty seconds from text or a still; faces stay sharp as long as movement is gentle and the scene is simple, though complex setups can still drift a bit.

How to keep your character’s face intact

1. Provide a clear reference image. At least one sharp front portrait, preferably with a three quarter view as backup.

2. Plan short, deliberate scenes. Break your story into four to six second clips and cut before any sharp spin.

3. Train a custom model. When a single hero represents your brand, training in Astria or a similar service saves headaches later.

4. Use soft cuts. Hide head turns or lighting shifts in an edit, then return when the face is clear again.

5. Run a final sweep. If a rogue frame slips through, swap in a clean neighbor or patch it with a quick face swap.

The bottom line

AI still is not flawless at locking down faces, but each release moves us closer. With the 2025 wave of tools and a little strategic planning, you can already craft impressive clips where the lead character looks consistent and believable. Every update nudges us toward a future where we can tell complete stories with AI and keep our stars looking like themselves from the first frame to the curtain call.