How to Plan an AI Video Storyboard with Vidu Q2 References

To get a consistent sequence out of Vidu Q2, storyboard your shots and assign each one a reference image before you generate anything. Planning the references up front is what separates a coherent film from a pile of clips.

People treat AI video like a slot machine — prompt, generate, hope. That works for one clip. For a sequence it’s a waste of credits, because consistency comes from structure, not luck.

Why Storyboard Before You Generate?

Two reasons. Cost: reference generations burn more credits, so you want a plan that minimizes re-rolls. Consistency: the model anchors on whatever reference you give it, so the references have to be decided before the first generation, not patched in later.

A simple three-column board — shot, reference, action — is enough. You don’t need storyboard illustrations.

How Do You Structure the Reference Set?

• Character sheet: one clean front-facing portrait per recurring character.
• Location sheet: one wide establishing image per set.
• Prop sheet: anything that appears in multiple shots and must look identical.

Keep the set small. Six or seven references for a one-minute short is plenty; piles of near-duplicates confuse the model more than they help.

What Does a Nine-Shot Short Look Like?

1. Establishing wide — location reference only.
2. Character medium — character + location.
3. Character close-up — character reference, tight framing.
4. Insert shot of a prop — prop reference.
5. Two-shot — both characters.
6. Action beat — character + location.
7. Reaction — character close-up.
8. Wide payoff — location.
9. End card.

Note the rule: use the character close-up sparingly, because that’s where drift shows most.

How Do You Keep Shots Looking Related?

Repeat the lighting description in every prompt. “Soft window light from the left” in shot two and “harsh noon sun” in shot three will break the illusion faster than any facial drift. Lock camera language too — if shot one is a “35mm look,” keep that phrase throughout.

What If a Shot Breaks?

Don’t re-prompt from scratch. Go back to the reference, generate two variants, and pick the closer one. If it still fails, change the framing angle rather than the content — a different angle often sidesteps whatever the model is struggling with.

Budget two shots of re-rolling per ten generated. Anyone claiming first-try perfection is either lucky or not looking closely.

Quick Summary

• Decide all reference images before generating, not during.
• Keep the reference set small: character, location, prop sheets.
• Repeat lighting and camera language in every prompt to keep shots related.
• Re-roll from the reference or change angle instead of rewriting the prompt.