# Cinematography Shot Language

Use this reference when a user needs director/DP-grade shot design instead of generic cinematic adjectives.

## Shot Contract

Every professional shot should declare:

| Field | Prompt decision |
|---|---|
| Shot size | extreme wide, wide, medium wide, medium, medium close-up, close-up, extreme close-up, macro |
| Angle | eye-level, low angle, high angle, overhead, profile, over-shoulder, insert, product three-quarter |
| Lens feel | wide spatial energy, natural 35mm perspective, portrait compression, macro material detail |
| Camera support | locked-off, handheld, slider, dolly, crane, drone, gimbal, virtual product table |
| Movement | push-in, pull-back, lateral track, orbit, pan, tilt, pedestal, crane up, reveal, rack focus |
| Subject relation | camera follows, leads, discovers, holds, observes, or blocks with the subject |
| Start frame | first readable composition |
| End frame | changed state, pose, reveal, product hero, or continuity handoff |
| Fragile anchors | face, hands, logo, text, product shape, wardrobe, prop position |

Prompt pattern:

`Shot: [size/angle/lens feel]. Camera starts [composition], [one movement] at [speed] while [subject action], ending on [clear endpoint]. Preserve [fragile anchors].`

## Shot Size Use

| Shot size | Use for | Seedance caution |
|---|---|---|
| Extreme wide | scale, arrival, environment | small faces/logos will drift; do not demand facial acting |
| Wide | blocking, dance, movement, product-in-environment | keep action simple and readable |
| Medium | dialogue, product use, handoff | good default for character commercials |
| Close-up | emotion, texture, lip-sync, product detail | keep camera stable and action small |
| Macro | material, food, jewelry, mechanics | avoid large motion and text redraw |

## Camera Movement Grammar

- **Locked-off:** use for lip-sync, product identity, text, logos, precise VFX, and continuity anchors.
- **Dolly/push-in:** use for discovery, realization, intimacy, product reveal.
- **Lateral track:** use for travel, procession, choreography, passing foreground layers.
- **Orbit:** use for product hero and statuesque subjects; avoid if identity must remain stable from one angle only.
- **Crane/drone:** use for scale, arrival, geography, reveal; avoid for dialogue or tiny product text.
- **Handheld:** use for realism or tension; keep movement subtle when identity matters.
- **Rack focus:** use for attention shift between two anchored objects; avoid stacking with complex camera moves.

## Blocking and Coverage

For multi-shot scenes, keep camera grammar motivated:

1. Establish geography and screen direction.
2. Move to character/product action.
3. Use close detail only when the detail changes the story.
4. End each clip with a frame that can become the next first-frame reference.

Coverage pattern:

`Shot 1 wide establishes [space/screen direction]. Shot 2 medium follows [action]. Shot 3 close-up reveals [consequence]. Continuity: same wardrobe, prop, light direction, and eyeline.`

## Professional Avoid List

Avoid: `cinematic camera`, `dynamic shot`, `epic zoom`, `film look`, `Hollywood style`, `beautiful composition` without physical shot choices.

Replace with: shot size, support, movement, subject relation, motivated light, endpoint, and fragile anchors.
