---
name: shortform-visual-packaging
description: Use when creating, improving, rendering, or reviewing visual packaging and upload metadata for Dishraters, Creature Beach, CHARIAD/Rick, YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Reels, Kallaway-inspired short-form edits, first frames, overlays, captions, descriptions, playlists, pinned comments, scorecards, rating reveals, zoo council/personality videos, Shell ID/social commerce hooks, or any video Sam says looks not good enough visually.
---

# Shortform Visual Packaging

Goal: make Nancy’s short-form outputs feel deliberately packaged, repeatable, and premium — not raw clips with text slapped on.

## Required standard

Every packaged short must have:

1. **Designed first frame** — readable in <1 second, thumbnail-like, with a hook or obvious visual premise.
2. **Template choice** — do not invent layout from scratch unless a template cannot fit.
3. **Motion plan** — even still photos need zoom/pan/punch/reveal movement.
4. **Typography hierarchy** — hook > detail > score/reveal > CTA. No default-looking main text.
5. **Brand fit** — Dishraters food scoring, Creature Beach animals/shells/characters/shop/Shell ID.
6. **CTA loop** — comment/rate/vote/identify/buy/save; not vague “follow for more.”
7. **Proof-frame gate** — inspect opening, 1s, mid, final before posting.
8. **Platform UI safe-zone gate** — text must remain readable after YouTube Shorts and TikTok UI overlays are considered.
9. **Upload metadata gate** — include full platform metadata: YouTube title, substantial description, playlists, pinned comment, TikTok/Reels caption, hashtags, links, and next-video routing.

If the output looks like a raw clip with a caption box, it is not ready.

## Drive-ready delivery standard

Before giving Sam a Google Drive link for a publish-ready MP4:

- Export from the original/local/Drive source, not from a downloaded YouTube/TikTok copy unless there is no other source.
- Render a universal 1080x1920 H.264/AAC master suitable for YouTube Shorts and TikTok.
- Put primary hook/series text in the upper-middle or center-middle shared safe area.
- Keep important text out of the bottom title/caption zone and away from the right-side action rail.
- Generate proof frames at opening, ~1s, midpoint, and final.
- Generate or inspect safe-zone proof frames when text is present.
- Mark the package failed if platform UI would cover the hook, CTA, or series label.
- Include a complete upload metadata file: YouTube title, substantial description, playlist recommendations, pinned comment, TikTok/Reels caption, hashtags, destination links, and related-video/series routing.
- For Creature Beach series content, make the series explicit in title/on-screen text/description, not only the day number.

Checklist maintenance rule:
- Treat this checklist as a living quality system. When Sam identifies a new failure mode or we develop a better editing/packaging idea together, add it to the relevant skill checklist or topic brief before the next similar render.
- Do not rely on memory alone for recurring quality improvements.
- If a newly discovered rule would have failed the current render, rerender before delivery when practical.

## Quick workflow

1. Pick a format from `references/templates.md`.
2. Apply typography/colors from `references/style-system.md`.
3. Render with one of the bundled/existing overlay methods:
   - Existing Swift/FFmpeg overlay scripts in prior packages.
   - `scripts/overlay_spec_to_swift.py` for a reusable overlay starting point.
   - Canvas/HTML if the edit needs richer cards or multiple layers.
4. Add motion:
   - video: crop punch-ins, reframes, beat cuts, speed ramps when action happens.
   - photos: slow push-in/pan, reveal card, score stamp, end-card.
5. Export H.264/AAC, 1080x1920, 24–60s unless otherwise requested.
6. Generate proof frames and a `quality-gate.md`.
7. Create `upload-metadata.md` or equivalent with complete descriptions/playlists/pinned comments for the target platforms.
8. Do not publish unless proof frames and metadata pass.

## Brand defaults

### Dishraters
Use food-scoring packaging.

Default formats:
- food score reveal
- “would you eat this?”
- “rate this plate”
- health/taste/value scorecard
- app/score end-card

Must sell the behavior: people rating meals with Dishrated, not just food photography.

### Creature Beach
Use character/mystery/product packaging.

Default formats:
- zoo council / personality vote
- animal side-eye / main-character hook
- shell mystery reveal
- “would you buy this?”
- Shell ID / What The Shelly Shop CTA

Do not guess exact animal species when uncertain. Use character/personality language instead.

## Quality gate

Before posting, answer in the package:

- First frame: would this stop a scroll?
- Format: does it look like a repeatable series?
- Text: readable on phone in <1 second?
- Safe zones: would YouTube Shorts or TikTok UI cover any important text?
- Typography: bold/condensed/stroked, not default AI-template?
- Crop: true 9:16 full-frame, no accidental inset/padding/side bars?
- Motion: does something change in the first 1–2 seconds?
- Brand: correct channel/account/content match?
- CTA: does it invite a rating/vote/comment/action?
- Repetition: is this visually distinct from recent posts?
- Metadata: does the package use the available description/caption space for SEO, context, links, playlists, pinned comment, hashtags, and next-video routing instead of only a tiny caption?

Any “no” means re-render before publish.

## Upload metadata standard

For every future video package:

- YouTube Shorts descriptions should use the full description field intelligently: hook/context in the first two lines, a short “About this video” paragraph, natural search terms, links/next steps, playlist/series routing, a comment prompt, and focused hashtags.
- TikTok/Reels captions should be native and searchable: one strong sentence or short paragraph, specific keywords, a comment prompt, and 3–6 hashtags.
- Playlist recommendations are required for YouTube uploads. Add the video to at least one relevant playlist and recommend additional playlists when useful.
- Pinned comments are required for YouTube packages unless the platform/channel explicitly does not support them.
- Do not pad descriptions for character count. Do use the space to help the platform and viewer understand what the video is, where it belongs, and what to watch next.

## References

- Templates: `references/templates.md`
- Style system: `references/style-system.md`
- QA checklist: `references/quality-gate.md`

When using this skill, load only the reference needed for the current task.