Choose the film before cutting
Read current user instructions and any saved brief. Reuse known answers. Do not import a previous user's roadtrip duration, format or comedy preference.
This is the film brief, after toolkit setup. If the user is adopting the toolkit for the first time, first resolve all/selected/no additional skills and any useful MCP installations (video-setup if available). Do not repeat that setup when already decided, when the user directly requests this style discussion, or for an established project revision.
First exchange
In the user's language, offer three directions in one short question:
- Seriös / cinematisch: no inserted gags; deliberate cuts and restrained graphics.
- Emotional mit etwas Humor: relationships and atmosphere, with occasional fitting jokes.
- Deutlich lustig: playful cutouts, reactions and surprising transitions, with pauses so each joke reads.
Ask for length and destination/aspect ratio in the same exchange if missing. Permit free text and combinations. Serious can be fast; funny can have quiet chapters. A funny style is not blanket permission for embarrassing edits or a meme on every shot. If only humor changes, preserve the established format, music and story unless they need adjustment.
For a travel film, also distinguish roadtrip, one base, multi-stop journey, activity/expedition and mixed phases. Combine this with the style question when both are missing. Read travel briefing for conditional questions and how the answers change chapters, maps, vehicle motifs and shot ideas. Ask about the car only when relevant; preserve uncertain models and transport changes. A travel type never overrides format or humor.
Then resolve remaining material questions in a compact bundle: media/project location, music, original sound, must-keep/avoid moments and next deliverable. Ask only what affects the next step. For a plan-only request, do not render. For delegated choices, state reasonable assumptions and proceed. While waiting on a meaningful choice, perform independent inventory work.
Save a usable brief
Record tone, humor (none, light, high), pacing, film/reel/recap mode, audience, duration, aspect ratio, resolution/fps policy, original-sound policy, music sources, chronology/recap permission, must-include, avoid, publishing restrictions and current project version. Keep travel type, phase details, region/route, transport, vehicle and map preference separate. Legacy briefs with mode: roadtrip are a travel clue, not proof of a vehicle or an output format. Mark unknown fields as unknown; do not silently fill a default trip.
The optional briefing script runs with Python 3.9+ and no packages:
python3 scripts/brief.py brief-v001.json
python3 scripts/brief.py brief-v002.json --style serious --humor none --format 16:9 --duration "3 minutes" --non-interactive
python3 scripts/brief.py brief-v003.json --style emotional --trip-type mixed --trip-stage completed --region USA --transport "city phase, then rental car; exact legs to review" --vehicle "sedan; model unknown" --non-interactive
Commands are relative to this skill folder. The first starts a short terminal wizard. The second records supplied values and leaves other fields unresolved. This is a convenience, not a required terminal step when the user has already answered in chat. The script never overwrites a brief. Profiles are editable starting points, not an editorial verdict.
Apply, do not merely record
none: no unrequested comedy overlays, meme sounds or person distortion. Authentic laughter may still belong in the story.light: a few moments with clear setup/payoff; allow entire chapters without gags.high: more frequent, varied gags where suitable material exists; protect quiet emotional passages and avoid repetitive targeting.- User overrides win. Note the resulting choices in the edit plan so culling, music and effects follow them.
Output a versioned brief plus the next concrete editing step. Do not claim that this choice alone generates a finished film.