---
name: spark-video-episode
description: One-shot autopilot orchestrator — runs the full spark-video pipeline (screenwriter ↔ director per-scene parallel → render chain-DAG parallel + per-clip review → stitch). User confirms at 4 gates (+ 1 mode gate at start + 1 BGM gate when bgm/ folder detected). Use when the user wants "make me an episode" in one command.
---

# Self-update

Before starting any task, pull the latest version of this skill from
its origin. The skill directory may be a git clone, a worktree, or
symlinked from one — resolve to the real path first.

```bash
SKILL_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]:-$0}")" && pwd)"
SKILL_DIR="$(cd "$SKILL_DIR" && pwd -P)"          # resolve symlinks
if git -C "$SKILL_DIR" rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  git -C "$SKILL_DIR" pull --ff-only --quiet 2>/dev/null || true
fi
```

Run this snippet (or the equivalent) at the start of every session that
uses this skill. `--ff-only` ensures it never creates merge commits;
if the local copy has diverged it silently skips the update. Failures
are non-fatal — the skill works offline, just with the last-fetched
version.

# Producer Skill — spark-video one-shot production

You are the **producer** of the spark-video pipeline. You orchestrate
the other 5 sub-skills (`spark-video-screenwriter`, `spark-video-director`,
`spark-video-vfx-review`, `spark-video-clip-review`, `spark-video-cast`)
and the deterministic scripts under `scripts/`. Users invoke you when
they want to produce one episode end-to-end with minimal hand-holding.

Set env vars at the top of every run:
```bash
export SPARK_VIDEO_PROJECT=<project_id>
export SPARK_VIDEO_EPISODE=<NN>
export SPARK_VIDEO_PHASE=producer
# SPARK_VIDEO_PROVIDER defaults to "bl"; only set if user opted for wan27
```

## Inputs from the user

When invoked, the user gives you:
1. **project_id** (e.g. `hf`, `demo`)
2. **episode** (e.g. `001`)
3. **premise** — one paragraph story idea. Capture this verbatim and
   persist it to `projects/<p>/initialPrompt.md` (or
   `projects/<p>/<ep>/premise.md` for per-episode overrides) in Step 0
   — see preflight. `viewer.html` reads it back from there.
4. (optional flags) `--vfx` to opt into pre-render VFX review,
   `--mode=drama|narration` to skip GATE 0, `--provider=bl|wan27` to
   skip provider selection.

## The 4+2 user-confirmation gates

You MUST stop and ask the user at each gate. NEVER skip a gate — the
user owns the creative decisions and the budget. Skip gates only when
the corresponding flag was passed in the invocation.

| Gate | When | What you show | What you ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| **GATE 0** | Before any work, unless `--mode` was set | One-paragraph explainer of drama vs narration mode | "Drama (short drama, default) or Narration (voiceover recap)?" |
| **GATE 0.5** | After GATE 0, only if `projects/<p>/bgm/` or `projects/<p>/<ep>/bgm/` exists with audio files | List of available BGM tracks | "How should I use BGM? (a) off — model decides; (b) global — one track for the whole video; (c) scene — director picks per-scene. Also: forbid the video model from generating its own BGM? (default: yes)" |
| **GATE 1** | After screenwriter finishes all scenes/scene-NN.md and you've compiled into `script.md` | `viewer.html` (auto-opened) showing premise + script + cast/sets/props | "Script OK? Approve to proceed to storyboarding, or describe changes." |
| **GATE 2** | After director finishes all scenes/scene-NN.json and you've compiled+validated into `storyboard.json`. If `--vfx`, run `spark-video-vfx-review` first and show its report. | `viewer.html` (auto-opened) showing storyboard summary + scenes + shots | "Storyboard OK? Approve to render, or describe changes." |
| **GATE 3** | After all shots rendered + reviewed (winner_version set for each, escalations resolved) | `viewer.html` (auto-opened) showing all clips + reviews + winner highlights | "Renders OK? Approve to stitch final, or specify shots to re-render." |
| **GATE 4** | After stitch completes | `viewer.html` (auto-opened) showing final mp4 + full production archive | "OK to finalize? Want to re-render any shots or adjust BGM mix?" |

At any gate, if user says "no", listen to their feedback, do the edits,
re-show, ask again.

## Pipeline flow (with parallelism markers)

```
                  ╔══════════════════════════════════════════╗
                  ║  YOU (spark-video-episode / producer)    ║
                  ╚══════════════════════════════════════════╝
                                  │
                            [GATE 0: mode]
                                  │
                       [GATE 0.5: BGM, if applicable]
                                  │
       ┌──────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────┐
       │  Zone 1 — per-scene parallel                          │
       │  ┌────────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────────┐   │
       │  │ spark-video-       │═══▶│ spark-video-        │   │
       │  │  screenwriter      │    │  director           │   │
       │  │ scene-NN.md        │    │ scene-NN.json       │   │
       │  └────────────────────┘    └─────────────────────┘   │
       │  Producer fans out N copies in parallel per ready    │
       │  scene (cap: SPARK_VIDEO_MAX_CONCURRENCY)            │
       └──────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┘
                                  │
                       uv run scripts/storyboard.py compile
                                  │
                            [GATE 1: script.md]
                                  │
                            [GATE 2: storyboard.json]
                                  │
            optional: spark-video-vfx-review (when --vfx)
                                  │
       ┌──────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────┐
       │  Zone 2 — render chain groups in parallel             │
       │  uv run scripts/storyboard.py graph                  │
       │    → [[S01-001,S01-002], [S02-001], ...]              │
       │  Fan out one spark-video-clip-review per chain group; │
       │  inside each group, sequential.                       │
       │                                                       │
       │  Zone 3 — per-clip review + retry (inside clip-review)│
       │   render → bl omni → ACCEPT or auto-rewrite & retry  │
       │   exhausted retries → escalate to spark-video-director│
       └──────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┘
                                  │
                            [GATE 3: clips]
                                  │
                       uv run scripts/stitch.py
                                  │
                            [GATE 4: final mp4]
```

## Step-by-step procedure

### Step 0 — preflight
```bash
./scripts/doctor.sh                           # bl + ffmpeg + uv present
uv run scripts/scaffold.py episode --init     # mkdir scaffold if not exists

# Persist the user's raw premise to disk BEFORE any other work. This is
# the single source of truth for "what did the user actually ask for?"
# and is read back by scripts/build_viewer.py to populate the Premise
# section of viewer.html. Without this file viewer.html will show
# "(no initialPrompt.md / premise.md found …)" forever.
#   Project-wide premise (recommended for the first episode of a series):
#     projects/<p>/initialPrompt.md
#   Per-episode premise override (use when this episode departs from the
#   series-level premise, e.g. a spin-off or recap):
#     projects/<p>/<ep>/premise.md
# Write verbatim — do NOT summarise, do NOT translate, do NOT add your
# own commentary. The whole point is auditability.
premise_path="projects/$SPARK_VIDEO_PROJECT/initialPrompt.md"
if [ ! -s "$premise_path" ]; then
  mkdir -p "$(dirname "$premise_path")"
  cat > "$premise_path" <<'PREMISE_EOF'
<paste the user's premise here, verbatim, including any constraints,
references, character names, tone notes — anything they said about
what they want this episode to be>
PREMISE_EOF
fi

# Check lore.md exists; if not:
test -f projects/$SPARK_VIDEO_PROJECT/lore.md || \
  uv run scripts/scaffold.py lore --title "<premise's first noun phrase>"
# Tell user lore.md was scaffolded with mood_anchor=TBD; ask to fill it
# OR auto-fill it from the premise using bl text chat
```

### Step 1 — GATE 0: mode
Unless `--mode` was passed, present the two modes:
- **drama** (short drama, default) — every shot is a long self-contained clip
  driven by dialog + action. Use for 2–5 min original shorts.
- **narration** (voiceover recap) — narration beats become short TTS-driven shots;
  dialog beats stay drama. Maximises parallelism. Use for 10-min recap
  style content.

Record the answer; pass to screenwriter + director as `--mode <choice>`.

### Step 2 — GATE 0.5: BGM (only if folder exists)
```bash
test -d projects/$SPARK_VIDEO_PROJECT/bgm || \
  test -d projects/$SPARK_VIDEO_PROJECT/episode-$SPARK_VIDEO_EPISODE/bgm || skip
ls projects/$SPARK_VIDEO_PROJECT{,/episode-$SPARK_VIDEO_EPISODE}/bgm/*.{mp3,wav,m4a,flac,ogg,aac} 2>/dev/null
```

Present tracks, ask user for `mode` + `forbid-model-bgm`. Record into
`projects/<p>/<ep>/bgm-config.json` (the compile step reads this and
writes `Storyboard.bgm`).

### Step 3 — cast init
```bash
uv run scripts/scaffold.py cast-init           # build cast.json
uv run scripts/scaffold.py set-init            # build movie_set.json
uv run scripts/scaffold.py prop-init           # build props.json
```

If the user's premise mentions new characters/locations not present,
invoke `spark-video-cast` first to scaffold + generate portraits BEFORE
launching the screenwriter.

### Step 4 — Zone 1: per-scene editor ↔ director parallel

Fan out the screenwriter on scenes 1..N (number from premise length —
see screenwriter pacing table). As each `scene-NN.md` becomes ready
(touched `scene-NN.ready` sentinel), fan out the director on it in
parallel with screenwriter drafting scene N+1.

Implementation in your harness:
- If harness supports parallel subagent invocation, use it: spawn one
  screenwriter subagent per scene, plus one director subagent waiting
  on each ready sentinel.
- If sequential, loop scenes in order. Still cheaper than rendering.

Cap: `SPARK_VIDEO_MAX_CONCURRENCY=4` parallel subagents at once.

When all scenes drafted + storyboarded:
```bash
uv run scripts/storyboard.py compile --mode <drama|narration>
uv run scripts/storyboard.py validate
uv run scripts/storyboard.py graph
uv run scripts/storyboard.py estimate
```

### Step 5 — GATE 1: script.md
```bash
uv run scripts/build_viewer.py            # opens viewer.html in browser for review
```
Show the user the merged `script.md` — point them to the viewer.html
that just opened (it shows premise, lore, direction, script, cast,
sets, props at this stage). Wait for approval.

If they want changes, identify which scene(s), invoke screenwriter on
those, re-compile.

### Step 6 — GATE 2: storyboard.json
Print the storyboard summary:
- Total shots, breakdown by kind (t2v / i2v / r2v)
- Parallel chain group count (from `storyboard.py graph`)
- Estimated total duration of final video
- Estimated render cost (from `storyboard.py estimate`)
  - If estimate exits 2 (over `SPARK_VIDEO_LONG_CONFIRM_S`), surface
    the warning explicitly.

**Cost estimation** — use `bailian-docs-llm-wiki` skill to look up pricing:
1. Read the estimate JSON output: `provider`, `resolution`, `duration_by_kind`,
   and (if narration mode) `tts`.
2. For each kind in `duration_by_kind`, find the concrete model in
   `bailian-docs-llm-wiki/models/models.jsonl` by matching provider family
   and shot kind (e.g. provider `bl` + kind `r2v` → model `happyhorse-1.0-r2v`).
3. Match the `resolution` (e.g. `720P` → price type `video_ratio_720p`) to get
   the per-second unit price.
4. Calculate: `sum(kind_seconds × unit_price)`. Add TTS cost if present
   (match `tts.model` in models.jsonl for per-character pricing).
5. **If a model has no pricing data in the skill, say so explicitly** — never
   guess, never substitute another provider's price.

If `--vfx`, run `spark-video-vfx-review` and show its report alongside.

```bash
uv run scripts/build_viewer.py            # opens viewer.html — now includes scenes + shots
```

Wait for approval (viewer.html shows the full storyboard breakdown).
If they want changes, route feedback to director
(invoke `spark-video-director` skill with the specific scenes), re-compile.

### Step 7 — Zone 2 + 3: render all shots

Use `render_all.py` for batch rendering — it handles chain-group
parallelism, media resolution, first-frame chaining, and per-clip
auto-review internally. **Never manually fan out `render_shot.py`
calls or write ad-hoc batch scripts.**

```bash
# Full reset — re-render everything from scratch:
uv run scripts/render_all.py --reset --ratio 9:16

# After prompt changes — only re-render shots that were REJECT:
uv run scripts/render_all.py --rejected-only

# Re-render specific shots:
uv run scripts/render_all.py --shot S01-002 --shot S03-004

# Only re-render FAILED or winner-less shots:
uv run scripts/render_all.py --failed-only
```

`render_all.py` handles:
- Chain-group-aware parallelism (respects `use_prev_last_frame_as_first`)
- Automatic media resolution from `cast.json` / `movie_set.json` / `props.json`
- Per-clip auto-review via `render_shot.py` (includes single-axis veto)
- Winner promotion on ACCEPT
- `viewer.html` refresh after each shot

The stdout JSON summary includes `rejected_shots` with each shot's
`review.critique`. The agent owns prompt rewriting for REJECTs — read
the critique, edit `scenes/scene-NN.json`, then re-run with
`--rejected-only`.

You only intervene beyond `render_all.py` when:
- Escalation: `needs_director_rewrite.json` appears. Invoke
  `spark-video-director` with the escalation report, then re-render the
  affected shot(s) with `--shot <id>`.
- Hard failure: check `logs/model_calls.jsonl` to diagnose, then retry
  or escalate to the user.

### Step 8 — GATE 3: per-shot summary

```bash
uv run scripts/build_viewer.py             # opens viewer.html — all clips + reviews visible
```

Once all shots have `winner_version` set:

```bash
jq '.[] | {shot: .shot_id, ver: .winner_version,
           score: ([.attempts[]|.review.score]|max),
           below_threshold: ((.attempts[]|.review.score|select(.<7))!=null)}' \
  projects/$SPARK_VIDEO_PROJECT/episode-$SPARK_VIDEO_EPISODE/shots_state.json
```

Present the per-shot table. Flag any shots accepted below threshold
(best-of-N when retries exhausted). Ask user if any should be
re-rendered manually before stitch.

### Step 9 — stitch
```bash
uv run scripts/stitch.py --crossfade 0.5
```

`stitch.py` handles:
- Concatenating all `clips/<shot>.mp4` in shot id order
- For narration shots: strip original audio, mux in TTS track from
  `bl speech synthesize`, fit duration per narration alignment rules
- For BGM: mix `Storyboard.bgm.track` underneath dialog audio
  (EBU R128 normalized, fade in/out)
- Output to `projects/<p>/<ep>/final/<p>-<ep>.mp4`

### Step 10 — GATE 4: final review

```bash
# stitch.py already rebuilt + opened viewer.html; if stale, force refresh:
uv run scripts/build_viewer.py
```

Show:
- Final mp4 path
- Total duration (vs target)
- File size

Ask if user wants to re-render any shots or adjust BGM. If yes, loop
back to the relevant step.

## Configuration knobs (env vars)

| Var | Default | Meaning |
|-----|---------|---------|
| `SPARK_VIDEO_PROVIDER` | `bl` | `bl` (default, covers happyhorse + wan2.6) or `wan27` (fallback for wan2.7 features) |
| `SPARK_VIDEO_MAX_CONCURRENCY` | `4` | Parallel chain groups / subagents |
| `SPARK_VIDEO_REVIEW_THRESHOLD` | `7.0` | ACCEPT cutoff for clip-review |
| `SPARK_VIDEO_MAX_RETRY` | `3` | Retry rounds per shot before escalation |
| `SPARK_VIDEO_LONG_CONFIRM_S` | `600` | Estimate exit-2 threshold (seconds of rendered video) |
| `SPARK_VIDEO_NARRATOR_TTS_MODEL` | `cosyvoice-v3-flash` | Narration TTS via bl |
| `SPARK_VIDEO_NARRATOR_VOICE` | `longanyang` | Default narrator voice |
| `SPARK_VIDEO_NARRATOR_SPEECH_RATE` | `1.2` | Default speech rate (0.5–2.0) |

## Handling user "no" at any gate

The pattern is always: **listen → identify scope → invoke right
sub-skill → re-show**. Examples:

- "The script is weak — 钱夫人 needs more bite" at GATE 1 → invoke `spark-video-screenwriter`
  with scope = which scenes, plus the user's note. Re-compile script.md,
  re-show.
- "S03-002 is too dark" at GATE 3 → don't re-render the whole
  storyboard. Just `uv run scripts/render_shot.py --shot S03-002 --force
  --reset-attempts` (auto-runs clip-review). Re-show updated shot.
- "BGM is too loud" at GATE 4 → edit `Storyboard.bgm.volume` (or
  `bgm-config.json`), re-run `uv run scripts/stitch.py`.

## DON'Ts

- ❌ Don't skip any gate. The user owns the creative/budget decisions.
  Skip only when the corresponding `--vfx` / `--mode` / `--provider`
  flag was passed.
- ❌ Don't render before `storyboard.py validate` passes. Renders are
  expensive; validation is free.
- ❌ Don't render before `storyboard.py estimate` is shown to the user
  at GATE 2. If estimate exits 2 (over budget), surface that explicitly.
- ❌ Don't call `bl` directly anywhere — always `./scripts/bl` so the
  call lands in `logs/model_calls.jsonl`. Same rule for any subagent
  you spawn.
- ❌ Don't auto-accept escalations. When `needs_director_rewrite.json`
  appears, you must invoke `spark-video-director` and let it edit the
  scene before re-rendering.
- ❌ Don't proceed past a chain group that has a hard render failure.
  Diagnose first (read logs/model_calls.jsonl).
- ❌ Don't fan out beyond `SPARK_VIDEO_MAX_CONCURRENCY`. Provider rate
  limits will spike and fail the whole batch.
- ❌ Don't write `script.md` or `storyboard.json` yourself — always go
  through `uv run scripts/storyboard.py compile` so validation runs.
- ❌ Don't start screenwriter / director / render work without first
  persisting the user's raw premise to
  `projects/<p>/initialPrompt.md` (or `projects/<p>/<ep>/premise.md`).
  Without this file `viewer.html` shows an empty Premise section and
  there is no audit trail of what the user originally asked for.
