Manual keyframes are user-defined frames that lock important states: character pose, facial expression, prompt emphasis, camera position, lighting, and style weights. Instead of relying on full automatic motion, you mark extremes and holds, then choose how the system fills the gaps. This reduces jitter, preserves character continuity, and gives you editorial control over beats and pacing.

Use manual keyframes when you need precise beats and consistent motion.

• Character acting: expressions, head turns, hand business
• Camera language: pans, dollies, tilts, 2.5D parallax
• Effects: impact frames, smear frames, transitions
• Style shifts: controlled ramp-ups or holds on look and palette
• Lip-sync or phoneme blocks: step or hold interpolation for clarity

Avoid full automation for shots with critical continuity; set keyframes for extremes and let interpolation handle spacing.

Common properties to keyframe in AI animation pipelines:

• Pose: skeletal/pose control strength, body joints, hand pose emphasis
• Camera: position (x/y/z), rotation (pan/tilt/roll), focal length/FOV, target
• Prompting: token weights, style mix ratios, negative prompt strength
• Consistency: seed locking/unlocking, denoise strength, guidance/CFG
• Look-dev: color temperature, contrast, rim-light intensity, film grain
• Simulation cues: motion blur toggle, shutter angle proxy, depth/normal influence

Choosing the right interpolation keeps motion readable:

• Step/Hold: keeps values constant until the next key; ideal for phonemes, impact frames, pose-to-pose blocking
• Linear: straight change between keys; good for simple pans or timed ramps
• Bezier/Ease In-Out: adds acceleration/decay; natural for head turns, camera starts/stops
• Cubic/Monotone curves: smooth without overshoot; safer for look weights and denoise
• Custom: overshoot/settle for squash-and-stretch or camera whip

Tip: Mix modes per channel. For example, hold expression while easing camera.

A generalized approach you can map to most tools:

1. Timeline and FPS: choose 12 or 24 fps. Plan shot length (e.g., 48 frames).
2. Keyframe tracks: create tracks for Pose, Camera, Prompt, Consistency, Look.
3. Block extremes: set Frame 0 and your next story beat (e.g., Frame 12) for Pose and Camera.
4. Holds and accents: add step keys to lock expressions and impact frames.
5. Interpolation: set per-track modes (e.g., Pose = step, Camera = ease).
6. Stability: lock seed for sections, reduce denoise on holds, raise control strength on delicate faces/hands.
7. Preview: render low-res passes to evaluate timing before final quality.

Goal: Character looks up as camera pushes in, with a confident smile landing on Frame 36.

• Frames 0–12: Step-hold neutral expression; Camera Z push linear; Pose hold
• Frame 12 (EXTREME A): Head tilt up keyed; Camera ease-in starts; Prompt upweights “determined”
• Frame 18 (BREAKDOWN): Eyes track camera; slight shoulder settle; Bezier ease
• Frame 24 (EXTREME B): Smile keyed; short hold for readability (step)
• Frame 36 (ACCENT/HOLD): Lock expression; reduce denoise; lock seed for crisp features
• Frames 36–48: Gentle follow-through; camera ease-out; color warmth ramps +10%

Deliverables: pass 1 animatic (greyscale), pass 2 cleanup (seed lock), pass 3 final (high-res, grain).

Common issues and fixes:

• Jitter/flicker: lock seed on holds; increase control strength; lower denoise 5–15%
• Off-model faces: add negative prompt for artifacts; tighten face control; hold expression with step keys
• Foot sliding: add ground contact keys; increase weight on depth/normal guidance; reduce camera parallax
• Popping on transitions: convert curves to ease; add a breakdown key; avoid mixed interpolation types on the same channel
• Timing drift: ensure all tracks share the same FPS; pin keyframe times numerically
• Color shifts: key color grading separately; avoid Bezier overshoot on LUT/grade weights

• Are extremes clear and held long enough to read?
• Do camera starts/stops ease cleanly without micro-jitter?
• Are seed/denoise settings consistent across holds?
• Do style/prompt weights avoid overshoot between keys?
• Any limb, eye, or mouth pops between adjacent frames?
• Final frame stable and composed for cut or transition?

Extremes: primary poses that define the motion range. Breakdown: an in-between that defines the path/arc between extremes. Hold: a step key that maintains a value across frames. Spacing: distribution of in-betweens affecting perceived speed. Arc: curved motion path for natural movement. Overshoot/Settle: intentional surpassing and return to the target for organic feel.