Refine visual identity guidance across pipelines

skills/creative/image-gen-usage.md

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 FLUX RESOLUTION:  1920x1088 (16:9) | 1088x1920 (9:16) — must be multiples of 16
 MAX TOTAL:        4 megapixels (width x height)
 CONSISTENCY:      Use hero image as input_image for subsequent frames
-STYLE PREFIX:     Set in playbook, prepend to every prompt
+STYLE SYSTEM:     Derive from subject + audience + tone, then adapt per scene
 BATCH STRATEGY:   Hero at max quality → iterate with klein → final pass with pro
 ```
 
@@ -29,14 +29,19 @@ All FLUX dimensions **must be multiples of 16**. Maximum total is 4MP.
 
 The biggest challenge: making 8-12 generated images look like they belong in the same video.
 
-### Strategy 1 — Style Prefix (Always Use)
+### Strategy 1 — Shared Visual System (Always Use)
 
-Prepend the playbook's `image_prompt_prefix` to every prompt. Example from `clean-professional`:
+Define a shared visual system for the project first, then adapt it per scene.
+Capture the project's:
 
-```
-"Clean, minimal illustration with soft shadows, muted color palette,
-white background, professional vector art style. [YOUR SCENE DESCRIPTION]"
-```
+- dominant mood and texture,
+- palette direction,
+- lighting bias,
+- rendering medium,
+- character/environment consistency anchors.
+
+The playbook's `image_prompt_prefix` is source material, not something to paste
+verbatim into every prompt. Distill it into a shorter scene-appropriate anchor.
 
 ### Strategy 2 — Hero Reference Image (Recommended)
 
@@ -148,17 +153,17 @@ optimized for image/video generation providers.
 2. **Hands and fingers** — DALL-E 3 and FLUX still struggle. Avoid prompts requiring detailed hand poses
 3. **Inconsistent characters** — Without reference images, the same character will look different each time. Always use the hero reference strategy
 4. **Over-prompting** — Long, complex prompts produce unpredictable results. Keep to 2-3 sentences
-5. **Ignoring the playbook** — Every image must match the style playbook. The style prefix is not optional
+5. **Over-unifying prompts** — Forcing the exact same style phrase into every prompt makes scenes look samey. Keep the visual system consistent, but let each scene express its own subject, shot, and emotional beat.
 
 ## Applying to OpenMontage
 
 When using the `image_selector` tool in the asset stage:
 
-1. **Always prepend the playbook's style prefix** to every prompt
+1. **Design the visual system first** from the proposal or custom playbook: mood, palette, texture, motion energy
 2. **Generate a hero image first** at highest quality, use as reference for all others
 3. **Use `1920x1088`** for 16:9 video frames (FLUX multiple-of-16 requirement)
 4. **Never request text in images** — add text overlays in the compose stage
 5. **Budget check** — estimate total image cost before generating; switch to local diffusers if over budget
 6. **Iterate with klein** during planning, finalize with pro
-7. **Keep prompts to 2-3 sentences** — style prefix + scene description + composition
+7. **Keep prompts to 2-3 sentences** — scene-specific camera/lighting + adapted visual anchor + concrete subject
 8. **Match the scene plan** — each image maps to a specific scene in the script

skills/creative/image-provider-usage.md

@@ -102,9 +102,11 @@ When mixing stock and generated images in the same video, visual consistency is
 Apply the playbook's color grading LUT to both stock and generated images in the compose stage.
 This unifies the look. The `color_grade` enhancement tool handles this.
 
-### Strategy: Match Playbook Style in Prompts
-When generating images, always prepend the playbook's `image_prompt_prefix`. When searching stock,
-use the playbook's color names in search filters (Pexels supports color filtering).
+### Strategy: Match The Visual Identity, Not A Copied Prefix
+When generating images, adapt the playbook's mood, palette, texture, and medium
+into a short scene-specific anchor. When searching stock, filter for the same
+emotional and visual qualities: color, lighting, environment, composition, era,
+and texture. Use the playbook as a consistency source, not a script to paste.
 
 ### Strategy: Avoid Mixing Styles Within a Scene
 Don't use a stock photo for one element and an AI illustration for another in the same scene.