# Lens: Visual Richness

## The Core Question

**"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?" — flag it.

---

## Detection Criteria

### MUST FIX (Unfillmable)

| Issue | Detection Pattern | Example |
|-------|-------------------|---------|
| **Fragment List** | 3+ consecutive lines under 8 words | `Running. Gasping. Trees blur.` |
| **Naked Verb** | Action line is just subject + verb, no texture | `David runs.` |
| **Emotional Tell** | Internal state stated, not shown | `She is terrified.` |
| **Empty Location** | Slugline with no atmosphere cue | `EXT. THE GROVE - NIGHT` |
| **Vague Action** | Action that requires interpretation | `They fight.` |
| **Missing Camera** | No sense of framing in major beat | `He falls to the ground.` |

### COULD IMPROVE (Sparse but Functional)

| Issue | Detection Pattern | Example |
|-------|-------------------|---------|
| **No Sound Anchor** | Scene lacks a capitalized sound | Scene with no CAPS words |
| **Thin Texture** | Block lacks physical/tactile detail | Movement without environment |
| **Generic Light** | "Night" or "day" without quality | `EXT. FOREST - NIGHT` vs `- MOONLIT` |
| **Actor Blind** | No physical direction for performance | Dialogue without business |

---

## Severity Thresholds

- **Episode fails** if: 3+ MUST FIX issues
- **Episode marginal** if: 1-2 MUST FIX or 4+ COULD IMPROVE
- **Episode passes** if: 0 MUST FIX and ≤3 COULD IMPROVE

---

## Rewrite Guidance

### Fragment List → Woven Paragraph

**Before:**
```
Running. Gasping. Trees blurring past.
```

**After:**
```
David tears through the undergrowth, branches WHIPPING across his face,
his breath coming in ragged gasps as the trees blur into streaks.
```

**Technique:** Combine fragments with connecting tissue. Add one sensory detail. Include one capitalized sound.

---

### Naked Verb → Textured Action

**Before:**
```
David runs.
```

**After:**
```
David bolts—legs pumping, arms slicing the air, his boots POUNDING
the moss-slick ground.
```

**Technique:** Add how (manner), where (environment), and what it sounds/looks like.

---

### Emotional Tell → Physical Show

**Before:**
```
She is terrified.
```

**After:**
```
Her hands shake. Her breath comes in shallow sips. She backs away,
one step, then another, her heel catching on a root.
```

**Technique:** What does the actor DO? What does the camera SEE?

---

### Empty Location → Atmospheric Slugline

**Before:**
```
EXT. THE GROVE - NIGHT
```

**After:**
```
EXT. THE GROVE - BIOLUMINESCENT GLOW - NIGHT
```

**Technique:** Add lighting quality, weather, or dominant visual element.

---

### Vague Action → Specific Texture

**Before:**
```
They fight.
```

**After:**
```
He SWINGS wild—she ducks, spins, drives her elbow into his kidney.
He doubles over. She doesn't wait. Knee to the chin. He's down.
```

**Technique:** Don't choreograph every move. Capture the RHYTHM: who's winning, what's the energy, what's the decisive moment?

---

### Missing Camera → Implied Frame

**Before:**
```
He falls to the ground.
```

**After:**
```
He pitches forward, hands out, SLAMS into the moss. The impact
jolts through his whole body. He lies there. Chest heaving.
```

**Technique:** Use verbs that imply camera angle: "pitches forward" (side shot), "SLAMS into" (close), "lies there" (overhead or low).

---

## Quick Checklist

Before proposing any rewrite, verify:

- [ ] Does the rewrite add ≤15 words net?
- [ ] Does it maintain the episode's tone?
- [ ] Does it NOT add a second capitalized sound to the scene?
- [ ] Would an actor and DP know what to do from this?
- [ ] Is there at least one tactile/physical detail?

---

## Integration Notes

This lens focuses on ACTION BLOCKS only. It does not flag:
- Dialogue content (use `dialogue_voice` lens)
- Scene structure (use `arc_structure` lens)
- Continuity errors (use `continuity` lens)

When proposing rewrites for blocks that contain dialogue, preserve the dialogue exactly and only modify the surrounding action prose.