The Dane

This project started out with an idea for a character. I had some time to kill on a flight from the UK to the US, so I decided to develop the story around it.

Those who know me know this character is actually me. I wanted to do a character consistency test using a contact-sheet method, and one of the best ways to do character consistency in AI is to use someone you know very well. Any nuances in how I look, I would know quickly enough.

I started with a single image that I created using my personal profile settings in Midjourney. I then took that and created a simple contact sheet (second image below), then put him in an environment (third image), then developed a character sheet from these. The character sheets work best when he is in an environment, rather than a white or grey “studio” background, I discovered.

I then worked up an idea for a situation that would show this character in an emotional state. One more vulnerable than the stereotypical menacing state we normally find these characters in.

I had been experimenting with these character sheets in other projects as it has helped ease the character and environment consistency issue, which is a common problem in AI in 2025.