Independent reference and editing guide by Clout
Kling Multi Elements searches can lead to two different tasks: combining character and product references into a new scene, or adding, removing and replacing content in existing footage. Choose the task before uploading assets. A reference image can describe a subject without telling the model to preserve the timing of a source video.
Choose reference generation or existing-video editing
| What you already have | What you need | Review against |
|---|---|---|
| Separate character, product and setting images | A new scene composed from references | The supplied identities, objects and scene brief |
| A clip whose action already works | A selected appearance or content change | The original clip, timing and unchanged details |
| A character image and a performance clip | Motion control | The driving performance and character identity |
Kuaishou’s April 2025 announcement described multimodal editing that adds, removes or replaces video content through images or text. That is historical feature evidence, not a current menu map. Our October 17 browser check of the official app showed Kling 4.0 with Omni reference and Keyframes choices. Verify the active model and operation in your own account rather than searching indefinitely for an older button label.
For the new model’s Flash differences, keyframe planning and announced features, read our Kling 4 guide.
The Kling 4 release notes list a combined ceiling of 15 reference items, with separate caps of 10 images, five videos and seven elements. Those are overlapping limits, not numbers to add together. The same notes describe video editing with one primary clip; do not assume a video supplied for inspiration automatically becomes the source to preserve.
The broader Kling guide covers scene generation. Use the motion control guide when a recorded performance should drive a character. This page focuses on assigning references and planning a controlled edit.
Give every reference one clear job
Our original example is a fictional plant-shop creator holding a mustard-yellow watering can beside a terracotta pot. The person, watering can and greenhouse are three different reference roles. Mixing them into one vague instruction makes it harder to tell whether a failed result came from identity, product geometry or scene direction.
The cover is independent AI-generated concept artwork made for this guide. It illustrates the target composition; it is not a Kling output or a measured before-and-after edit.
| Reference role | Prepare | Keep out of the instruction |
|---|---|---|
| Character | A clear permitted identity reference with useful framing | Unrelated background details treated as part of identity |
| Product | An unobstructed view of the can, handle and spout | Claims that tiny labels will render perfectly |
| Setting | A greenhouse lighting and material reference | A conflicting camera angle you do not actually need |
| Source video for an edit | A continuous clip with readable hand contact | A second unrelated action sequence |
Name files by their role, such as creator-front, watering-can-side and greenhouse-light. Keep an unchanged copy of the source clip. If a product matters, include a view that explains its shape; a distant lifestyle shot alone may not show the handle or spout clearly enough.
Plan a new scene from multiple references
Use a generation workflow when there is no finished source performance to preserve. Define the visible action and the relationship between subjects. The creator should lift the can, tip it toward the pot and return it to a stable position. Do not ask for a camera orbit, a face close-up and a location change during the same first test.
Use the approved creator reference for the person and the mustard watering-can reference for the product. In the greenhouse setting, the creator stands beside one terracotta pot, lifts the can slightly and tips its spout toward the soil. Keep the handle shape and long spout recognizable. Use a steady medium shot with both hands and the pot visible. End in a stable pose.
This is an original planning brief, not a tested command. Attach references using the notation supported by your selected interface. A provider’s API token or asset identifier is not automatically the same as an image attachment in Kling’s consumer app.
Plan a product replacement inside existing footage
Use an editing operation when you already have a clip of the creator watering the plant and only the can should change. Start with the smallest change you can evaluate. Preserve the source action as a requirement, then compare the full output with the original rather than assuming preservation is exact.
Replace the watering can in the source clip with the mustard-yellow reference can. Keep the creator’s identity, clothing, plant, greenhouse, camera framing and action timing consistent with the source. Preserve a plausible grip on the handle, the spout’s direction toward the soil and a continuous return to the ending pose. Do not introduce a second can.
Replicate’s Kling O1 Edit documentation provides one specific editing route. It documents a source video, reference elements and style images, with @Element1 and @Image1 notation. Its stated limit is four combined reference inputs, and it documents an optional keep_audio setting. Those are endpoint-specific details; do not carry them over to every Kling version or UI.
For that documented route, check the current API schema and quote before preparing a request. If an integration exposes only a generic elements field without explaining its expected values, find the element-creation instructions first. Guessing whether it expects URLs, structured objects or saved IDs is not a reliable workflow.
Inspect the three moments that reveal a weak edit
Grip: pause where the hand closes around the handle. Check whether fingers meet a coherent object and whether the handle changes shape. A good product portrait does not establish that the interaction works in motion.
Tip: compare the can’s rotation and the spout direction with the source. Look for a second spout, a changing silhouette or a product that slides independently of the hand. Review reflections and shadows alongside geometry.
Return: watch the can settle into its final position. Check whether the creator, pot and background remain recognizable and whether an edit appears or disappears abruptly near the end. Play the entire export at normal speed after checking individual moments.
Download the reference-role and edit-review worksheet. It separates the chosen operation, reference roles, displayed charge and observed grip, tip and return results. The acceptance fields are blank so you can record actual outputs rather than inherit a fabricated success rate.
Fix one failure before adding more references
If the can is wrong but the creator is stable, revisit the product reference and its role. If the face changes, check the identity input and whether the chosen operation supports the control you need. If the hand-object contact breaks, simplify the motion or choose a source section with clearer separation.
If the result looks attractive but changes the source’s action, decide whether you accidentally chose new generation instead of editing. If audio is missing, inspect the selected audio option and listen to the exported file. Do not treat a correct still preview as proof of temporal or audio continuity.
Adding more images can add conflicting directions. Keep a baseline, change one input and record what improved. Include rejected runs when calculating the cost of one usable export.
Choose the next workflow by the change you need
For a similar reference-performance problem, compare Genjutsu and Clout motion transfer. For a complete visual treatment of existing footage, use the Genjutsu Restyle guide. For a board before generating motion, follow the Popcorn shot-planning guide.
Clout is a separate creative studio. You can prepare original creator material in Clout Image and Video, but this guide does not claim that Clout exposes every Kling editing endpoint or shares provider accounts and credits.
