Implementation spec: governance, decision intelligence, theme system, and E2E bug fixes
Implements the 2026-04-02 transformation spec (Phases 1-8) and fixes all critical bugs found during 5-pipeline E2E testing. Governance & Decision Intelligence: - Pipeline-specific stage order in checkpoint (replaces global STAGES list) - Provider scoring engine (lib/scoring.py) with 7-dimension weighted ranking - Decision log artifact enforced at proposal/idea stage across all 10 pipelines - Delivery promise classifier prevents silent motion-to-still downgrades - Structured shot language in scene_plan schema (camera, lens, lighting, DOF) - Variation checker and slideshow risk scorer block samey output before render - Creative intake, capability extension, and creative-intake meta skills - Final self-review artifact with 5 mandatory checks before presenting output - Source media review contract for user-supplied footage Render & Theme System: - Remotion AnimatedBackground now derives colors from playbook (no more hardcoded dark blue fintech gradient on every video) - video_compose builds custom ThemeConfig from playbook YAML colors/fonts — custom playbooks flow through to Remotion automatically - Explainer component wires theme to all child components (charts, cards, etc.) - resolveAsset() handles absolute paths on Windows/Unix via file:// URIs - RENDERER_FAMILY_MAP synced with actual Remotion compositions Critical Bug Fixes: - Windows npx subprocess: run_command() resolves .cmd wrappers via shutil.which() - Silent renderer downgrade: Remotion failure now returns explicit error with options instead of silently falling back to FFmpeg - .env inline comment parsing strips trailing # comments from API keys - concat_path UnboundLocalError in video_compose finally block - audio_mixer and showcase_card capture=True kwarg bug - Selector estimate_cost() calls fixed (_select_tool -> _select_best_tool) - asset_manifest schema expanded with provider, license, subtype fields - screen-demo subtitle_gen moved from required to optional tools - Duration drift detection in post-render final review (>25% warns)
This commit is contained in:
calesthio
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ This stage prepares the usable media for the final cinematic edit: source select
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| Layer | Resource | Purpose |
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|-------|----------|---------|
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| Schema | `schemas/artifacts/asset_manifest.schema.json` | Artifact validation |
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| Prior artifacts | `state.artifacts["scene_plan"]["scene_plan"]`, `state.artifacts["script"]["script"]`, `state.artifacts["idea"]["brief"]` | Scene intent and beat plan |
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| Prior artifacts | `state.artifacts["scene_plan"]["scene_plan"]`, `state.artifacts["script"]["script"]`, `state.artifacts["proposal"]["proposal_packet"]` | Scene intent and beat plan |
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| Tools | `subtitle_gen`, `audio_enhance`, `image_selector`, `video_selector`, `music_gen` — selectors auto-discover all available providers from the registry | Optional support asset creation |
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| Playbook | Active style playbook | Brand and typography consistency |
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@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ Start with:
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These are the primary materials. Everything else is support.
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If `brief.metadata.motion_required = true`, actual moving footage or generated video clips are mandatory. In that case:
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If `proposal_packet.metadata.motion_required = true`, actual moving footage or generated video clips are mandatory. In that case:
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- stills may be used only as reference material or backing elements inside a larger motion composition,
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- stills may not replace the planned motion shots,
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@@ -92,6 +92,17 @@ Recommended metadata keys:
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- every referenced file exists.
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- if motion is required, the asset set contains actual video clips for the motion-led beats.
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### Mid-Production Fact Verification
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If you encounter uncertainty during asset generation:
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- Use `web_search` to verify visual accuracy of subjects (e.g. what does this building actually look like?)
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- Use `web_search` to find reference images before generating illustrations
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- Log verification in the decision log: `category="visual_accuracy_check"`
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Visual accuracy matters. If the script mentions a specific place, person, or object,
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verify what it actually looks like before generating images. Don't rely on
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the AI model's training data — it may be wrong or outdated.
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## Common Pitfalls
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- Generating extra shots before proving the source edit works.
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@@ -99,3 +110,22 @@ Recommended metadata keys:
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- Forgetting rights or provenance notes for supplied assets.
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- Quietly downgrading from video clips to still images because one provider or renderer failed.
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- Quietly switching providers or models after the user approved a generation path.
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## When You Do Not Know How
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If you encounter a generation technique, provider behavior, or prompting pattern you are unsure about:
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1. **Search the web** for current best practices — models and APIs change frequently, and the agent's training data may be stale
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2. **Check `.agents/skills/`** for existing Layer 3 knowledge (provider-specific prompting guides, API patterns)
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3. **If neither helps**, write a project-scoped skill at `projects/<project-name>/skills/<name>.md` documenting what you learned
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4. **Reference source URLs** in the skill so the knowledge is traceable
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5. **Log it** in the decision log: `category: "capability_extension"`, `subject: "learned technique: <name>"`
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This is especially important for:
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- **Video generation prompting** — models respond to specific vocabularies that change with each version
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- **Image model parameters** — optimal settings for FLUX, DALL-E, Imagen differ and evolve
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- **Audio provider quirks** — voice cloning, music generation, and TTS each have model-specific best practices
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- **Remotion component patterns** — new composition techniques emerge as the framework evolves
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Do not rely on stale knowledge. When in doubt, search first.
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@@ -4,14 +4,14 @@
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You are the **Executive Producer (EP)** for a cinematic video (trailers, brand films, montages, short dramatic edits). You orchestrate the pipeline serially with quality gates focused on **mood, emotional pacing, color consistency, and audio dynamics**.
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**No pre-production stages.** Source footage or direction exists. The EP adds cross-stage gates that enforce emotional arc integrity and cinematic polish.
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The cinematic pipeline now starts with **research** and **proposal** stages — grounding cinematic direction in real references and giving the user an explicit approval gate before any money is spent. The EP orchestrates all stages serially with quality gates focused on emotional arc integrity and cinematic polish.
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## Prerequisites
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| Layer | Resource | Purpose |
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|-------|----------|---------|
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| Pipeline | `pipeline_defs/cinematic.yaml` | Stage definitions |
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| Skills | All 7 director skills + `meta/reviewer` | Stage execution |
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| Skills | All 9 director skills + `meta/reviewer` | Stage execution |
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| Schemas | All artifact schemas | Validation |
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| Playbook | Active style playbook | Quality constraints |
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@@ -21,18 +21,21 @@ You are the **Executive Producer (EP)** for a cinematic video (trailers, brand f
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EP_STATE:
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pipeline: cinematic
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playbook: <selected>
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target_duration_seconds: <from brief>
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target_duration_seconds: <from proposal_packet>
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budget_total_usd: <configured>
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budget_spent_usd: 0.0
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# Cinematic-specific
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emotional_arc: null # from brief: build → reveal → landing
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emotional_arc: null # from proposal_packet: build → reveal → landing
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delivery_promise: null # from proposal_packet: motion_required, tone_mode, quality_floor
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renderer_family: null # from proposal_packet: locked at proposal stage
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color_grade_target: null # mood-driven color palette
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hero_moments: [] # key reveal/climax frames
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music_beat_map: null # audio-driven pacing reference
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artifacts:
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idea: null
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research: null
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proposal: null
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script: null
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scene_plan: null
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assets: null
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@@ -46,7 +49,7 @@ EP_STATE:
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## Execution Protocol
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Same as standard EP: Initialize → Execute stages serially (idea → script → scene_plan → assets → edit → compose → publish) → Final QA.
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Same as standard EP: Initialize → Execute stages serially (research → proposal → script → scene_plan → assets → edit → compose → publish) → Final QA.
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Each stage: PREPARE → SPAWN DIRECTOR → REVIEW → GATE DECISION (pass / revise / send-back).
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@@ -74,13 +77,26 @@ The EP may not switch providers, models, or mediums without user approval once t
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## EP-Specific Cross-Stage Checks
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### After IDEA stage:
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### After RESEARCH stage:
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```
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CHECK: Emotional arc definition
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CHECK: Research grounding
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- Are visual references specific and relevant (not generic "cinematic" searches)?
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- Is sound/music direction substantive?
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- Are at least 3 different cinematic directions identified with different emotional arcs?
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- Is the motion commitment honest about available capabilities?
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```
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### After PROPOSAL stage:
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```
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CHECK: Delivery promise
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- Is the emotional arc explicit (build → reveal → landing)?
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- Is source mode clear (supplied footage vs generated inserts)?
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- Does the brief explicitly say whether motion is required?
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- Is the target mood defined and achievable?
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- Does the proposal explicitly say whether motion is required?
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- Is the delivery_promise present with all required fields?
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- Is the renderer_family selected and locked?
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- Is the music plan resolved (source chosen or explicitly deferred)?
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- Is the cost estimate honest and per-item?
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- Has the user approved the proposal?
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```
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### After SCRIPT stage:
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@@ -145,7 +161,8 @@ CHECK: Output validation
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| Gate | After Stage | What's Checked | Fail Action |
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|------|-------------|---------------|-------------|
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| G1 | idea | Emotional arc, source mode | Revise |
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| G0 | research | Visual references, mood grounding | Revise |
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| G1 | proposal | Delivery promise, renderer family, music plan, user approval | Revise |
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| G2 | script | Beat escalation, duration | Revise |
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| G3 | scene_plan | Hero moments, visual consistency | Revise |
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| G4 | assets | Music alignment, source quality, budget | Revise |
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@@ -0,0 +1,241 @@
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# Proposal Director — Cinematic Pipeline
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## When to Use
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You are the **Proposal Director** for a cinematic video (trailers, brand films, montages, dramatic edits). You sit between the Research Director and the Script Director. You receive a `research_brief` full of visual references, mood research, and cinematic direction options, and transform it into a concrete, reviewable proposal that the user approves before any money is spent.
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**This is the approval gate.** Nothing downstream runs until the user says "go."
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## Prerequisites
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| Layer | Resource | Purpose |
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|-------|----------|---------|
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| Schema | `schemas/artifacts/proposal_packet.schema.json` | Artifact validation |
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| Prior artifact | `research_brief` from Research Director | Visual references, mood research, cinematic directions |
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| Pipeline manifest | `pipeline_defs/cinematic.yaml` | Stage and tool definitions |
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| Tool registry | `support_envelope()` output | What's actually available right now |
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| Cost tracker | `tools/cost_tracker.py` | Cost estimation data |
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| Style playbooks | `styles/*.yaml` | Available visual styles |
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| User input | Subject, footage, preferences | Creative direction |
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## Process
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### Step 1: Absorb the Research
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Read the `research_brief` thoroughly. Extract:
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- **`research_summary`** — the researcher's strongest creative direction.
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- **`angles_discovered`** — these are your raw cinematic direction candidates.
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- **Visual references** — the real-world precedents that inform each direction.
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- **Audio direction** — music mood and sound design notes.
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- **Source reality** — what footage/stills the user actually has.
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- **Motion commitment** — whether motion is required.
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### Step 2: Run Preflight
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Before designing concepts, know what tools are available:
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```bash
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python -c "from tools.tool_registry import registry; import json; registry.discover(); print(json.dumps(registry.support_envelope(), indent=2))"
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```
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Record:
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- Video generation providers — **critical for cinematic**. If motion is required, these must be available.
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- Image generation providers — for support visuals and mood inserts
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- TTS providers — for narration (if applicable; many cinematic pieces are narration-free)
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- Music generation — check availability honestly
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- Enhancement tools — color_grade, audio_enhance are high-value for cinematic
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- **Remotion render engine** — check `video_compose.get_info()["render_engines"]["remotion"]`
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**Motion-required enforcement:** If the research brief indicates `motion_required: true`, verify that video generation or source footage can actually deliver motion. If neither is available, **do not silently downgrade to still-led**. Instead, present the constraint honestly and let the user decide.
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### Step 2c: Mood Board (Before Concepts)
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Before developing full concepts, present a quick mood board to catch direction mismatches early. Cinematic work is especially susceptible to tone misalignment, so this step is critical:
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- **3-5 reference images** (from web search — real film stills, not generic stock)
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- **Color palette direction** (2-3 palettes: e.g. desaturated cold vs warm golden vs high-contrast noir)
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- **Tone references** ("Think: Terrence Malick meets National Geographic" or "Think: David Fincher trailer pacing")
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- **1-2 music mood references** (genre + energy + emotional arc, e.g. "ambient synth building to orchestral crescendo")
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Ask: **"Does this FEEL like what you're imagining? Any of these off-track?"**
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This is cheaper than building 3 full cinematic directions and catches tone mismatches before they're embedded in concept design. If the user says "less moody, more energetic," you've saved a concept round.
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### Step 3: Design Concept Directions
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Build **at least 3 genuinely different cinematic directions.** Start from the `angles_discovered` in the research brief.
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For each concept, specify all fields in `proposal_packet.concept_options`:
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#### 3a: Title and Emotional Hook
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Cinematic hooks are different from explainer hooks — they evoke **feeling**, not information gaps.
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| Pattern | When to Use |
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|---------|-------------|
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| **Sensory** | "You hear it before you see it. A frequency that shouldn't exist." | When the mood is mystery/tension |
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| **Scale shift** | "In the time it takes to read this sentence, 4.7 million packets crossed the Atlantic." | When the concept involves scale |
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| **Intimate** | "She waters them at 6am. Before the city wakes. Before anyone watches." | When the mood is intimate/human |
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| **Provocation** | "They told us the message was noise. It wasn't." | When the concept involves a reveal |
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| **Contrast** | "Three blocks from Wall Street, on a rooftop covered in clover, 40,000 bees are building a city." | When the subject is surprising in context |
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#### 3b: Emotional Arc
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Every cinematic concept needs an explicit arc:
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| Arc | Structure | Best For |
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|-----|-----------|----------|
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| `tension → reveal` | Build unease, then pay it off | Teasers, sci-fi, thriller |
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| `wonder → scale` | Start small, expand to massive | Nature, tech, cosmos |
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| `intimacy → payoff` | Close, personal, then earned moment | Documentary, human interest |
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| `urgency → resolution` | Fast pace to satisfying close | Product, action, launch |
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| `mystery → CTA` | Intrigue that leads to action | Brand films, campaigns |
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| `stillness → eruption` | Calm before powerful climax | Music videos, art films |
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#### 3c: Delivery Promise
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For cinematic, explicitly classify:
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```yaml
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delivery_promise:
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promise_type: motion_led # or source_led, hybrid
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motion_required: true # false only if user approves still-led
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source_required: false # true if user has footage
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tone_mode: cinematic # cinematic, raw, intimate, epic
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quality_floor: presentable # draft, presentable, broadcast
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approved_fallback: null # animatic, still_led, or null (no fallback)
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```
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**Rule:** `motion_led` forbids still-led fallback unless the user explicitly approves `animatic` as the fallback.
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#### 3d: Visual Treatment
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For each concept, define:
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- **Color palette** — specific hex references, not just "dark"
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- **Lighting approach** — high_key, low_key, natural, golden_hour, etc.
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- **Camera language** — dominant shot sizes, movements
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- **Texture** — film grain, clean digital, anamorphic, handheld
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- **Typography** — if title cards are used, their style and restraint level
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#### 3e: Renderer Family Selection
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Choose the renderer family and lock it in the proposal:
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| Family | When | Composition |
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|--------|------|-------------|
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| `cinematic-trailer` | Trailers, teasers, brand films with generated/source video | CinematicRenderer |
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| `presenter` | Talking head with cinematic enhancement | TalkingHead |
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| `explainer-data` | Only if this is really an explainer that wants cinematic dressing | Explainer |
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**Rule:** The renderer family is selected here and locked before scene planning. The compose stage cannot change it without logging a decision and surfacing the change to the user.
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### Step 4: Progressive Reveal, Diversity Check, and Concept Selection
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#### 4a: Progressive Reveal
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Don't dump the full proposal at once. Build understanding step by step:
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1. **Research summary** (2-3 sentences): "Here's what I found about the subject and its visual potential..."
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→ User reacts, course-corrects if needed.
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2. **Mood board** (from Step 2c — already presented)
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→ User confirms feel.
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3. **Concept directions** (3+ emotional/visual approaches):
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→ Present each concept's emotional hook, arc, and visual treatment.
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4. **Invite mixing** (see 4c below).
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5. **Production plan for selected direction** (tools, cost, renderer family):
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→ User approves budget and approach.
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Each step is a chance for the user to course-correct before the next step builds on it.
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#### 4b: Diversity Check
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|
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Before presenting concepts:
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- [ ] No two concepts share the same emotional arc
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- [ ] No two concepts use the same visual treatment
|
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- [ ] At least one concept takes a creative risk
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- [ ] Each concept's visual references are from different sources
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- [ ] Each concept is achievable with current capabilities (or states what's missing)
|
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|
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#### 4c: Invite Mixing
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After presenting concepts, always say something like:
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> "You can also mix elements — for example, Concept A's emotional arc with Concept C's visual treatment and Concept B's music direction. What speaks to you?"
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If the user mixes, create a new hybrid concept entry in the proposal_packet with clear attribution: "Emotional arc from Concept A, visual treatment from Concept C, music direction from Concept B."
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|
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Let the user select, combine, modify, or redirect entirely.
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|
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### Step 5: Music Plan (Mandatory for Cinematic)
|
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|
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Cinematic videos live and die by their audio. Surface the music situation before the user approves.
|
||||
|
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Check availability in this order:
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1. **User music library (`music_library/`)** — list available tracks
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2. **Music generation APIs** — report status, cost, and quality honestly
|
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3. **Bring-your-own path** — user can drop a track in `music_library/`
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|
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Present explicit options:
|
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```
|
||||
MUSIC PLAN
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||||
├── Your music library: [N tracks / empty]
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├── AI generation: [provider] — [AVAILABLE/UNAVAILABLE] [cost]
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└── Bring your own: Drop a track in music_library/ before asset stage
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|
||||
Recommendation: [specific recommendation based on mood research]
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```
|
||||
|
||||
### Step 6: Build Production Plan
|
||||
|
||||
For the selected concept, design the stage-by-stage plan with specific providers, costs, and honest tradeoffs.
|
||||
|
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**Cinematic-specific tool priorities:**
|
||||
- **Color grade** — high priority. Cinematic output without grade looks flat.
|
||||
- **Audio enhance** — high priority. Audio dynamics matter more in mood-driven work.
|
||||
- **Video generation** — if motion-required, this is non-negotiable.
|
||||
- **Music** — must be resolved. No cinematic piece should have silence as a surprise.
|
||||
|
||||
### Step 7: Cost Estimate
|
||||
|
||||
Itemize all costs honestly. Cinematic tends to be more expensive than explainer (more generated clips, music, grade passes).
|
||||
|
||||
### Step 8: Present and Approve
|
||||
|
||||
Present concepts clearly. Invite the user to:
|
||||
- Select one as-is
|
||||
- Mix elements from multiple concepts
|
||||
- Request modifications
|
||||
- Redirect entirely
|
||||
|
||||
Set `approval.status: "pending"`. Pipeline does NOT proceed without approval.
|
||||
|
||||
### Step 9: Submit
|
||||
|
||||
Validate `proposal_packet` against schema and submit.
|
||||
|
||||
## Common Pitfalls
|
||||
|
||||
- **Calling it cinematic because of black bars**: Letterboxing is not cinematography. The treatment must include shot language, lighting, movement, and emotional arc.
|
||||
- **Hiding motion downgrade**: If motion-required content will actually be still images with Ken Burns, say so explicitly.
|
||||
- **Music as afterthought**: In cinematic work, music is 50% of the mood. Surface it early.
|
||||
- **Three versions of "dark and moody"**: Three concepts with the same emotional register but different titles are one concept. Diversity means different arcs, different moods, different risks.
|
||||
- **Ignoring source reality**: If the user has no footage and limited generation tools, the proposal must reflect that — not pretend the constraints don't exist.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
## When You Do Not Know How
|
||||
|
||||
If you encounter a generation technique, provider behavior, or prompting pattern you are unsure about:
|
||||
|
||||
1. **Search the web** for current best practices — models and APIs change frequently, and the agent's training data may be stale
|
||||
2. **Check `.agents/skills/`** for existing Layer 3 knowledge (provider-specific prompting guides, API patterns)
|
||||
3. **If neither helps**, write a project-scoped skill at `projects/<project-name>/skills/<name>.md` documenting what you learned
|
||||
4. **Reference source URLs** in the skill so the knowledge is traceable
|
||||
5. **Log it** in the decision log: `category: "capability_extension"`, `subject: "learned technique: <name>"`
|
||||
|
||||
This is especially important for:
|
||||
- **Video generation prompting** — models respond to specific vocabularies that change with each version
|
||||
- **Image model parameters** — optimal settings for FLUX, DALL-E, Imagen differ and evolve
|
||||
- **Audio provider quirks** — voice cloning, music generation, and TTS each have model-specific best practices
|
||||
- **Remotion component patterns** — new composition techniques emerge as the framework evolves
|
||||
|
||||
Do not rely on stale knowledge. When in doubt, search first.
|
||||
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ Package the cinematic piece and any cutdowns so the hero version stays clear and
|
||||
| Layer | Resource | Purpose |
|
||||
|-------|----------|---------|
|
||||
| Schema | `schemas/artifacts/publish_log.schema.json` | Artifact validation |
|
||||
| Prior artifacts | `state.artifacts["compose"]["render_report"]`, `state.artifacts["idea"]["brief"]`, `state.artifacts["script"]["script"]` | Final outputs and beat map |
|
||||
| Prior artifacts | `state.artifacts["compose"]["render_report"]`, `state.artifacts["proposal"]["proposal_packet"]`, `state.artifacts["research"]["research_brief"]`, `state.artifacts["script"]["script"]` | Final outputs and beat map |
|
||||
| Playbook | Active style playbook | Tone and naming consistency |
|
||||
|
||||
## Process
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
|
||||
# Research Director — Cinematic Pipeline
|
||||
|
||||
## When to Use
|
||||
|
||||
You are the **Research Director** for a cinematic video (trailers, brand films, dramatic montages, mood-led edits). Your job is to deeply research the subject to ground the cinematic direction in real references, real moods, and real audience expectations — before any creative decisions or money is spent.
|
||||
|
||||
Unlike explainer research (which focuses on facts, data, and content gaps), cinematic research focuses on **visual references, emotional language, sound design direction, and motion precedents.** The goal is to arm the Proposal Director with enough material to present mood boards and concept directions that feel intentional, not generic.
|
||||
|
||||
**You do NOT make creative decisions.** You gather raw material. The Proposal Director will use your findings to craft concept directions.
|
||||
|
||||
## Prerequisites
|
||||
|
||||
| Layer | Resource | Purpose |
|
||||
|-------|----------|---------|
|
||||
| Schema | `schemas/artifacts/research_brief.schema.json` | Artifact validation |
|
||||
| User input | Subject, mood hints, footage situation, references | Research scope |
|
||||
| Tools | Web search, web fetch | Research execution |
|
||||
|
||||
## Process
|
||||
|
||||
### Step 1: Classify the Brief
|
||||
|
||||
Before searching, extract from the user's request:
|
||||
|
||||
- **Subject**: What is this video about?
|
||||
- **Source reality**: Does the user have footage, stills, audio, or nothing?
|
||||
- **Motion requirement**: Is motion a hard requirement (trailer, teaser, hype reel) or can it be still-led?
|
||||
- **Mood hints**: Any emotional direction given? ("dark", "epic", "intimate", "raw", "hopeful")
|
||||
- **Platform**: Where will this live?
|
||||
- **Duration hint**: Short (15-30s), medium (30-90s), long (90s+)?
|
||||
|
||||
### Step 2: Visual Reference Mining
|
||||
|
||||
**Goal:** Find real cinematic precedents that match the mood and subject.
|
||||
|
||||
```
|
||||
SEARCH BATCH 1 — Visual References (run all in parallel)
|
||||
|
||||
Q1: "[subject] cinematic [mood hint]" site:youtube.com
|
||||
→ Find: Existing trailers, brand films, or mood pieces for this subject.
|
||||
|
||||
Q2: "[subject] [delivery shape] visual style" (breakdown OR making-of OR tutorial)
|
||||
→ Find: How professionals approach this type of visual storytelling.
|
||||
|
||||
Q3: "[mood hint] color palette cinematography" OR "[mood hint] color grading reference"
|
||||
→ Find: Color and grade references that match the intended mood.
|
||||
|
||||
Q4: "[subject] [mood hint]" (short film OR brand film OR trailer) award OR festival
|
||||
→ Find: Award-quality references — the ceiling of what this could look like.
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**For each reference, record:**
|
||||
- Title and URL
|
||||
- What works visually (framing, color, movement, texture)
|
||||
- What works emotionally (pacing, reveal structure, tension arc)
|
||||
- Relevance to the user's brief
|
||||
|
||||
### Step 3: Sound and Music Landscape
|
||||
|
||||
**Goal:** Understand the audio palette for this mood.
|
||||
|
||||
```
|
||||
SEARCH BATCH 2 — Audio References (run in parallel)
|
||||
|
||||
Q5: "[mood hint] [subject] soundtrack" OR "[mood hint] film score reference"
|
||||
→ Find: Music mood references.
|
||||
|
||||
Q6: "[mood hint] sound design" (cinematic OR film OR trailer)
|
||||
→ Find: Sound design approaches — ambient, textural, percussive, silent.
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Record:**
|
||||
- Music mood direction (not specific tracks — the energy and texture)
|
||||
- Sound design notes (atmospheric, minimal, industrial, organic)
|
||||
- Whether dialogue or narration is expected or if the piece is music-driven
|
||||
|
||||
### Step 4: Subject-Specific Research
|
||||
|
||||
**Goal:** Gather factual or contextual depth that grounds the visual choices.
|
||||
|
||||
```
|
||||
SEARCH BATCH 3 — Subject Depth (run in parallel)
|
||||
|
||||
Q7: "[subject]" (story OR history OR origin OR significance)
|
||||
→ Find: Narrative depth that can inform visual decisions.
|
||||
|
||||
Q8: "[subject]" (visual OR texture OR detail OR close-up OR macro)
|
||||
→ Find: Texture and material references for the subject.
|
||||
|
||||
Q9: "[subject]" "[current year]" (trend OR development OR news)
|
||||
→ Find: Current relevance — is there a timeliness angle?
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Step 5: Motion and Camera Language Research
|
||||
|
||||
**Goal:** Find specific cinematic techniques that suit this mood.
|
||||
|
||||
```
|
||||
SEARCH BATCH 4 — Technique Research (run in parallel)
|
||||
|
||||
Q10: "[mood hint] camera movement" (technique OR cinematography)
|
||||
→ Find: Which camera movements suit this mood (handheld for raw, steadicam for contemplative, whip pans for energy).
|
||||
|
||||
Q11: "[mood hint] editing rhythm" OR "[mood hint] pacing" (film OR trailer)
|
||||
→ Find: Editing tempo references.
|
||||
|
||||
Q12: "[delivery shape] structure" (beat sheet OR pacing OR breakdown)
|
||||
→ Find: Structural templates for this delivery type.
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Step 6: Audience and Distribution Context
|
||||
|
||||
```
|
||||
SEARCH BATCH 5 — Audience (run in parallel)
|
||||
|
||||
Q13: "[subject] [platform]" (best OR viral OR most watched)
|
||||
→ Find: What performs well on the target platform for this subject.
|
||||
|
||||
Q14: "[subject]" site:reddit.com (mood OR aesthetic OR vibe)
|
||||
→ Find: How the community talks about and feels about this subject.
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Step 7: Angle Synthesis
|
||||
|
||||
Using everything from Steps 2-6, identify at least 3 genuinely different cinematic directions:
|
||||
|
||||
For each direction, specify:
|
||||
|
||||
| Field | What | Quality Bar |
|
||||
|-------|------|-------------|
|
||||
| `name` | Short direction title (5-8 words) | Specific mood, not just the subject |
|
||||
| `hook` | One-sentence emotional pitch | Must evoke a feeling, not explain |
|
||||
| `type` | `mood_piece`, `tension_arc`, `reveal`, `intimate`, `epic`, `raw` | Categorize honestly |
|
||||
| `visual_references` | Which found references inform this direction | Specific URLs and descriptions |
|
||||
| `audio_direction` | Music mood, sound design approach | Informed by Step 3 findings |
|
||||
| `motion_commitment` | What motion is required and how it'll be achieved | Honest about capabilities |
|
||||
| `grounded_in` | Which research findings support this direction | Cross-reference your findings |
|
||||
|
||||
**Direction diversity checklist:**
|
||||
- [ ] At least one direction uses a different emotional arc than the others
|
||||
- [ ] At least one direction emphasizes texture/intimacy over spectacle
|
||||
- [ ] No two directions use the same primary camera approach
|
||||
- [ ] Each direction is grounded in different visual references
|
||||
|
||||
### Step 8: Source Bibliography
|
||||
|
||||
Compile all URLs used. Minimum 5 sources.
|
||||
|
||||
### Step 9: Assemble and Submit
|
||||
|
||||
Build the `research_brief` artifact per the schema. Include:
|
||||
|
||||
1. `research_summary` — one paragraph capturing the strongest creative direction found
|
||||
2. All sections from Steps 2-8
|
||||
|
||||
Validate against `schemas/artifacts/research_brief.schema.json` before submitting.
|
||||
|
||||
## Execution Constraints
|
||||
|
||||
| Constraint | Value | Why |
|
||||
|------------|-------|-----|
|
||||
| Max time on research | 3-5 minutes | Research is valuable but has diminishing returns |
|
||||
| Max searches | 20 | Prevent infinite rabbit holes |
|
||||
| Min searches | 8 | Ensure adequate coverage |
|
||||
| No paid tools | — | Research uses web search only — zero cost |
|
||||
|
||||
## Common Pitfalls
|
||||
|
||||
- **Searching only for "cinematic"**: The word is overused. Search for the specific mood, texture, and subject instead.
|
||||
- **Ignoring the source reality**: If the user has no footage and no video generation, the research should account for still-led approaches — not ignore the constraint.
|
||||
- **Generic mood words**: "Dark and moody" is not a direction. "Low-key tungsten lighting with shallow depth of field, inspired by Fincher's title sequences" is a direction.
|
||||
- **Skipping audio research**: Cinematic videos live and die by their audio. The mood board is incomplete without sound direction.
|
||||
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ You are deciding how each cinematic beat will look and transition. This is where
|
||||
| Layer | Resource | Purpose |
|
||||
|-------|----------|---------|
|
||||
| Schema | `schemas/artifacts/scene_plan.schema.json` | Artifact validation |
|
||||
| Prior artifacts | `state.artifacts["script"]["script"]`, `state.artifacts["idea"]["brief"]` | Beat map and source truth |
|
||||
| Prior artifacts | `state.artifacts["script"]["script"]`, `state.artifacts["proposal"]["proposal_packet"]` | Beat map and source truth |
|
||||
| Tools | `frame_sampler`, `scene_detect` | Source inspection and reframing checks |
|
||||
| Playbook | Active style playbook | Color and typography consistency |
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ This stage builds the beat map, selected lines, title-card copy, and reveal stru
|
||||
| Layer | Resource | Purpose |
|
||||
|-------|----------|---------|
|
||||
| Schema | `schemas/artifacts/script.schema.json` | Artifact validation |
|
||||
| Prior artifact | `state.artifacts["idea"]["brief"]` | Emotional arc and source truth |
|
||||
| Prior artifact | `state.artifacts["proposal"]["proposal_packet"]` | Emotional arc and source truth |
|
||||
| Tools | `transcriber`, `scene_detect` | Optional dialogue mining and source review |
|
||||
|
||||
## Process
|
||||
@@ -62,6 +62,17 @@ Recommended metadata keys:
|
||||
- the reveal lands distinctly,
|
||||
- the landing gives the viewer a final feeling or action.
|
||||
|
||||
### Mid-Production Fact Verification
|
||||
|
||||
If you encounter uncertainty during script writing:
|
||||
- Use `web_search` to verify factual claims before committing them to the script
|
||||
- Use `web_search` to find reference images for visual accuracy
|
||||
- Log verification in the decision log: `category="visual_accuracy_check"`
|
||||
|
||||
Every factual claim in the script should be traceable to the `research_brief`.
|
||||
If you make a claim that isn't in the research, do additional research and
|
||||
add the source. Do not invent statistics, dates, or attributions.
|
||||
|
||||
## Common Pitfalls
|
||||
|
||||
- Writing full explanatory paragraphs instead of beats.
|
||||
|
||||
Reference in New Issue
Block a user