You can add your own characters to an AI animation in Yeşilçam Studios by opening the optional Characters panel, pressing Add character and giving each one a name plus either a short look description or a reference image. Up to four characters fit in one project, and each can have its own voice. The studio then writes them into the story by name and draws them consistently from scene to scene.
This guide explains which styles support characters, how names, descriptions and images are used, how voices are assigned, and how to prepare reference images that give you the result you expect.
Which styles support characters
The Characters panel appears in the styles where a recognisable cast makes sense:
- The Cinemation family: Wuxiamation, Celmation, Neonmation, Toymation, Toonmation, Shadowmation, Pixelmation, Panelmation, Claymation and Postermation. Name, description or image, and voice.
- Foliomation: layered paper-cut films with your character, name plus description or image.
- Puppetmation: jointed paper puppets built from a name and a description. There is no image upload here, because the puppet is constructed from parts rather than drawn from a picture.
Styles such as Typemation, Papercraft, Fluxmation and Dioramation have no cast, and Inkmation works from your story text alone. The full overview is on the Animation page.
Adding a character, step by step
- Open Characters (marked optional) below the story field and press Add character.
- Type a Name. This is the name used in the story and in the dialogue, so use the one you want viewers to hear.
- Either describe the Look: colors, outfit, accessories, or press Upload image and pick a JPG, PNG or WebP file of up to 25 MB. The image is resized in your browser before upload, so large photos are fine.
- If you uploaded an image, you can still add an Extra note (optional), for example “always carries a red umbrella”.
- Choose a Voice or leave it on Voice: auto. Voices are listed as male or female.
- Repeat for up to four characters. Remove character deletes one; Remove image drops the picture but keeps the name.
Wait for the upload to finish before pressing Create; the form tells you if an image is still uploading. If a file is rejected, check the format and the 25 MB limit.
How names are used
The name is not a label on a list; the director, a language model that writes the scenes, uses it throughout. It appears in narration, it decides who speaks each line, and when captions are on it is shown next to the line in dialogue. That is why distinct names matter. Two characters called “Ali” and “Alia” invite confusion in both the script and the captions; “Ali” and “Grandma Nur” do not.
Mention the characters in your story text by the same names. “Mert finds a lost kitten; his sister Ada wants to keep it” tells the director exactly who does what, and it will place them in the scenes accordingly.
Description or image: which wins
When a character has a reference image, the image wins over the text description. The drawings follow the picture: face shape, hair, clothing colours, silhouette. Use the text for things the image cannot show or for small constraints, not to contradict it. If the image shows a blue coat and the note says “red coat”, expect blue.
A description on its own works well when you want the style to design the character natively. Keep it short and visual: three to five features that can be seen.
- Good: “Small girl, yellow raincoat, green boots, round glasses, curly black hair.”
- Weak: “Brave, curious and kind, loves adventures.” These are personality traits; put them in the story.
Tips for good reference images
- One character per image. A group photo leaves the studio guessing which person you meant.
- Full or three-quarter body, facing the camera. The outfit and proportions carry across scenes better than a tight face crop.
- Plain, uncluttered background. The character should be the obvious subject.
- Even light, no heavy filters. Strong colour filters get read as the character’s real colours.
- Clear distinguishing features. A signature scarf, hat or colour helps viewers recognise the character in a stylised look such as Pixelmation or Shadowmation.
- Use drawings too. A mascot sketch or a children’s drawing works as a reference; the style will reinterpret it.
- Only upload images you have the right to use, and be thoughtful with photos of real people.
Voices for characters
Each character can keep a fixed voice. Leave it on auto and the studio picks one that fits, or choose from the male and female voices in the list. In the Cinemation styles that voice is then used for every line the character speaks, in every scene, so the character sounds the same throughout. How this is combined with lip sync is explained in lip sync and character voices.
If two characters are of the same gender, pick two clearly different voices manually; it makes dialogue easier to follow, especially with captions off.
Characters and dialogue
Once your cast has names, you can decide how they speak with the Speech selector: Narrator, Dialogue, Both or Silent. You can leave the lines to the director, write them yourself with I will write the dialogue, or draft them with Write dialogue with Sam. Writing your own lines requires named characters first, because every line needs a speaker. See writing dialogue with AI.
Frequently asked questions
How many characters can I add to one animation? Up to four per project, each with a name, a look description or image, and a voice.
What image formats can I upload? JPG, PNG or WebP, up to 25 MB. The image is resized in your browser before it is uploaded.
What if my image and description disagree? The reference image wins. Use the extra note for details the picture does not show.
Why can I not upload an image in Puppetmation? Puppets are built from jointed parts, so Puppetmation works from a name and a description only.
Do I have to add characters? No. The panel is optional; without it, the director creates the characters from your story.