Whatever is in a character's reference picture comes back in every shot: the expression, the light, the blur, the body. Make the reference neutral, sharp, evenly lit and true to the person's age, and put everything that changes in the shot, not in the reference.
The face
Neutral face, straight to camera.
WhyA reference with a smile gave us a character who smiled through every scene, the sad ones too. Going the other way, a stiff passport-style face made every shot look like an ID photo.
What we doLips softly closed, alive in the eyes, not smiling, shoulders and face square to the lens. Smiles and big expressions are written in the shot.
Words about skin texture age a face.
Why"Visible pores, fine natural detail, no retouching" and a key light from 45 degrees made a 24-year-old look years older, with a hard chin.
What we do"Looks 24, never older." Skin true to the age: smooth and fresh for a young face. Light from the front: a large soft source just above the camera and a reflector under the chin.
A row of angles beats one good headshot.
WhySeveral views of one face hold a likeness far better than a single headshot, however good.
What we doFrom the headshot you pick, make one picture with the same face from five angles. That row is the reference every shot is sent.
Sharp, on grey, in true colour.
WhyBlur and a grade in a reference are copied like everything else in it, before the scene's own look is applied.
What we doEvery character picture is shot at f/8 with deep focus, on a seamless mid-grey backdrop, in natural colour with no grade. The grade belongs to the project, not to the reference.
The description
Labelled lines beat a paragraph.
WhyWe tested the same person written as prose and as labelled fields. The fields won: fewer details were dropped or blended.
What we doOne line each for Subject, Age and origin, Hair, Eyes, Skin, Face, Build, Clothing, Pose, Expression, Setting, Light, Camera.
Subject: Maya, the female lead of a tropical vacation film. Age and origin: 24, French. Looks 24, never older. Hair: chestnut, soft natural movement. Eyes: grey-green. Expression: neutral, relaxed, lips softly closed, not smiling. Setting: seamless mid-grey studio backdrop, empty. Light: large softbox just above the camera, reflector under the chin. Camera: 105mm at f/8, deep focus, the whole face and hair sharp.
Soft words about a body get exaggerated.
WhyA wardrobe sheet written with "softly curved" drew a slim character about 30 pounds heavier.
What we doThe character's page has a Body section with numbers: height, weight, clothing size. "Slim" is written as "slim, not gaunt, not bony".
Wardrobe
A wardrobe sheet holds only what is worn.
WhyA coat draped over the shoulders, a handbag and sunglasses in the hand were drawn into the costume. The draped coat did not survive the video model.
What we doGarments, shoes and worn jewellery go on the sheet. Anything carried or held is its own prop, attached only to the shots it is in.