# Visual Richness Check

## The Core Question

Before each batch passes validation, ask:

**"Could a filmmaker shoot this without asking me questions?"**

If they'd need to ask "What does this look like?" or "What's the atmosphere here?" — it's not ready.

---

## What Makes a Block Filmable

A director reading your script needs:

1. **What the camera sees** — Not just "David runs" but where is the camera? What's in frame?
2. **The world around them** — Light quality, weather, textures, the feel of the space
3. **Physical specificity** — Not "she's scared" but what does scared LOOK like on her?
4. **One sound that matters** — The moment that needs audio emphasis

---

## The Difference

### Unfillmable (Staccato)
```
David runs.

The Demon follows.

He trips. Falls.

She catches up.
```

A filmmaker reads this and asks: "Where? What's the light? How does he fall? What does 'catches up' look like? What do I SHOOT?"

### Filmable (Textured)
```
David tears through the undergrowth, branches WHIPPING across his face,
leaving thin red lines. The bioluminescent moss lights him from below—
sickly green, corpse-light. His breath fogs in the sudden cold.

Behind him: red silk flowing between the trees. Never running. Never
hurrying. Just appearing. Closer each time he looks.

His boot catches a root. He pitches forward, hands out, SLAMS into
the moss. It pulses beneath his palms. Warm. Alive. Wrong.

He rolls onto his back. She's already there. Standing over him.
The mask catching the green glow. Tilting. Curious.
```

A filmmaker reads this and knows:
- Practical FX: branches, scratch makeup
- Lighting: green underlighting
- Atmosphere: cold breath = fog machines or cold set
- Sound design: WHIPPING, SLAMS
- Camera: low angle for the fall, looking up at her
- Actor direction: terror, scrambling, the moment of surrender

---

## Quick Self-Check

Before running the validation checkpoint, scan your batch for:

| Check | Question |
|-------|----------|
| **Camera** | Do I know where the camera is for each major beat? |
| **Light** | Have I specified the quality of light, not just "night"? |
| **Texture** | Is there at least one physical/tactile detail per scene? |
| **Sound** | Is there ONE capitalized sound per scene that anchors the audio? |
| **Physicality** | Would an actor know what to DO, not just what to feel? |

---

## Common Traps

### The Fragment List
```
Running. Gasping. Trees blurring past.
```
**Fix:** Weave these into a sentence with a camera perspective.

### The Emotional Tell
```
David is terrified.
```
**Fix:** Show the terror physically. Sweat? Trembling hands? The way he moves?

### The Vague Action
```
They fight.
```
**Fix:** Describe the TEXTURE of the fight, not the choreography. Who's winning? What's the rhythm? What's breaking/bleeding/burning?

### The Empty Location
```
EXT. THE GROVE - NIGHT
```
**Fix:** Add atmosphere to the slugline: `EXT. THE GROVE - BIOLUMINESCENT GLOW - NIGHT`

---

## Integration with Validation

The Python validator will flag episodes that may need visual enrichment:

- **Fragment density** — If >30% of action lines are under 10 words
- **Missing atmosphere** — If sluglines lack lighting/atmosphere cues
- **Sound sparse** — If no capitalized sounds in an episode

These are **warnings, not failures**. The human makes the final call.

The checkpoint will output:
```
VISUAL RICHNESS CHECK:
  Episode 52: [WARN] High fragment density (42%)
  Episode 53: [OK]
  Episode 54: [WARN] No lighting cues in sluglines
  Episode 55: [OK]
  Episode 56: [OK]

Review flagged episodes before proceeding? [y/n]
```

---

## Remember

The goal isn't prose poetry. It's **a shooting script**.

Every line should answer: "What does the camera see? What does the actor do? What does the audience hear?"

If you can't answer those, the block isn't ready.