Glossary

Searchable reference for editing, cinematography, BookTok, and production terminology.

A

API Key (AtomicStudio)

The shared secret used by the portal to authenticate with AtomicStudio's render API. Stored in environment variables (VITE_ATOMIC_STUDIO_API_KEY), never committed to the repository. Rotated quarterly.

Aspect Ratio

The proportional relationship between a video's width and height. Atomic Shelf uses 9:16 (vertical) for all short-form content: 1080×1920 pixels.

Atom

The project file format for some Google editing tools. Not interchangeable — always save the native project file.

B

B-Roll

Supplementary footage that supports the main narrative. For Atomic Shelf, B-roll is AI-generated via TikTok Symphony to create illustrative scenes — never stock photography or generic footage.

Burned-in Captions

Captions that are permanently part of the video frame (as opposed to separate subtitle tracks). Atomic Shelf uses burned-in captions for maximum cross-platform compatibility.

C

Campaign Brief

The operator-authored document that defines a book's promotion: objective, audience, angle, hook, CTA, restrictions, assets, and deadlines. The editor's work must trace back to this.

CTA (Call to Action)

The single, clear next step the viewer should take. Must match the campaign objective: Discovery ("Find your next read"), Traffic ("Explore the full description"), or Conversion ("Check the current offer").

Caption-Safe Zone

The top and bottom 15% of the frame that must remain clear of essential information — platform UI overlays sit in these areas. Captions are typically placed in the bottom 15%.

D

Deep Navy

The brand's primary color (#0A0F23), used for authority, editorial structure, and text. The palette guides the brand; it never overpowers the book's own identity.

Duration (6s / 8s)

Atomic Shelf produces two video lengths: 6-second (single-shot, compressed for one-shot generators) and 8-second (multi-beat, for multi-shot tools). The dur field in PromptLibraryItem specifies which.

E

Editorial Reveal

A cover presentation that is clean and professional — the book is the product, not a marketing gimmick. No distortion, no filters, no decorative effects.

End Card

The final 1–2 seconds of a video containing the CTA. Must include the cover, CTA text, and (optionally) the Atomic Shelf logo.

F

Frame Rate

The speed at which video frames are displayed. Atomic Shelf uses 30 fps standard. Higher frame rates require verified tool support.

Fulfillment

In the AtomicStudio pipeline: the stage where a clip's MP4 is assembled from images + voiceover + captions via ffmpeg, verified with ffprobe, and persisted to R2 storage.

G

Gate A–D (QA Gates)

The four-stage quality review process:

Gate A — Accuracy: Correct title/author/cover, no invented claims
Gate B — Creative Quality: Strong hook, coherent narrative, clear CTA
Gate C — Technical Quality: Correct format, readable captions, balanced audio
Gate D — Delivery: Correct filenames, output location, project file preserved

Google Vids

A Google Workspace video editing tool with AI assistance. Features include text overlay, basic trimming, transitions, and captioning. Capabilities are limited compared to dedicated editing software — document gaps and use approved fallbacks.

H

Hook

The opening element (0–1.5s) that stops the viewer's scroll. Must be: curiosity, tension, surprise, recognition, or a compelling question. The hook must be resolved honestly within the video.

I

Idempotency

In the AtomicStudio integration: pushing the same job key twice does not create a duplicate render. The jobKey format is bookId:promptId:runSeq.

Implied Reader

The specific reader identity a video speaks to. Every video must answer: "This is the kind of book you love" — where "you" is a named, specific reader.

K

KU (Kindle Unlimited)

Amazon's subscription reading service. Books enrolled in KU are free to read for subscribers. Videos may note "Free with Kindle Unlimited" when this is verified and current.

L

Lighting Continuity

When the same character or location appears across multiple scenes, the lighting direction, quality, and color temperature must be consistent — or a clear transition must signal the shift.

M

Manifest

The metadata.json file at the project root. Describes the app's name, description, capabilities, and permissions.

N

Negative Constraints

Elements explicitly excluded from AI-generated scenes: logos, text, watermarks, distorted hands, extra limbs, fabricated covers, real people's likenesses. Every Symphony prompt must include these.

O

Over-the-Shoulder (OTS)

A shot type where the camera looks over one character's shoulder toward another. Used for dialogue, relationship, and intimacy.

P

Palette (Color Direction)

Atomic Shelf's visual palette: Deep Navy (authority), Paper White (readability), Warm Ivory (literary character), Restraint Orange (CTA/attention), Restraint Green (discovery/support). The book's own colors may justify additional palette entries.

Payoff

The moment in the story where the promised insight, emotion, or question is delivered. Must occur before the book reveal and CTA.

pg-boss

The job queue system used by AtomicStudio (PostgreSQL-based). Queues include BUILD_WEEK, VIDEO_GEN_CLIP, TTS_GENERATION, PUBLISH_POST. The portal polls for job completion rather than receiving callbacks (for v1).

Production Brief

See: Campaign Brief.

Prompt Library Item

A PromptLibraryItem in the Atomic Shelf portal — one promotional video concept per book. Carries the 8s and 6s prompt variants, TikTok caption, state (idea/generated/used), and generation metadata.

Q

Quality Gate

See: Gate A–D. A video that fails any gate must be corrected. Critical defects in Gate A (accuracy) result in automatic failure regardless of other scores.

R

Reader Identity

The specific type of reader a video targets: "construction pro who's been in too many disputes," "paramedic who's seen it all," "regency romance lover who wants adventure on the high seas." Every hook must address a named reader identity.

Render Pipeline

The $0 path in AtomicStudio: images (from SceneAsset folders) + voiceover (TTS or pre-recorded) + captions → ffmpeg assembly → R2 storage. No AI video provider needed. The portal pushes prompt text; the studio renders from folder-supplied images.

S

Scene Function

Every scene in a storyboard must serve one of six narrative functions:

Illustrates the words literally
Communicates the underlying emotion
Introduces a question
Establishes the setting
Creates contrast or escalation
Reveals the book as the product

Shot Duration

The intended length of each shot, planned in the storyboard. Varies by shot type: establishing (2–3s), close-up (2–4s), detail (1–2s), reaction (2–3s). Cut for narrative need, not timer.

State Machine (Prompt Lifecycle)

The lifecycle of a PromptLibraryItem: idea → (Generate button pushes to studio) → queued/rendering → verified → (portal flips) → generated → (scheduled) → used

Storytelling Framework (6 beats)

Hook → Context → Escalation → Payoff → Book Reveal → Call to Action

Source Material

The approved book metadata: cover, synopsis, author bio, genre, campaign brief. The editor's creative work must be grounded in this material — never invented.

Spectrum CTA

The CTA intensity scale: Soft (Discovery) → Medium (Traffic) → Hard (Conversion). Match the CTA strength to the campaign stage.

T

TikTok Symphony

The AI-assisted visual generation tool used to create B-roll for book-promotion videos. Editors write precise prompts specifying subject, action, setting, composition, lighting, mood, style, continuity, and negative constraints.

Tone

The emotional quality of the video's voice and visuals. Must match the book's genre and the campaign brief's specified tone. E.g., "contemplative, slightly melancholic, hopeful" for The Midnight Library.

U

Unverified Claim

Any factual statement not traceable to an approved source. Includes: bestseller status, awards, reader review counts, sales figures, author credentials beyond the bio, promotional deadlines, and specific results. Must be removed or marked for approval.

V

Voice-Over (VO)

The spoken narration track. Must be separated from on-screen text (they complement, not duplicate). VO levels: -12 to -6 LUFS. Must be intelligible without music competition.

W

Watcher's View (WWV)

Not to be confused.

WeVideo

A cloud-based multi-track video editor with Google integration. More capable than Google Vids but requires verified agency licensing. Document capabilities per campaign.

Z

Zero-Inventory Prompt

A PromptLibraryItem with state: 'idea' — created but not yet generated. The Calendar tab shows the count of unscheduled prompts as inventory.