OpenMontage/skills/creative/cinematic.md

Cinematic Video Pipeline

Sources: No Film School editorial guides, StudioBinder filmmaking resources, Film Riot production tutorials, CinematographyDB shot databases, Walter Murch "In the Blink of an Eye"

Quick Reference Card

ASPECT RATIO:     2.39:1 (widescreen cinematic) or 16:9 with letterbox
LETTERBOX:        Black bars at top/bottom — 1920x800 active area in 1920x1080 frame
FRAME RATE:       24fps (cinematic standard)
SHOT DURATION:    4-8 seconds average (longer than explainer, shorter than documentary)
COLOR GRADE:      cinematic_warm or cinematic_cool profile
AUDIO:            Layered: dialogue + ambient + Foley + score
MUSIC:            60-90 BPM, orchestral or ambient, dynamic (not loop-based)
TARGET LUFS:      -14 LUFS integrated, -24 LUFS for quiet moments

Aspect Ratios

Ratio	Resolution (in 1080p frame)	Feel	When to Use
2.39:1 (anamorphic)	1920x803 (138px bars each)	Epic, cinematic, grand	Cinematic explainers, brand films
2.35:1 (scope)	1920x817 (131px bars each)	Classic film	Similar to 2.39:1, slightly taller
1.85:1 (flat)	1920x1038 (21px bars each)	Moderate cinematic	Subtle letterbox, less dramatic
16:9 (no letterbox)	1920x1080	Standard	Default, no cinematic treatment

Implementing Letterbox in FFmpeg

# Add 2.39:1 letterbox (138px black bars top and bottom)
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "pad=1920:1080:0:138:black,crop=1920:1080:0:0" output.mp4

# Or render at native ratio and pad:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "scale=1920:803,pad=1920:1080:0:138:black" output.mp4

Rule: Only use letterbox when the content genuinely benefits from cinematic framing. Don't letterbox a screen recording or talking head — it just wastes pixels.

Shot Duration and Pacing

Average Shot Length by Style

Style	Average Shot	Cuts/Minute
Action/intense	2-4s	15-30
Standard cinematic	4-8s	8-15
Documentary	6-12s	5-10
Contemplative	10-20s	3-6
Montage sequence	1-3s	20-40

Pacing Rhythm

Cinematic pacing follows a breathing rhythm — vary shot length deliberately:

Long (8s) → Medium (5s) → Short (3s) → Short (2s) → LONG (10s) → Medium (6s)

Never use the same shot length 3 times in a row — it creates monotony.

The Murch Rule

Walter Murch's editing priorities (in order of importance):

1. Emotion — does the cut serve the emotional arc?
2. Story — does the cut advance the narrative?
3. Rhythm — does the cut feel right in the pacing?
4. Eye trace — where is the viewer looking?
5. 2D plane — screen geography (180-degree rule)
6. 3D space — spatial continuity

For OpenMontage explainers using cinematic style: prioritize rhythm and story over spatial concerns (since we're often cutting between generated images, not continuous footage).

Audio Layering

Cinematic audio has 4 layers (not just voiceover + music):

Layer	Level	Content
Dialogue/narration	-12 dB peak	Primary voice
Music/score	-24 to -18 dB	Orchestral, ambient, dynamic
Ambient/room tone	-30 to -24 dB	Environmental sound bed
Foley/SFX	-18 to -12 dB	Specific action sounds

Music for Cinematic

Characteristic	Value
BPM	60-90 (slower than standard explainer)
Genre	Orchestral, ambient, piano, cinematic electronic
Dynamics	Dynamic (crescendos, swells, quiet moments) — NOT loop-based
Key changes	At narrative turning points
Silence	Deliberately remove music for 3-5s at key reveals

Ambient Sound

Add a subtle ambient layer to fill silence and create depth:

• Room tone / air conditioning hum (very low, -35 dB)
• Environmental sounds matching the topic (city, nature, lab)
• Generates "presence" even during narration pauses

Color Grading for Cinematic

Look	Profile	Intensity	Characteristics
Warm cinematic	cinematic_warm	0.85	Orange highlights, lifted shadows
Teal & orange	cinematic_cool	0.7	Classic Hollywood blockbuster look
Moody dark	moody_dark	0.6	Crushed blacks, low saturation
Vintage film	vintage_film	0.7	Faded, warm tint, reduced contrast

Cinematic grading rules:

• Shadows should be slightly lifted (never pure black)
• Highlights should be slightly rolled off (never pure white)
• Skin tones must stay on the vectorscope skin tone line
• Consistency across all clips — one LUT/profile for the entire video

Applying to OpenMontage

When building cinematic-style content:

1. Set aspect ratio — use 2.39:1 letterbox for true cinematic, or 16:9 with cinematic_warm grade for subtle
2. Render at 24fps if the content is purely generated/animated (set in video_compose)
3. Shot duration 4-8 seconds average — vary deliberately, never same length 3x
4. Layer audio — narration + music + ambient minimum; add Foley SFX at key moments
5. Music at 60-90 BPM, dynamic (not looping) — use music_gen with "cinematic orchestral" prompt
6. Remove music for 3-5 seconds at key reveals — silence is powerful
7. Color grade with cinematic_warm or cinematic_cool at 0.7-0.85 intensity
8. Image prompts should include "cinematic lighting, shallow depth of field, film grain" for matching aesthetic
9. Slower narration — 140-150 WPM (slower than standard 155 WPM explainer pace)