# Advertising Visual Language Guide

The creative director's visual toolbox — a systematic reference for camera work, lighting, color, motion, and transitions.
Load this file during Phase 5 (REALIZE) when generating visual proposals and prompts.

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## 1. Shot Types & Emotional Effects

### Framing

| Shot | English | Emotional Effect | Typical Ad Usage |
|------|---------|-----------------|-----------------|
| Extreme wide | Extreme Wide Shot | Insignificance, solitude, epic scale | Opening to establish world, "stepping back" after emotional burst |
| Wide | Wide Shot | Environmental context, freedom | Scene transitions, full-body dance showcase |
| Medium | Medium Shot | Neutral, narrative | Dialogue scenes, performance segments |
| Medium close-up | Medium Close-Up | Intimate yet distanced | Narrative segments, product usage scenes |
| Close-up | Close-Up | Emotional intensity, intimacy | Emotional climax, product detail showcase |
| Extreme close-up | Extreme Close-Up | Extreme intimacy / unease | Tears, lips, fingers — detail emphasis |
| Insert | Insert / Detail Shot | Information delivery, symbolism | Key props, timeline clues |

### Framing Rhythm Rules

- **Narrative segments**: Primarily medium → medium close-up, maintaining narrative distance
- **Emotional climax**: Rapid switching between close-up ↔ wide shot, creating emotional tension
- **Turning points**: Extreme framing (extreme close-up or extreme wide), amplifying drama
- **Opening / closing**: Primarily wide shots, establishing or concluding the world

---

## 2. Camera Movement

| Movement | English | Emotional Meaning | Prompt Keywords |
|----------|---------|-------------------|-----------------|
| Static | Static / Locked-off | Stability, gaze, detachment | `static shot`, `locked camera` |
| Slow push | Slow Push-in / Dolly In | Gradual deepening, building tension | `slow dolly in`, `camera slowly pushing forward` |
| Slow pull | Slow Pull-out / Dolly Out | Revelation, withdrawal, release | `slow dolly out`, `camera pulling back` |
| Pan | Pan | Environment scanning, following | `camera panning left/right` |
| Tilt | Tilt | Revealing height, power dynamics | `camera tilting up/down` |
| Tracking | Tracking / Following | Companionship, journey | `tracking shot`, `following the subject` |
| Orbit | Orbit / Arc | Ritualistic feel, scrutiny | `camera orbiting around subject` |
| Handheld | Handheld | Tension, realism, anxiety | `handheld camera`, `shaky cam` |
| Crane | Crane / Jib | Grandeur, transcendence | `crane shot`, `aerial rising` |
| Drone | Drone / Aerial | Freedom, god's-eye view | `drone shot`, `aerial view` |
| Slider | Slider | Smooth, elegant | `slider movement`, `smooth lateral motion` |

### Movement & Narrative Rhythm Mapping

- **Build-up**: Slow push, static, slider — steady progression
- **Acceleration**: Faster tracking, handheld shake — rising tension
- **Deceleration**: Slow push or static, crane shots — emotional settling
- **Climax**: Compound movements (e.g., orbit + crane) — visual explosion

---

## 3. Lighting Schemes

### Light Types

| Light | English | Emotion | Prompt Keywords |
|-------|---------|---------|-----------------|
| Natural | Natural Light | Authentic, warm, everyday | `natural lighting`, `available light` |
| Golden hour | Golden Hour | Romantic, nostalgic, tender | `golden hour`, `warm sunset light` |
| Blue hour | Blue Hour | Melancholy, mysterious, transitional | `blue hour`, `twilight` |
| Hard light | Hard Light | Dramatic, confrontational, crisp | `harsh lighting`, `hard shadows` |
| Soft light | Soft Light | Gentle, dreamlike, embracing | `soft diffused light`, `overcast lighting` |
| Backlight | Backlight | Silhouette, sacred, separation | `backlit`, `silhouette`, `rim lighting` |
| Top light | Top Light | Interrogation, sacred, exposure | `overhead light`, `top-down lighting` |
| Under light | Under Light | Horror, unease, supernatural | `underlit`, `upward lighting` |
| Neon | Neon | Urban, nightlife, cyber | `neon lights`, `neon glow` |
| Candlelight | Candlelight | Intimacy, vulnerability, classical | `candlelight`, `warm flickering light` |
| Strobe | Strobe | Chaos, revelry, fragmentation | `strobe lighting`, `flash` |

### Lighting & Narrative Segments

- **Opening**: Low-key lighting, setting the emotional foundation
- **Narrative progression**: Lighting ratio shifts from low to medium, evolving with the story
- **Emotional turning point**: Lighting scheme contrasts with the previous segment (dark → bright, or vice versa)
- **Climax**: Most extreme lighting treatment (full black / full white / monochrome light)
- **Closing**: Return to natural light or echo the opening

---

## 4. Color System

### Color-Emotion Mapping

| Color | Emotion | Classic Ad Usage |
|-------|---------|-----------------|
| Red | Passion, danger, anger, love | Power, conflict scenes, CTAs |
| Blue | Melancholy, calm, depth, detachment | Tech, trust, professionalism |
| Yellow | Joy, anxiety, warning, vitality | Cheerful segments, pre-twist unease |
| Green | Nature, envy, rebirth, decay | Forest scenes, growth themes |
| Purple | Mystery, luxury, spirituality | Dream sequences, supernatural scenes |
| Orange | Warmth, passion, dusk | Nostalgic memories, golden hour scenes |
| White | Purity, emptiness, minimalism | Clean performance spaces, fresh starts |
| Black | Power, unknown, depth | Dark aesthetics, deep emotions |
| Cyan | Technology, future, cold | Cyberpunk, electronic music |
| Gold | Glory, sacred, luxury | Climax, victory, grand scenes |

### Color Strategies

1. **Monochrome dominance**: Entire work uses one color system, creating layers through saturation and brightness variations
2. **Dual-color clash**: Choose complementary colors (e.g., blue+orange, red+cyan), use color switches to mark mood shifts
3. **Gradient narrative**: Color temperature changes with narrative progression (cool → warm or dark → bright)
4. **Color burst**: Most of the frame is restrained; saturated color suddenly introduced at key moments

---

## 5. Transition Design

### Transition Types

| Transition | English | Effect | Use Case |
|-----------|---------|--------|----------|
| Hard cut | Hard Cut | Clean, rhythmic | Synced with beats, fast-paced segments |
| Dissolve | Dissolve / Cross-fade | Time passing, dreamlike | Memories, slow-paced transitions |
| Match cut | Match Cut | Clever, continuous | Shape/motion matching during scene changes |
| Jump cut | Jump Cut | Anxiety, acceleration | Time jumps, emotional unease |
| Wipe | Wipe / Whip Pan | Energy, speed | Fast-paced segments, spatial transitions |
| Zoom transition | Zoom Transition | Entering/exiting | Entering memories, changing scale |
| Fade to black | Fade to Black | Ending, pause | End of section, emotional settling |
| Fade to white | Fade to White | Transcendence, burst | Climax, memory flashback |
| Morph | Morph | Magical, continuous | Surreal scenes, object transformations |

### Transition Rhythm Rules

- Cut frequency should sync with narrative energy: high-energy segments → fast cuts (0.5-2s/shot), low-energy segments → long takes (4-8s/shot)
- Emotional climax cut frequency is typically 1.5-2x the build-up segment's rate
- Use special transitions (match cut, morph) at key information or emotional burst points
- Opening and closing favor dissolves or long takes for breathing room

---

## 6. Composition Rules

### Core Compositions

| Composition | Effect | Prompt Reference |
|------------|--------|-----------------|
| Center | Power, symmetry, solemnity | `centered composition`, `symmetrical framing` |
| Rule of thirds | Natural, balanced | `rule of thirds` |
| Diagonal | Dynamic, tension | `diagonal composition`, `dynamic angle` |
| Frame within frame | Confinement, voyeurism, depth | `frame within frame`, `doorway framing` |
| Extreme negative space | Loneliness, oppression | `negative space`, `minimalist composition` |
| Extreme fill | Suffocation, richness, chaos | `crowded frame`, `cluttered composition` |
| Dutch angle | Unease, imbalance | `dutch angle`, `tilted frame` |
| Symmetry | Ritualistic, perfect | `perfect symmetry`, `Wes Anderson style` |

---

## 7. AI Prompt Construction Templates

Use these structures when building prompts for MCP image/video generation tools:

### Image Prompt Template
```
[Subject description], [pose/expression], [clothing/styling],
[environment/scene], [lighting scheme], [color palette],
[composition], [lens/framing],
[style modifiers], [texture/medium]
```

### Video Prompt Template
```
[Subject description], [action/motion],
[camera movement], [environment/scene],
[lighting/atmosphere], [color],
[style tags]
```

### Style Modifier Reference
- Cinematic: `cinematic, film grain, 35mm, anamorphic lens flare, shallow depth of field`
- Dreamlike: `ethereal, dreamy, soft focus, diffused glow, hazy atmosphere`
- Dark/Moody: `moody, dramatic shadows, chiaroscuro, low-key lighting`
- Vintage: `vintage, retro, analog, faded colors, film grain, VHS aesthetic`
- Cyberpunk: `cyberpunk, neon-lit, holographic, chrome reflections, rain-soaked streets`
- Minimalist: `minimalist, clean, stark, high contrast, white space`
- Surreal: `surreal, dreamlike, impossible architecture, distorted proportions`