nto-remotion-documentary-graphics

name

nto-remotion-documentary-graphics

description

Use this skill whenever NTO/New Testament Only uses Remotion for episode graphics, quote cards, canon comparisons, timelines, source cards, subscribe cards, or explanatory animations. This skill prevents cheap 1995-game / PowerPoint / moving-board visuals by enforcing fixed documentary boards, internal-only animation, typography hierarchy, visual QC, and an explicit tool-choice gate that rejects Remotion when AI video, licensed stock, or cinematic footage is the better tool.

NTO Remotion Documentary Graphics

Remotion is allowed in NTO only when it makes information clearer. It is not a substitute for cinematic footage.

The desired look is premium documentary information design: calm, legible, anchored, restrained. If it looks like a 1995 video game, PowerPoint, clip art, or a web dashboard, reject it and use a different tool.

Tool Choice Gate

Before building a Remotion card, classify the beat:

Beat type	Use Remotion?	Better tool
Timeline, canon list, source citation, quote comparison, map label, textual contrast	Yes	Remotion
Marcion-specific story beat, Roman church conflict, scribes copying texts, shipbuilder identity, emotional rejection	No	Seedance / Kling / Higgsfield AI video
Atmosphere, room texture, desert, parchment, lamp, wind, water	Usually no	AI video or licensed stock
Human faces, bodies, walking, gesture, emotion	No	AI video / character-motion
Static mood fill because the editor needs coverage	No	Rewrite storybook; use AI or licensed stock

If Remotion is not clearly the right tool, write REJECT_REMOTION_USE_AI_OR_STOCK in the visual plan and name the replacement tool.

Fixed-Board Rule

The board stays fixed in frame.

Do not apply whole-screen:

• ken burns
• moving crop
• zoompan
• sinusoidal x/y crop
• handheld drift
• fake camera shake
• board-scale pulsing

Animate only internal elements:

• arrows
• underlines
• stamps
• timeline ticks
• labels
• cards sliding inside the board
• highlight boxes
• chained links
• source tabs
• subtle grain or dust

Storybook filter for Remotion cards should normally be:

scale=1920:1080:flags=lanczos,noise=alls=2:allf=t,format=yuv420p

If freezedetect complains, add internal animation or temporal texture inside the Remotion render. Do not move the whole board.

Visual Standard

Every NTO Remotion card must pass these checks:

• It looks like a serious documentary graphic, not a game UI.
• Text is readable at 1080p and still readable in a 480px-wide contact sheet.
• No text overlaps. No cropped top bars. No bottom labels crashing together.
• There are no glowing neon outlines, bevels, fake 3D buttons, arcade colors, or glossy UI panels.
• The palette is restrained: parchment, ink, dark wood, warm stone, muted red for rejection/removed, muted green for kept.
• Typography has hierarchy: one headline, one supporting line, small labels only where nonessential.
• The board is not crowded. If the idea needs more than 3-4 text groups, split it into multiple cards.
• The card explains one idea only.

Animation Grammar

Use 2-4 internal moves per card:

1. Establish the board.
2. Reveal the key contrast.
3. Mark the verdict or relation.
4. Hold long enough to read.

Good examples:

• 1 Gospel appears, then arrow points to 4 Gospels, then REJECTED stamps Marcion's side.
• Timeline ticks reveal 144 AD, 367 AD, 1945, then a small highlight lands on the active date.
• Eye for an eye fades down while turn the other cheek brightens.

Bad examples:

• Whole card slowly zooms around the frame.
• Text floats randomly.
• Every element animates at once.
• A card holds 20+ seconds with no internal change.
• Animated diagram sits on top of busy b-roll and becomes unreadable.

Render And QC Workflow

1. Render the Remotion clip.
2. Extract three frames: early, middle, late.
3. Inspect those frames at full size and as a small contact sheet.
4. Check for text overlap, cropped text, illegible labels, distracting movement, and cheap-game styling.
5. If the card fails, fix the card or reject Remotion for this beat.

Minimum proof artifact:

_review/<slug>-remotion-qc/contact.jpg
_review/<slug>-remotion-qc/verdict.md

The verdict must say one of:

• PASS_FIXED_BOARD
• REVISE_REMOTION
• REJECT_REMOTION_USE_AI_OR_STOCK

NTO-Specific Rules

• Remotion is for ideas James is explaining, not for emotional story beats.
• Do not use Remotion to avoid spending on AI video when the beat needs a scene.
• Do not use Remotion to cover cheap b-roll.
• Do not use old black-and-white b-roll under Remotion unless the archival look is intentional.
• Keep NEW TESTAMENT ONLY brand material restrained and documentary, not YouTuber-gaming.

When To Pick Another Tool

Use AI video instead when the narration says:

• Marcion was cast out.
• His books were burned.
• He had one Gospel and Paul's letters.
• The church defended four Gospels.
• Paul was separated from the Old Testament.
• The church bound the Old Testament to the New.
• Miriam/James carries emotional weight.

Use Remotion only for the explanatory visual that sits on top of those ideas: labels, diagrams, citations, dates, and contrasts.