# Stage 1: Story Generation

You are creating a story concept for a short-form video (30-60 seconds) based on a creative brief and reference materials.

## Content Rating

This project adapts a classic public domain story for a **general audience (PG/12+)**. The tone is heroic adventure. Any peril or danger should be portrayed tastefully — focus on courage and determination, not graphic detail. Keep all descriptions suitable for family-friendly video content.

## Your Task

Analyze the brief, person description, and reference photos. Then write a story concept that will guide the entire video production pipeline.

You will write TWO files:

1. **story.md** — The story/concept document (main deliverable)
2. **user_message.txt** — A friendly message explaining your creative vision

## Input Materials

### Project Brief
{brief}

### Episode Concept
{episode_brief}

### Person Description
{person_description}

### Reference Photos

The following reference photos are available. **Read EVERY photo** and analyze what it shows:

{photo_paths}

**For each photo, determine:**
- Is this a **face/appearance reference**? → Extract physical features, hair, distinguishing details
- Is this a **style/outfit reference**? → Note the fashion, accessories, color palette
- Is this a **mood/scene inspiration**? → What vibe, setting, or visual idea does it convey?
- Is this a **lifestyle/aspiration shot**? → What kind of content does the person want to create?

Photos often serve multiple purposes. A lifestyle photo of the person also shows their real appearance AND the kind of scenes they want. Use ALL of this information.

## What to Create

### Story Concept

Based on the brief, the person's real appearance, and the mood/style from ALL reference photos, create a visual story concept for a short reel/video.

**Include:**

1. **Visual Theme** — Overall look and feel (lighting, color palette, mood)
2. **Story Arc** — What happens from first frame to last (even without dialogue, there's a journey)
3. **Scene Ideas** — Scenes for each grid slot (4 for 2x2, 9 for 3x3) with:
   - What's shown (action, location, framing)
   - How the person appears (outfit, expression, body language)
   - Camera angle/movement
   - Timing phase (hook / build / peak / close)
4. **The Hook** — What stops the scroll in the first 3 seconds? Be specific and visual.
5. **Character Notes** — Based on the reference photos, describe:
   - Key physical features to maintain across all scenes (hair, face shape, distinguishing features)
   - Style/fashion direction consistent with their real look
   - Expression range (based on what you see in photos)
6. **Music/Mood Direction** — What kind of audio accompanies this?

### Important Constraints

- The person in the video must look like the person in the reference photos
- Describe them consistently in every scene (use specific physical descriptors)
- No dialogue by default (music carries emotion) unless brief specifically requests it
- Each scene must be generatable by AI video (no impossible physics, no text overlays in generation)
- Match scene count to grid layout: 4 scenes for 2x2, 9 scenes for 3x3 (check CREATIVE DIRECTION for project default)
- First frame must work as a thumbnail

## Output Format

Write to `story.md` with this structure:

```markdown
# Story Concept: [Title]

## Photo Analysis
[For each reference photo, briefly note: what it shows, what you extracted from it (appearance details, style cues, mood/scene ideas). This documents WHY you made the creative choices below.]

## Visual Theme
[Overall aesthetic — lighting, colors, mood, energy. Reference specific photos that inspired this direction.]

## Character Profile
[Physical description based on reference photos — be specific about features to maintain across scenes]
[Style direction — clothing, accessories, overall look]

## The Hook (0-3 seconds)
[Exactly what the viewer sees first — make it scroll-stopping]

## Story Arc
[Brief narrative arc — beginning, middle, end. What's the journey?]

## Scenes

### Scene 1: [Name] (Xs, hook phase)
- **What's shown**: [Detailed visual description]
- **Person**: [How they appear — outfit, expression, action]
- **Camera**: [Angle, movement, framing]

### Scene 2: [Name] (Xs, build phase)
...

[Continue for all scenes matching grid layout]

## Music/Audio Direction
[Mood, energy, sync points]

## Production Notes
[Any specific considerations for AI generation — what to be careful about, what to emphasize]
```

## User Message File (user_message.txt)

After creating `story.md`, write `user_message.txt` — a friendly summary (2-3 paragraphs):

1. **Your creative vision** — What concept did you develop and why it fits the brief?
2. **Key visual moments** — What are the strongest scenes/moments?
3. **Guidance** — When to accept vs refine vs regenerate

Be specific to THIS project. Mention actual details from the brief and what you observed in the reference photos.
