@mytechtoday/augment-extensions 0.4.0 → 0.5.0

package/augment-extensions/writing-standards/screenplay/rules/quick-reference.md

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+# Screenplay Quick Reference Guide
+
+## Fountain Syntax Cheat Sheet
+
+### Scene Headings
+```fountain
+INT. LOCATION - DAY
+EXT. LOCATION - NIGHT
+INT./EXT. LOCATION - DUSK
+```
+
+### Character & Dialogue
+```fountain
+CHARACTER
+Dialogue goes here.
+
+CHARACTER (O.S.)
+Off-screen dialogue.
+
+CHARACTER (V.O.)
+Voice-over narration.
+
+CHARACTER
+(parenthetical)
+Dialogue with direction.
+```
+
+### Action
+```fountain
+Character does something.
+
+Sound effects in ALL CAPS.
+
+Keep paragraphs SHORT.
+```
+
+### Transitions
+```fountain
+CUT TO:
+
+FADE OUT.
+
+DISSOLVE TO:
+```
+
+---
+
+## Formatting Quick Reference
+
+| Element | Left Margin | Width | Caps |
+|---------|-------------|-------|------|
+| Scene Heading | 1.5" | 6.0" | ALL CAPS |
+| Action | 1.5" | 6.0" | Mixed |
+| Character | 3.7" | - | ALL CAPS |
+| Dialogue | 2.5" | 3.5" | Mixed |
+| Parenthetical | 3.1" | 2.4" | Lowercase |
+| Transition | 6.0" | - | ALL CAPS |
+
+---
+
+## Page Count Guidelines
+
+| Format | Pages | Screen Time |
+|--------|-------|-------------|
+| Feature Film | 90-120 | 90-120 min |
+| TV Hour | 50-60 | 42-48 min |
+| TV Half-Hour | 25-35 | 22-28 min |
+| Commercial | 1 | 30-60 sec |
+
+**Rule:** 1 page ≈ 1 minute
+
+---
+
+## Save the Cat Beat Sheet
+
+| Beat | Page | Description |
+|------|------|-------------|
+| Opening Image | 1 | Visual metaphor for story |
+| Theme Stated | 1-5 | What story is about |
+| Catalyst | 10-12 | Inciting incident |
+| Debate | 12-25 | Should protagonist act? |
+| Break Into Two | 25-30 | Commit to journey (Act 2) |
+| B Story | 30 | Love story/relationship |
+| Fun and Games | 30-55 | Promise of premise |
+| Midpoint | 55-60 | False victory/defeat |
+| Bad Guys Close In | 60-75 | Opposition intensifies |
+| All Is Lost | 75-85 | Lowest point |
+| Dark Night | 85-90 | Moment of despair |
+| Break Into Three | 90-95 | Solution found (Act 3) |
+| Finale | 95-110 | Climax and resolution |
+| Final Image | 110 | Opposite of opening |
+
+---
+
+## Three-Act Structure
+
+### Act 1 (Setup) - Pages 1-25
+- Introduce protagonist
+- Establish world
+- Inciting incident (p.10-12)
+- Plot Point 1 (p.25-30)
+
+### Act 2 (Confrontation) - Pages 26-85
+- Rising action
+- Midpoint (p.55-60)
+- Complications
+- Plot Point 2 (p.75-85)
+
+### Act 3 (Resolution) - Pages 86-110
+- Climax
+- Resolution
+- Denouement
+
+---
+
+## Character Development Checklist
+
+- [ ] External goal (what they want)
+- [ ] Internal goal (what they need)
+- [ ] Backstory (formative events)
+- [ ] Character arc (transformation)
+- [ ] Relationships (connections)
+- [ ] Voice (how they speak)
+- [ ] Flaws (weaknesses)
+- [ ] Strengths (abilities)
+
+---
+
+## Dialogue Best Practices
+
+**DO:**
+- Keep it natural
+- Use subtext
+- Make each character distinct
+- Read aloud to test
+- Cut unnecessary words
+
+**DON'T:**
+- Info-dump
+- Use on-the-nose dialogue
+- Make everyone sound the same
+- Over-explain
+- Use dialogue for exposition
+
+---
+
+## Action Writing Tips
+
+**DO:**
+- Be visual and specific
+- Keep paragraphs short (3-4 lines)
+- Use active voice
+- Show, don't tell
+- Write what we SEE and HEAR
+
+**DON'T:**
+- Write camera directions
+- Over-describe
+- Tell us what characters think/feel
+- Use passive voice
+- Write novelistic prose
+
+---
+
+## Common Mistakes to Avoid
+
+1. **Too much description** - Keep it visual and brief
+2. **Unnatural dialogue** - Read it aloud
+3. **Camera directions** - Write what we see, not how
+4. **Telling emotions** - Show through action
+5. **Inconsistent formatting** - Follow standards
+6. **Too long** - Respect page count guidelines
+7. **Weak structure** - Use beat sheet
+8. **Flat characters** - Develop fully
+
+---
+
+## Category-Specific Guidelines
+
+### AAA Hollywood
+- High stakes, spectacle
+- Fast pacing
+- Visual set pieces
+- Clear three-act structure
+
+### Independent Film
+- Character-driven
+- Emotional depth
+- Realistic dialogue
+- Thematic exploration
+
+### TV Series
+- Episode structure (acts)
+- Cliffhangers
+- Series continuity
+- Character consistency
+
+### Commercials
+- Precise timing
+- Visual storytelling
+- Brand messaging
+- Call-to-action
+
+---
+
+## Revision Checklist
+
+**First Draft:**
+- [ ] Complete story told
+- [ ] Structure in place
+- [ ] Characters defined
+
+**Second Draft:**
+- [ ] Dialogue polished
+- [ ] Action tightened
+- [ ] Pacing improved
+- [ ] Theme clarified
+
+**Final Draft:**
+- [ ] Formatting perfect
+- [ ] Typos eliminated
+- [ ] Consistency checked
+- [ ] Professional quality
+
+---
+
+## Essential Tools
+
+**Writing:**
+- VS Code + Better Fountain
+- Final Draft
+- Highland 2
+- Fade In
+
+**Planning:**
+- Character profiles (YAML)
+- Beat sheets (YAML)
+- Plot outlines (YAML)
+
+**Validation:**
+- Format checkers
+- Spell check
+- Read-aloud test
+
+---
+
+## Keyboard Shortcuts (VS Code)
+
+| Action | Shortcut |
+|--------|----------|
+| Preview | Ctrl+Shift+P → "Fountain: Show Preview" |
+| Export PDF | Ctrl+Shift+P → "Fountain: Export PDF" |
+| Statistics | Ctrl+Shift+P → "Fountain: Statistics" |
+| Zen Mode | Ctrl+K Z |
+
+---
+
+## Resources
+
+- Fountain Syntax: https://fountain.io/syntax
+- Save the Cat: Blake Snyder's book
+- AMPAS Standards: Industry formatting guide
+- Module Examples: See `examples/` directory
+
+---
+
+## Quick Tips
+
+1. **Write visually** - What do we SEE?
+2. **Keep it moving** - Cut anything that slows pace
+3. **Show, don't tell** - Action reveals character
+4. **Read aloud** - Dialogue must sound natural
+5. **Follow format** - Industry standards matter
+6. **Know your category** - Different rules apply
+7. **Revise ruthlessly** - First draft is just beginning
+8. **Get feedback** - Fresh eyes catch issues
+
+---
+
+## Emergency Fixes
+
+**Dialogue feels flat?**
+→ Add subtext, cut exposition, make it specific
+
+**Pacing drags?**
+→ Cut description, shorten scenes, raise stakes
+
+**Characters sound same?**
+→ Define distinct voices, add quirks, vary patterns
+
+**Structure unclear?**
+→ Use beat sheet, identify turning points, clarify acts
+
+**Too long?**
+→ Cut subplots, tighten action, eliminate redundancy
+
+**Formatting wrong?**
+→ Use Better Fountain, check examples, validate against standards
+

package/augment-extensions/writing-standards/screenplay/rules/screen-continuity.md

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+# Screen Continuity
+
+## Overview
+
+Screen continuity ensures visual coherence and spatial logic in film and television. Proper continuity helps audiences understand spatial relationships, follow action, and remain immersed in the story without confusion.
+
+## The 180-Degree Rule
+
+### Definition
+An imaginary line (axis of action) between two characters or along a line of movement. The camera should stay on one side of this line to maintain consistent screen direction.
+
+### Purpose
+- Maintains spatial relationships
+- Prevents disorientation
+- Keeps characters on consistent sides of frame
+
+### Application
+**Two-Person Conversation**:
+- Draw imaginary line between characters
+- Keep camera on one side of line
+- Character A always on left, Character B always on right
+
+**Action Sequences**:
+- Establish direction of movement
+- Maintain consistent left-to-right or right-to-left motion
+- Crossing the line reverses apparent direction
+
+### Breaking the 180-Degree Rule
+**When Justified**:
+- Show disorientation or confusion
+- Dramatic reveal or reversal
+- Transition between scenes/locations
+- Camera movement that crosses line visibly
+
+**How to Cross Safely**:
+- Show the camera crossing the line in one continuous shot
+- Use a neutral shot (directly on the line) as transition
+- Cut to a new scene/location
+
+## Eyeline Matches
+
+### Definition
+When a character looks off-screen, the next shot should show what they're looking at from an appropriate angle.
+
+### Rules
+**Height**:
+- Character looking up → camera angles down at subject
+- Character looking down → camera angles up at subject
+- Character looking level → camera at same height
+
+**Direction**:
+- Character looks left → subject is on left side of frame
+- Character looks right → subject is on right side of frame
+
+**Distance**:
+- Close eyeline → subject is near
+- Distant eyeline → subject is far
+
+### Common Mistakes
+- Mismatched eyeline direction
+- Incorrect height relationship
+- Subject too close/far for eyeline angle
+
+## Match Cuts
+
+### Types
+
+**Match on Action**:
+- Cut during movement
+- Action continues seamlessly across cut
+- Creates smooth, invisible transition
+
+**Example**:
+```
+INT. KITCHEN - DAY
+Sarah reaches for the door handle.
+
+INT. BEDROOM - DAY
+Sarah's hand turns the door handle.
+```
+
+**Graphic Match**:
+- Similar shapes or compositions across cut
+- Creates visual continuity
+- Can show passage of time or location change
+
+**Match on Sound**:
+- Audio bridges the cut
+- Sound continues while image changes
+- Creates smooth transition
+
+### Best Practices
+- Cut on movement, not stillness
+- Match speed and direction of action
+- Maintain consistent lighting and color
+- Ensure temporal logic
+
+## Screen Direction
+
+### Definition
+The consistent direction of movement across cuts.
+
+### Rules
+**Chase Sequences**:
+- Pursuer and pursued move in same direction
+- Maintain left-to-right or right-to-left consistency
+- Reversal indicates change in pursuit
+
+**Travel**:
+- Establish direction of journey
+- Maintain consistent direction across scenes
+- Reversal indicates return journey
+
+**Looks and Glances**:
+- Characters looking at each other look in opposite directions
+- Maintain consistent spatial relationship
+
+### Neutral Shots
+Shots directly toward or away from camera:
+- Reset screen direction
+- Transition between sequences
+- Establish new spatial relationships
+
+## Continuity Errors to Avoid
+
+### Temporal Continuity
+**Script Supervision Issues**:
+- Props in different positions
+- Costume changes between shots
+- Hair/makeup inconsistencies
+- Food/drink levels changing
+- Weather/lighting changes
+
+**Prevention**:
+- Detailed script notes
+- Continuity photographs
+- Careful shot planning
+- Matching lighting setups
+
+### Spatial Continuity
+**Common Errors**:
+- Characters switching positions
+- Props appearing/disappearing
+- Inconsistent backgrounds
+- Mismatched geography
+
+**Prevention**:
+- Overhead diagrams of scenes
+- Consistent camera placement
+- Clear blocking rehearsals
+- Reference photos
+
+### Performance Continuity
+**Issues**:
+- Different line readings
+- Inconsistent gestures
+- Varying emotional intensity
+- Changed timing
+
+**Prevention**:
+- Multiple takes for coverage
+- Video playback review
+- Consistent direction
+- Actor awareness
+
+## Advanced Continuity Techniques
+
+### Cross-Cutting
+**Parallel Action**:
+- Maintain separate screen directions for each location
+- Use consistent spatial logic within each thread
+- Clear transitions between threads
+
+### Montage
+**Continuity in Montage**:
+- Progression of time/action
+- Consistent visual style
+- Logical sequence
+- Clear beginning and end
+
+### Flashbacks/Flashforwards
+**Temporal Markers**:
+- Visual distinction (color, grain, aspect ratio)
+- Clear transition in/out
+- Maintain spatial continuity within each timeframe
+- Consistent character appearance for time period
+
+## Writing for Continuity
+
+### Scene Headings
+Be specific about locations to avoid continuity issues:
+```
+GOOD:
+INT. SARAH'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - DAY
+INT. SARAH'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - DAY
+
+BAD:
+INT. APARTMENT - DAY
+INT. APARTMENT - DAY
+```
+
+### Action Lines
+**Specify**:
+- Character positions
+- Movement directions
+- Prop placement
+- Spatial relationships
+
+**Example**:
+```
+Sarah sits at the LEFT side of the table. John enters
+from the RIGHT and sits across from her.
+```
+
+### Transitions
+Use transitions to signal continuity breaks:
+- CUT TO: Standard cut
+- MATCH CUT TO: Match on action/graphic
+- DISSOLVE TO: Time passage
+- SMASH CUT TO: Abrupt change
+
+## Category-Specific Considerations
+
+### Film
+- Strict continuity for theatrical release
+- Multiple takes for coverage
+- Detailed script supervision
+
+### Television
+- Faster production requires careful planning
+- Multi-camera setups need special attention
+- Episodic consistency across episodes
+
+### Live TV
+- Real-time continuity challenges
+- Pre-planned camera positions
+- Rehearsal critical
+
+### Web Content
+- Shorter scenes reduce continuity complexity
+- Single-location shoots simplify continuity
+- Jump cuts more acceptable
+
+## Best Practices
+
+### DO
+✅ Plan shots with continuity in mind
+✅ Use overhead diagrams for complex scenes
+✅ Take continuity photos between setups
+✅ Maintain detailed script notes
+✅ Review footage for continuity errors
+✅ Establish clear spatial relationships
+✅ Use consistent screen direction
+
+### DON'T
+❌ Cross the 180-degree line without justification
+❌ Mismatch eyelines
+❌ Ignore prop/costume continuity
+❌ Forget to establish spatial relationships
+❌ Change screen direction arbitrarily
+❌ Neglect temporal logic
+❌ Assume continuity will "fix itself in post"
+