# Thumbnail frameworks — the concept layer

This is the "what to depict" layer; the SKILL.md house prompt structure is "how to render it".
Load this in EXECUTE step 1, pick the framework(s), then assemble the house prompt.

Every thumbnail must open an **information gap** — the image raises a question the title /
video answers. Before writing any prompt, brainstorm **≥5 concept options** across the
frameworks below and carry the strongest into the blocks; a concept often **combines 2+
frameworks** (e.g. Posed Portrait + Map + Landscape) when it deepens the gap without clutter.

**Truthfulness law:** the image may exaggerate but must honestly represent the video. A
Social-UI / News-Clip / amplification that misrepresents the video breaks viewer trust —
keep any baked text short and true.

Most frameworks map straight onto the house-structure blocks; the ones needing readable
in-image text use the **BAKED UI** clause in the Text contract (block 3) and stay
brand-generic (no real logos / networks).

| # | Framework | Realize it with |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Before/After Transformation | Split frames `before/after` mode — max contrast between the two states of one subject |
| 2 | Social UI (tweet / DM / review) | KEY ELEMENTS = a **generic** chat bubble / DM row / star-review card beside the subject; short message via BAKED UI; NO real platform brand |
| 3 | Three-Step Progression | Split frames plain/custom, 3 vertical panels: start → mid story-beat → end; optional per-panel number/Day badge |
| 4 | Compelling Screenshot | NOT a generation — use a real frame from the source video, or a Posed Action Shot that matches the video's first frame. Flag when the user has a source clip |
| 5 | Posed Portrait | The default: SUBJECT rendered LARGE (fills much of the frame) + Identity Lock + YouTube rig + Emotion; very little or nothing in the background — the subject IS the focus |
| 6 | Posed Action Shot | Scene brief = one intriguing action mid-moment; COMPOSITION uncrowded, single hero action |
| 7 | Highlighting a Specific Day | Any framework + a big `DAY N` badge (BAKED UI); pick a day in the last ~20% of the arc |
| 8 | Graphical Representation | Non-photoreal: REPLACE the Frame contract with a clean diagram/graphic brief (bell curve, simple familiar chart); drop the photoreal + lighting-rig blocks |
| 9 | Landscape | Environment is the hero; keep ONE small subject on a power third; lighting rig optional |
| 10 | Map/Aerial | Frame = a map or aerial photo; KEY ELEMENTS = a highlighted route / point (circle, arrow, label via BAKED UI) |
| 11 | Product | Product is the SUBJECT (hero, sharp, its own label exempt per Angle Lock); open the gap by making the product the answer to the title's question |
| 12 | Adding Text | Text policy overlay (default) or baked TEXT; use it as a callout (arrow + word) or as the continuation / answer to the title's question |
| 13 | Repetition of Objects | KEY ELEMENTS = a large quantity of ONE object filling the frame, still legible; add one context element + a subject for scale |
| 14 | Size Difference | COMPOSITION = extreme scale contrast between two elements central to the story (giant vs tiny) |
| 15 | News Clip | Generic "breaking news" lower-third / chyron over the image (BAKED UI, short truthful line); generic broadcaster styling, NO real network |
| 16 | Amplified Reality | Posed Action Shot + exaggerate ONE real element from the story (KEY ELEMENTS oversized); keep it plausible — over-amplification kills trust |

Frameworks 1, 5, 12 are already the skill's defaults; the rest are selected here and realized
through the existing house-structure blocks — do not invent a parallel renderer.

## The 10 rules cheat-sheet (why these work)

The frameworks are vehicles for the underlying rules — apply them regardless of framework:
one clear focal subject, a strong information gap, high contrast and readability at ~120px,
emotion or intrigue on any face, no clutter, truthful to the video, and a concept that reads
in under a second in a crowded feed.