Popiai-skill/social-media/ad-idea/references/visual-language-guide.md

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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