Little Lanterns Format
Status: Candidate
Target duration: 4–5 minutes
Initial production format
The episode is designed as one coordinated audio-visual sequence:
- Anima storyboard — generate and approve the first frame for every planned shot.
- Wan 2.2 14B image-to-video — animate each approved first frame as a short shot.
- Suno music and narration — generate the musical structure, two-character voices, spoken narration, spoken-word tags, and emotional performance.
- Edit — assemble the Wan shots against the approved Suno audio and preserve all prompt and workflow provenance.
The 12-panel storyboard is therefore not disposable concept art. Each approved panel is the visual start frame and continuity contract for its corresponding video shot.
Story rhythm
| Beat | Function | Typical visual language |
|---|---|---|
| Find | A lantern glow or clue reveals today’s letter | Establishing wide, insert |
| Meet | Lumi and Pip encounter the guest | Two-shot, medium, reaction close-ups |
| Help | A simple problem invites participation | Over-the-shoulder, reverse, action detail |
| Discover | The letter gains emotional and story meaning | Close-up, extreme close-up, reveal wide |
| Sing | Two voices make the discovery memorable | Rhythmic coverage, performance close-ups |
| Shine | A warm visual payoff closes the loop | Hero wide, intimate final close-up |
Coverage rule
A storyboard is a sequence of editorial decisions, not twelve variations of the same composition. A standard 12-panel board should contain:
- Establishing wide
- Character medium
- Insert or extreme close-up
- Over Lumi’s shoulder
- Guest reverse close-up
- Lumi close-up
- Pip close-up
- Balanced two-shot
- Low or high angle action shot
- Reaction extreme close-up
- Payoff wide
- Final intimate two-shot or close-up
Every shot prompt must state framing, lens intent, camera height, subject scale, foreground/background relationship, and who is visible.
Each panel must also leave a clear motion opportunity for Wan: a character action, camera move, environmental movement, or emotional performance change. Avoid frames that are attractive but have no useful next action.
Learning rule
Repeat the letter naturally in action, dialogue, and song. Do not turn the characters into quiz hosts. Participation should feel like helping.