motion-look

Motion Look

Use this skill alone for a look choice or style bible, or load it from motion-studio for G1 and taste updates. The look describes visual direction, not genre timing or engine commands. Load the motion-vocabulary skill for exact term ids and recipes. Use the genre playbook for timing. For product UI inside a shot, use its product design rules.

1. Read direction. Collect the logline, genre, formats, source URL, real logo, type, palette and references. When the brand has a site or design system, derive the look from it (D78): its palette, type, radius and one motif taken from the brand mark, read from the sourced assets (motion-direction reference/asset-first.md). The look library below is then a source of motion signatures only; use a whole look file as the direction only when the brand has neither a site nor a design system. For a recommendation, read the profile with motion-studio taste show and weigh it using taste-profile.md. Give a liked entry with a relevant note more weight than an untested entry; explain a conflict with the product. Done when the proposed direction names its source assets and relevant liked or rejected entries, or states that the profile is empty.
2. Select and adapt. Read the relevant look files and shared patterns. A look file is a starting direction, not a fixed brand kit: its palette, free fonts and nearest HyperFrames preset are examples. Pin local Google Fonts files, and copy no preset brand values into a verified product identity. Its motion signature ids and the term ids in its four motion signature fields are motion-vocabulary term ids. Its look-specific pattern pair applies in addition to every shared pair. Propose 2 or 3 distinct candidates for G1, or one for a standalone selection. For each candidate, set both named variation axes to concrete product-specific values, replace palette/type with verified brand assets where appropriate, and name the signature move and one focal object. Done when each candidate has two recorded axis values and a reason tied to this product rather than a generic mood.
3. Extract references when supplied. For each local video, extract frames at 2 fps with ffmpeg and make a labeled contact sheet. For a frame or image folder, make a labeled sheet from the supplied images. Use the method and fields in style-bible-template.md. Analyze order, transitions, camera, type, palette, material and hierarchy; record take and do not take for each source. Save films/<slug>/style-bible.md in a film project; in standalone mode, save it at the agreed output path. Check it with motion-studio style-bible <path> --reference <source> for every supplied source (its path, URL or id); without the CLI, confirm each source section by hand. Done when the check prints style bible ok and the style bible maps the useful visual method to this product without copying its subject.
4. Prepare G1. Each candidate is a direction: an idea device, a world with its camera logic, and a look. Record each direction's fields in BRIEF.md <direction> before the build: look id, idea device, world and camera logic, both axis values, and the look's four motion signature fields (easing family, camera behavior, light behavior, transition family) as applied to this product. Write a build brief for 2 or 3 candidates: those direction fields; real frozen logo, type and palette assets; hero content and claim; and the applied pattern replacements for that candidate. List each pair from shared patterns and the look file as <template pattern> → <chosen move>, and give a stated reason for any pattern the candidate keeps on purpose. The brief requires the look test to read the layout inputs of a shot (Remotion layout props, HyperFrames layout variables), so the chosen one promotes to a film shot in every chosen format; to hold one seam with motion on both sides; and to hold one type or UI beat. The builder chooses the length: long enough for that content, and inside the liveness limits. Each candidate is a look test, not a film shot: build it at shots/_look/<look-id>/; the builder declares it in look-test.json as its engine contract states. The director builds each candidate in turn with its engine's builder brief (D78) and labels any self-review non-independent. Render each candidate with motion-studio looktest films/<slug> <look-id>: it renders through the declared engine at the primary format's layout and writes the clip stills/G1/<look-id>.mkv, the poster stills/G1/<look-id>.png and the liveness report stills/G1/<look-id>.liveness.json. It refuses a look test whose clip fails the liveness limits and writes nothing; send the printed still spans back to the builder. Present the direction fields, clips, posters, liveness reports and reference take/do-not-take lines at G1. Done when looktest exits 0 for all 2 or 3 candidates, each clip uses product assets and shows its listed pattern replacements, and BRIEF.md records each direction's fields.
5. Record taste and freeze direction. Before the G1 decision is recorded, write the chosen look id, both axis values and the style-bible path into storyboard.json look; G1 binds them. Record the decision with the director's words: motion-studio gate films/<slug> G1 approve --note "<words>". Then check each passed candidate's look test (clip and poster) against its applied pattern replacements and run motion-studio taste g1 films/<slug> [--rejected <look-id>]... [--kept <look-id>:<pattern>].... Pass --rejected for a look whose look test honored its replacements. Pass --kept for a look whose look test kept a shared or look-specific pattern without a stated reason: the director passed on the execution, not the look, so it becomes a note, not a rejection. The command likes the chosen look, quotes the G1 notes, copies the profile to films/<slug>/taste-snapshot.json and sets look.tasteSnapshot; later global changes never change this film. After every motion-studio gate call with a note, run motion-studio taste notes films/<slug> <gate>. After G5 is approved, run motion-studio taste accept films/<slug> --move <term-id>... [--pacing "<profile>"] with the signature moves and pacing the acceptance named. Without the CLI, follow taste-profile.md. Done when each command exits 0, motion-studio status still shows G1 approved, and the profile holds only observed decisions.

If G1 changes the brief or look, hand the change to the motion-studio gate flow; that skill owns revision binding, resets and round caps. For standalone use, stop after the requested look, style bible or profile update. Keep reference rights and any unverified brand facts explicit.