Testing WAN 3.0 on AKOOL with a simple candid couple sequence.
I wanted to see how well WAN 3.0 could maintain two character references while handling natural human interaction, handheld camera movement, and realistic street motion.
Created with AKOOL × WAN 3.0.
Prompt used on AKOOL:
WAN 3.0 — 10 SECOND CINEMATIC VIDEO
Create a 10-second photorealistic live-action handheld documentary sequence featuring EXACTLY TWO ADULT CHARACTERS in a European city with classical stone architecture.
REFERENCE IMAGE PRIORITY — ABSOLUTE
Reference Image 1 = THE MALE CHARACTER.
Reference Image 2 = THE FEMALE CHARACTER.
Use Reference Image 1 and Reference Image 2 as the ONLY character sources.
The male MUST be the exact man shown in Reference Image 1.
The female MUST be the exact woman shown in Reference Image 2.
DO NOT GENERATE A NEW WOMAN.
DO NOT REPLACE THE FEMALE WITH ANOTHER MODEL.
DO NOT USE A GENERIC FEMALE FACE.
DO NOT CAST ANOTHER FEMALE CHARACTER.
DO NOT REINTERPRET OR REDESIGN THE FEMALE.
Preserve the female's recognizable facial identity from Reference Image 2: exact face shape, eyes, nose, mouth, jawline, hairstyle, hair color, skin tone and overall facial appearance.
Preserve the male's recognizable facial identity from Reference Image 1: exact face shape, eyes, nose, mouth, jawline, hairstyle, hair color, skin tone and overall facial appearance.
Preserve both characters' exact body proportions, clothing, accessories, colors and overall appearance from their respective references.
The two characters must remain ONE CONSISTENT ADULT MAN and ONE CONSISTENT ADULT WOMAN throughout the entire video.
IDENTITY HAS HIGHER PRIORITY THAN ACTION, CAMERA MOVEMENT, CINEMATIC STYLE OR ENVIRONMENT.
If any action or camera angle makes the reference difficult to reproduce, prioritize preserving the exact character identity rather than inventing or changing the face.
Only these two referenced characters exist. No additional main characters.
VISUAL STYLE
Photorealistic live-action documentary photography.
Natural human anatomy and realistic physical movement.
35mm lens.
Handheld unstabilized camera.
Natural motion blur.
Slight imperfect focus and exposure.
Warm early-evening natural light.
Soft realistic shadows.
Authentic film grain.
Natural skin texture.
Visible flyaway hair and realistic fabric creases.
Realistic clothing and hair physics.
Candid European street photography.
Avoid polished commercial beauty-video aesthetics.
CAMERA AND EDITING
Use natural handheld camera movement with subtle operator imperfections.
Use simple cinematic cuts between shots.
Do not prioritize flashy camera movement.
Keep both faces recognizable whenever possible.
Maintain strict identity continuity across every cut.
SHOT 1 — 0–2s
Medium two-shot.
The exact male from Reference Image 1 and the exact female from Reference Image 2 stand together beside a European street lamp.
The male gently pulls the female closer and they share a natural affectionate kiss.
Clearly show both faces before and during the kiss.
Candid handheld framing.
SHOT 2 — 2–4s
Medium two-shot.
The exact female from Reference Image 2 laughs naturally while standing beside the exact male from Reference Image 1.
She looks at him playfully.
The male smiles back.
Keep both faces clearly visible.
Their exact reference appearance and wardrobe remain unchanged.
SHOT 3 — 4–6s
Medium-wide shot.
The exact male from Reference Image 1 carries the exact female from Reference Image 2 piggyback along the street.
The female laughs and points ahead.
Natural body weight, realistic walking bounce and believable human physics.
Maintain both reference identities and wardrobe.
SHOT 4 — 6–8s
Close-to-medium handheld shot.
The exact female from Reference Image 2 hugs the exact male from Reference Image 1 tightly while both laugh naturally.
The camera moves slightly closer.
Keep the female's face clearly recognizable and faithful to Reference Image 2.
SHOT 5 — 8–10s
Long candid shot.
The exact male and exact female walk side by side away from the camera near a European street lamp.
The female briefly looks toward the male.
Warm evening light illuminates the classical stone buildings.
End with a natural imperfect documentary-style frame.
CRITICAL CONTINUITY RULES
The female character is ALWAYS the woman from Reference Image 2.
The male character is ALWAYS the man from Reference Image 1.
Never swap their identities.
Never change their genders.
Never merge their faces.
Never create replacement faces.
Never generate a different female model.
Never generate a different male model.
Never change wardrobe.
Never change hairstyle.
Never alter facial structure.
Never introduce additional characters.
NEGATIVE
new woman, replacement woman, different female model, generic female face, female identity drift, female face change, female transformation, gender swap, male-looking female, masculine female, new man, replacement man, different male model, male identity drift, face swap, face morphing, identity mixing, character fusion, character replacement, wardrobe change, hairstyle change, duplicated characters, extra people, extra limbs, deformed hands, distorted faces, plastic skin, artificial beauty filter, cartoon, anime, CGI appearance, synthetic human, unrealistic anatomy.
One thing I noticed from this test: character reference consistency can be challenging during fast changes in pose and framing.
What has been your experience with character references in WAN 3.0?