Visual Continuity Validator Skill

Purpose

Check visual consistency across all shots in an episode, identifying drift patterns and enforcing visual canon.

Trigger

Shot quality validation complete for episode.

Inputs Required

• •SHOTS_EP{{XX}}/*.png - All episode shots
• •SHOT_LIST_EP{{XX}}.json - Shot specifications
• •SHOT_QA_REPORT_EP{{XX}}.md - Individual shot QA
• •CANON_DB.json - Visual canon
• •CHARACTER_REFS/*/refs/*.png - Reference images

Outputs Produced

• •VISUAL_CONTINUITY_REPORT_EP{{XX}}.md
• •Drift alerts and correction recommendations

Continuity Dimensions

1. Character Continuity

• •Same character looks consistent across all appearances
• •Outfit consistency within scenes
• •Expression/pose progression makes sense

2. Location Continuity

• •Same location looks consistent across all shots
• •Time-of-day matches within scenes
• •Props/furniture don't move unexpectedly

3. Scene Continuity

• •Shots within a scene are visually cohesive
• •Lighting consistent within scene
• •Color grading consistent

4. Style Continuity

• •Overall aesthetic maintained
• •Color palette consistent
• •Mood appropriate throughout

Process

Step 1: Group Shots

Organize shots by:

• •Scene (same location, continuous time)
• •Character (all appearances of each character)
• •Location (all shots at each location)

Step 2: Character Thread Analysis

For each character:

1. •Collect all shots featuring character
2. •Compare character appearance across shots
3. •Identify drift patterns
4. •Flag significant inconsistencies

Check Points:

• •Face consistency
• •Hair consistency
• •Outfit consistency (within same scene)
• •Body proportions
• •Age appearance

Step 3: Scene Thread Analysis

For each scene:

1. •Collect all shots in scene
2. •Verify temporal continuity
3. •Check spatial consistency
4. •Validate lighting continuity

Check Points:

• •Lighting angle doesn't jump
• •Props don't move unexpectedly
• •Character positions make sense
• •Background consistent

Step 4: Location Thread Analysis

For each location:

1. •Collect all shots at location
2. •Compare architectural elements
3. •Verify key features present
4. •Check time-of-day consistency

Check Points:

• •Key architectural features
• •Furniture/prop placement
• •Window positions
• •Color of walls/surfaces

Step 5: Drift Detection

Calculate drift metrics:

Progressive Drift:

• •Character slowly changes over episode
• •Detected by comparing first vs. last appearance

Sudden Drift:

• •Abrupt change between adjacent shots
• •Detected by sequential comparison

Pattern Drift:

• •Consistent error across multiple shots
• •Detected by comparing against reference

Step 6: Generate Report

# Visual Continuity Report: EP{{XX}}

## Summary
- Overall Continuity Score: {{0-100}}
- Characters: {{SCORE}}
- Locations: {{SCORE}}
- Scenes: {{SCORE}}
- Style: {{SCORE}}

## Critical Issues

### Character Drift: {{CHARACTER}}
- First appearance: SC01_SH03
- Drift detected: SC05_SH02 onward
- Issue: Hair color shifted darker
- Action: Regenerate SC05+ with corrected refs

## Scene Continuity Issues

### Scene 03
- Shots affected: SH04, SH06
- Issue: Lighting angle inconsistent
- Action: Regenerate with matched lighting

## Drift Patterns

### {{CHARACTER}} Over Episode
[Visual timeline or scores showing consistency]

### {{LOCATION}} Across Scenes
[Visual timeline or scores]

## Recommendations

### High Priority
1. Regenerate shots: [list]
2. Update references: [if refs are causing drift]

### Medium Priority
1. Review and potentially regenerate: [list]

### Acceptable Variance
[List of minor issues that don't require action]

Step 7: Prioritize Corrections

Rank issues by:

1. •Critical: Breaks story clarity
2. •High: Noticeable distraction
3. •Medium: Visible but not distracting
4. •Low: Minor, acceptable variance

Step 8: Update Canon if Needed

If generated shots are consistently better than references:

• •Flag for reference-library-updater
• •Document what works better

Continuity Rules

Within Scene (STRICT)

• •Characters must look identical
• •Outfits cannot change
• •Props cannot move
• •Lighting must match

Across Scenes, Same Day (MODERATE)

• •Characters should look consistent
• •Outfits can change if justified
• •Minor lighting variation acceptable

Across Episode (FLEXIBLE)

• •Characters recognizable
• •Style consistent
• •Overall aesthetic maintained

Common Continuity Errors

Character Issues

• •Face features drifting
• •Hair changing
• •Age appearing different
• •Outfit changing mid-scene

Location Issues

• •Architecture changing
• •Props moving
• •Lighting direction flipping
• •Color of surfaces changing

Scene Issues

• •Shot-to-shot jumps
• •Lighting inconsistency
• •Color grading shifts

End-of-Clip Continuity Review (Video Production)

When generating video clips, continuity must be validated BETWEEN clips, not just within shots.

Workflow

Generate Clip N → Extract Last Frame → Claude Reviews → Decision:
    ├─ Continue to Clip N+1 (if continuity is good)
    ├─ Generate Bridge Clip (if gap needs bridging)
    └─ Generate New Frame(s) → New Bridge Clip (for exceptional continuity)

Review Process

After each clip is generated:

1. •

   Extract last frame using ffmpeg:

   bash

   ffmpeg -sseof -1 -i clip.mp4 -update 1 -q:v 2 last_frame.png
   

2. •

   Claude reviews the extracted frame:

   • •What is the character's position/state/expression?
   • •Does this flow naturally into the next clip's requirements?
   • •Are there any continuity breaks?
3. •

   Decision:

   • •Continue: Last frame flows naturally into next clip's start frame
   • •Bridge needed: Gap exists but can be bridged with additional video
   • •New frames needed: Generate supporting frame(s) using Nano Banana Pro

Bridge Clip Strategy

When a bridge clip is needed:

1. •Use extracted last frame as start frame (strategy: last_frame)
2. •Write prompts that transition FROM the current state TO the next clip's expected state
3. •Keep prompts START FRAME AWARE - describe continuation, not contradiction

Continuity Decision Criteria

Notes

• •Perfect continuity is impossible with current tech
• •Focus on maintaining character recognition
• •Location minor drift is less noticeable
• •Scene boundaries can hide more variance
• •Some drift is acceptable if not distracting
• •Progressive drift is harder to catch than sudden
• •End-of-clip review is essential for video production