Multiformat Delivery Grammar

1. First principle: one semantic edit, many render decisions

The master story should not be rebuilt independently for every platform.

SEMANTIC TIMELINE
→ DELIVERY PROFILE
→ REFLOW/REFRAME RULES
→ GRAPHIC/CAPTION LAYOUT
→ ENCODE
→ PLATFORM-SPECIFIC QA

Content decisions remain linked across versions; rendering decisions may differ.

2. Delivery-profile dimensions

container
video codec
codec profile/level
resolution
pixel aspect ratio
display aspect ratio
frame rate
scan/progressive state
bit depth
chroma subsampling
color primaries
transfer function
matrix coefficients
range flag
HDR metadata
bitrate/rate control
GOP/keyframe policy
audio codec
sample rate
bit depth
channel layout
loudness target
true-peak ceiling
caption format
caption burn-in state
chapter metadata
thumbnail/poster
file naming
checksum

3. Common aspect families

16:9  — horizontal video and general web delivery
9:16  — vertical mobile video
1:1   — square
4:5   — portrait feed
3:2   — photographic/certain display contexts
4:3   — legacy, archival, or deliberate aesthetic
1.85:1 — theatrical widescreen
2.39:1 — scope/cinematic widescreen

Aspect ratio is a container constraint, not a story purpose. The reframe must preserve the information owner.

4. Canonical frame coordinates

Represent layout in normalized coordinates:

x ∈ [0, 1]
y ∈ [0, 1]
width ∈ [0, 1]
height ∈ [0, 1]

Store important regions as polygons or tracked boxes:

face
mouth
hands
speaker body
object/evidence
graphic
caption
logo
source note
negative space
platform UI exclusion

This allows each delivery profile to solve a constrained composition rather than applying a blind center crop.

5. Reframe objective

ReframeUtility
= subject_visibility
+ information_owner_visibility
+ gaze/lead_room
+ composition
+ motion_continuity
+ graphic_legibility
+ caption_clearance
- crop_damage
- rapid_pan_cost
- identity_switch_cost
- UI_collision

6. Reframe operations

STATIC_CROP
KEYFRAMED_PAN_AND_SCAN
SUBJECT_TRACK
MULTI_SUBJECT_DYNAMIC_FRAME
SPLIT_SCREEN
STACKED_LAYOUT
PICTURE_IN_PICTURE
BACKGROUND_EXTENSION
GENERATIVE_OUTPAINT
GRAPHIC_REFLOW
SHOT_REPLACEMENT
ALTERNATE_COVERAGE

Operation priority:

alternate native coverage
→ composition-aware crop
→ tracked reframe
→ designed split/stack
→ controlled background extension
→ generated outpaint with disclosure/provenance where material

7. Vertical-video grammar

Vertical frame constraints:

less horizontal relationship space
more vertical stacking space
faces often larger
platform UI may occupy top/bottom/right regions
captions compete with lower thirds
fast subject switching can cause reframing fatigue

Rules:

IF one active speaker owns the moment
THEN center or compositionally offset that speaker with stable tracking.

IF two speakers’ relationship is essential
THEN use a designed split/stack or a native two-shot rather than frantic panning.

IF an object and face must be visible together
THEN use stacked composition, alternate angle, or full-screen insert.

IF horizontal motion exits the vertical crop
THEN select alternate coverage or anticipate the movement with lead room.

8. Horizontal-video grammar

Horizontal space supports:

speaker relationships
wide geography
side-by-side comparison
lower thirds beside subject
complex diagrams
cinematic movement

Do not leave subjects unnecessarily tiny simply because the frame is wide.

9. Square and 4:5 grammar

Square and 4:5 can preserve more relationship width than 9:16 while occupying feed space. Validate:

headroom
caption region
hands/props
lower-third width
side-by-side graphics
thumbnail crop

10. Responsive graphic grammar

A graphic component declares:

priority
minimum size
preferred anchor
allowed anchors
wrap behavior
collapse behavior
alternate compact form
caption collision policy
source-note minimum

Responsive transformations:

side-by-side → stacked
full legend → direct labels
wide timeline → vertical timeline
multi-column table → cards
lower third → top card or name tag
chart + speaker → chart full-screen with audio carry

11. Caption grammar

Captions must include:

spoken dialogue
speaker identification when unclear
meaningful non-speech audio
relevant music description when needed
language changes
inaudible/uncertain markers when unavoidable

Caption dimensions:

verbatim vs edited policy
line length
line count
reading rate
minimum/maximum duration
synchronization
speaker labels
position
style
background/outline
safe zone
collision avoidance
sidecar format
burn-in state

Rules:

IF graphics occupy the caption region
THEN reposition graphics or captions; never let essential information overlap.

IF a rapid cut breaks caption continuity
THEN prioritize readable linguistic units over shot boundaries.

IF caption text is edited for readability
THEN preserve meaning and do not sanitize materially relevant language without a declared policy.

12. Audio-only derivative grammar

Before audio export, resolve visual references:

“this,” “here,” “as you can see,” silent gestures, on-screen-only labels

Repair options:

retain descriptive question
insert narrator description
use alternate answer
add brief audio label
remove nonessential visual dependence

Audio-only deliverables may include:

master WAV
compressed distribution file
chapters
cover art
show notes
transcript
speaker metadata
loudness report

13. Current web-video reference profile

A conservative reference profile for widely compatible web delivery:

container: MP4
video: H.264, progressive
frame_rate: same as source capture when possible
audio: AAC-LC or supported platform codec
sample_rate: 48 kHz
SDR color: documented Rec.709/BT.709 pipeline

Platform specifications change. The delivery agent must load the current official profile at export time rather than treating this document as permanent platform policy.

14. Mezzanine and archive grammar

Preserve a high-quality master with:

robust mezzanine codec or image sequence
high bit depth
full intended resolution
stable frame rate
documented color space
separate audio stems
caption sidecars
graphic masters
project/timeline interchange
source manifests
checksums
provenance records

Archive:

SOURCE_MEDIA
PROJECT_FILES
SEMANTIC_TIMELINE
OTIO/XML/AAF/EDL AS APPLICABLE
FINAL_MASTERS
MEZZANINES
STEMS
CAPTIONS
TRANSCRIPTS
FONTS/LICENSES REFERENCES
GRAPHIC SOURCE FILES
PROMPTS/GENERATED ASSET RECORDS
QA REPORTS

Do not redistribute licensed font files in delivery bundles unless the license and recipient workflow explicitly permit it.

15. Timeline interchange grammar

The semantic timeline should map to an interchange representation containing:

clips
source references
timing
tracks
transitions
markers
metadata

OpenTimelineIO is suitable for editorial interchange because it represents editorial timing and references external media rather than embedding the media itself. Adapter support and effect fidelity vary, so round-trip tests are required.

16. Version naming grammar

[project]_[content-version]_[aspect]_[resolution]_[language]_[caption-state]_[audio-profile]_[date]_[revision]

Example:

made_ep01_v07_9x16_1080x1920_en_burned_web_20260903_r02.mp4

Maintain immutable published versions and a version manifest.

17. Version inheritance

MASTER_STORY_VERSION
├── LONG_HORIZONTAL
├── LONG_AUDIO
├── CHAPTERS
├── SHORT_HORIZONTAL
├── SHORT_VERTICAL
├── SQUARE_OR_4X5
└── TEXT/GRAPHIC DERIVATIVES

A semantic correction should propagate to every dependent version unless intentionally overridden with a documented reason.

18. Thumbnail and poster-frame grammar

subject
expression/action
promise
specificity
contrast
brand identity
legibility at small size
truthfulness
platform crop

The thumbnail may compress the premise but may not depict an event, person, or result as factual when it did not occur.

19. Encode-QA dimensions

file opens
correct duration
correct start/end
no black/frozen unintended frames
frame cadence
sync
color tags
range levels
HDR metadata
bitrate behavior
compression artifacts
audio channels
loudness/true peak
caption presence/timing
chapter markers
metadata
checksum

20. Multiformat LAKA variations

Baseline

same story and timing; encode for target

Minor

reframe, caption layout, or local graphic reflow

Major

alternate coverage, shorter opening, platform-specific pacing

Structural

chapter extraction, short-form reconstruction, audio-only rewrite

Paradigm

linear episode becomes interactive, spatial, live, or modular media experience

21. Delivery failure modes

BLIND_CENTER_CROP
FACE_OBJECT_COLLISION
CAPTION_GRAPHIC_COLLISION
PLATFORM_UI_COLLISION
FRAME_RATE_CONVERSION_JUDDER
COLOR_TAG_MISMATCH
RANGE_MISMATCH
LOUDNESS_PROFILE_MISMATCH
MONO_OR_CHANNEL_FAILURE
MISSING_CAPTIONS
VISUAL_REFERENCE_IN_AUDIO_ONLY
OUTDATED_PLATFORM_PRESET
TIMELINE_ROUNDTRIP_LOSS
VERSION_PROPAGATION_FAILURE
MISSING_ARCHIVE_PROVENANCE

22. Acceptance test

Does every version preserve the central meaning and promise?
Is the information owner visible in each aspect ratio?
Do graphics and captions reflow rather than collide?
Is audio-only coherent?
Does the encode match the current official destination profile?
Are color, audio, captions, metadata, and checksums verified?
Can the project be reopened and reconstructed from the archive?