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Add character to scene: a prompt to put your game character in any image

This prompt places a character Genie already knows into an existing scene, positioned where you say and lit by the scene's own light. Use it for key art, event banners, store assets and CRM visuals where your hero needs to appear in a new scene, on-model, without a new illustration.

Genie
By Avia Shavit, Product Lead, Genie LabsLast updated
A game character added into an existing background scene with matching lighting
Example output · character placed in a scene

The prompt

Reference image@ character or styleFill the brackets

Add [@character name] to the attached scene image, positioned [placement]. Make sure the added character is influenced by the lighting and angle of the existing scene.

Short on time?Analyze this prompt guide and get the key conclusions

What to fill in

BracketWhat to putExample
[@character name]Call the character with @ so Genie uses its saved look.@Chef Leo
[placement]Position and scale relative to something already in the scene."standing to the left of the fountain, about as tall as its top tier"

When do you use it?

When the scene already exists and the character doesn't. The event background is approved, the store banner layout is locked, the CRM template is set. You need the hero in it by tomorrow, and a fresh illustration would take a week.

What breaks, and how do you fix it?

Lighting and shadows don't match the scene, so the character looks pasted on. Scale is off. Small design details of the character change.

  • Call your character with @. That's what keeps the design details on-model.
  • Give placement and scale relative to the scene. "Next to the door, reaching the handle" beats "on the left".
  • State the light direction. "Warm light from the upper right, shadow falling left" makes the character sit in the scene instead of on top of it.

Variations to try

Interacting with the scene

Add @[character] to the attached scene, sitting on the bench in the foreground, reading a map, lit by the lantern.

Banner hero

Add @[character] to the right third of the attached banner, waist up, leaving the left two thirds clear for text.

FAQ

Does the character need to be set up in Genie first?

+

Yes. The prompt uses @ to call a character the agent is familiar with. That's what keeps it on-model.

Can I add more than one character?

+

For two or more, use Multi-character scene, which is built to keep each one distinct.

Will it change the rest of the scene?

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The prompt keeps the scene and only adds the character. If something else shifts, say "keep the rest of the image exactly the same".

Try it in Genie

Your scene. Your hero. Same light.

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