| name | memory-documentary |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| description | Generate evidence-based documentary reports by searching across all 4 memory systems (Claude-Mem, Forgetful, Serena, DeepWiki), .agents/ artifacts, and GitHub issues. Produces investigative journalism-style analysis with full citation chains. Use when you ask for an "evidence-based report", "investigate across all memory systems", "what happened with X over time". Do NOT use for a single semantic recall (use memory) or for citation hygiene (use memory-enhancement). |
| license | MIT |
| metadata | {"timelessness":"8/10","category":"analysis"} |
Memory Documentary Skill
Generate comprehensive documentary-style reports from your memory systems with full evidence chains.
Quick Start
/memory-documentary [topic]
Example topics:
- "recurring frustrations"
- "coding patterns not codified"
- "evolution of thinking on testing"
- "decisions I second-guessed"
- "what I complain about most"
Triggers
Use this skill when:
Search my memories for patterns about...What does my history say about...Generate a documentary on my topicCross-reference all systems for...Evidence-based analysis across memory systems
When to Use
Use this skill when:
- You need cross-system evidence for a pattern or recurring theme
- Investigating historical decisions and their evolution over time
- Building a cited, verifiable narrative from memory data
Use memory skill instead when:
- You need a simple search for a known fact or pattern
- The query targets a single memory tier, not cross-system synthesis
Quick Reference
| Phase | Action | Output |
|---|
| 1 | Topic Comprehension | Search variants, scope boundaries |
| 2 | Investigation Planning | Explicit queries per system |
| 3 | Data Collection | Evidence with IDs, timestamps |
| 4 | Report Generation | Documentary with citations |
| 5 | Memory Updates | Store meta-pattern discovered |
Process
The skill searches ALL available data sources systematically:
Memory Systems (4 MCP servers):
- Claude-Mem: Timeline observations via 3-layer workflow
- Forgetful: Semantic memory with linked entities
- Serena: Project-specific lexical memory
- DeepWiki: Documentation resources
Project Artifacts:
.agents/retrospective/ - Learning extractions.agents/sessions/ - Session logs.agents/analysis/ - Research reports.agents/architecture/ - ADRs.agents/planning/ - Plans and PRDs
GitHub Issues:
- Open and closed issues
- Comments and related PRs
Commands
/memory-documentary "recurring frustrations"
/memory-documentary "testing patterns" --since 2025-12-01
Report Structure
Executive Summary
- Key finding in one sentence
- Timeline span (earliest to most recent)
- Evidence count (memories + observations + issues + files)
- Major pattern categories
Evidence Trail
Full citation for each finding:
- Memory ID/Observation ID with retrieval command
- Source system (Forgetful/Claude-Mem/Serena)
- Timestamp/Creation date
- Direct quote from source
- Links to related evidence
Pattern Evolution
Timeline showing how thinking changed:
YYYY-MM-DD: [Observation #ID] - Initial state
YYYY-MM-DD: [Memory #ID] - First iteration
YYYY-MM-DD: [Issue #NNN] - Technical response
Unexpected Patterns
Cross-system synthesis revealing:
- Frequency patterns (time clustering)
- Correlation patterns (X happens before Y)
- Avoidance patterns (conspicuous absence)
- Contradiction patterns (saying vs doing)
- Evolution patterns (recursive loops)
- Emotional patterns (frustration markers)
Synthesis
- What all systems agree on
- What's recent (Claude-Mem) vs crystallized (Forgetful)
- Actionable recommendations
Evidence Standards
| Standard | Requirement |
|---|
| Citation | Every claim has ID, timestamp, quote |
| Quotes | Direct quotes, not paraphrases |
| Verification | Retrieval commands for all evidence |
| Cross-links | Related evidence connected |
Anti-Patterns
| Avoid | Why | Instead |
|---|
| Partial searches | Miss critical evidence | Search ALL systems |
| Paraphrasing | Loses verifiability | Direct quotes only |
| Single query | Miss variations | 3+ query variants per system |
| Skipping systems | Incomplete picture | Check all 4 MCP servers |
Verification
After execution:
Output Location
Reports saved to: .agents/analysis/[topic]-documentary-[date].md
Related Skills
| Skill | Relationship |
|---|
| memory | Operations (search, update) |
| exploring-knowledge-graph | Forgetful traversal |
| retrospective | Learning extraction |
| skillbook | Pattern → skill conversion |
On Invocation
Read: references/execution-protocol.md
This contains the full 5-phase execution protocol with detailed instructions for each data source.
