# Retention-Studio Pipeline Pattern

Session-derived pattern for building automated Shorts systems that should produce mechanism-reveal content rather than generic AI-video slideshows.

## Positioning

For “Hidden Money & AI Systems” style channels, prefer:

```text
photorealistic macro investigation + clean deterministic mechanism overlays
```

Avoid making the AI-video model responsible for the whole short. The AI clip should supply realistic world texture and motion; the renderer should supply meaning.

## Recommended production chain

```text
strategy
→ scored pilot ideas
→ mechanism explainer
→ mechanism shot plan
→ keyframe/I2V prompt plan
→ seeded AI clip jobs
→ clip review
→ deterministic final renderer
```

This keeps content strategy, visual intent, generation, review, and final truth-bearing overlays separate.

## Quality gates

- `static_card_limit = 0` for final content.
- Visual change every 1–2 seconds.
- Hook/pattern interrupt should resolve into a visible mechanism, not only a slogan.
- No baked AI-generated text, labels, charts, UI copy, license plates, or fake numbers.
- Captions, arrows, prices, margins, risks, timelines, and claims are renderer-owned.
- Generate multiple seeds per approved keyframe; choose by clip-review gates.

## Shot planning guidance

For each scene, preserve:

- retention purpose (`pattern_interrupt`, `problem`, `mechanism_reveal`, `twist`, `follow_trigger`)
- asset type (`cinematic_ai_video`, `mechanism_animation`, `screen_recording_simulation`, `kinetic_text_overlay`)
- visual direction
- motion cue
- sound cue
- caption-safe space
- review criteria

Use AI video for cinematic scenes. Use deterministic animation/renderer logic for mechanism, labels, numbers, captions, and follow-trigger system maps.

## Prompt-plan artifact guidance

A useful I2V prompt-plan scene contains:

- `keyframe_prompt`
- `i2v_motion_prompt`
- `negative_prompt`
- `wan_preset`
- `clip_requirements`
- `comfyui` settings

A useful clip-job package expands each I2V scene into seed variants and paths:

```text
scene_01_seed_101
scene_01_seed_202
scene_01_seed_303
```

Start jobs as `needs_keyframe` until the expected keyframe file exists. This avoids wasting GPU time on missing or placeholder images.

## Review stance

Be blunt. A technically rendered clip is not automatically usable. Reject clips if they do not serve the retention beat, if the subject is unclear in the first half-second, if motion is mushy, or if artifacts distract from the explanation.