Team Fluorite — Step 2.5: Object Anchoring & Reference Mapping
Co-Lead: fluorite-idea (Creative Director) & fluorite-editor
Film: “Pickling Season”
Date: 2026-05-22
Status: Step 2.5 — Object Anchoring Complete
Purpose
This document identifies every significant recurring object in the scene list, determines which require dedicated reference images (vs. compositing into setting references), and provides per-shot reference budgets to ensure compliance with the Veo 3-image limit.
1. Recurring Object Inventory
| Object | Appearances (Shots) | Count | Ref Strategy | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickle Jars | 3, 8, 9, 14, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 31, 33 | 11 | DEDICATED | Critical |
| Cutting Board | 3, 12, 13, 15, 18, 20 | 6 | DEDICATED | High |
| Dill | 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 26 | 6 | Composite into setting | Medium |
| Warm Lamp | 13, 15, 17 | 3 | Composite into setting | Medium |
| Grandfather’s Photo | 10 | 1 | DEDICATED | Medium |
| Suitcase | 8 | 1 | Prompt-only (one-off) | Low |
2. Dedicated Reference Images Required
OBJ-01: The Pickle Jars
Reference Image Spec: A cluster of 3-4 glass jars on a light surface. Each jar contains a different preserve — one with golden dill brine and floating cucumber segments, one with deep garnet beet brine, one with pale jade salted cabbage. Visible contents through clear glass. Metal or glass lids with slight patina — not brand new. A grape leaf visible pressed against the glass from inside one jar. Light catches the brine and creates refraction. Warm amber lighting from the side.
Why Dedicated: This is the single most important object in the film. It appears in 11 shots and IS the emotional core — the jars are the MacGuffin. Visual consistency is non-negotiable. The brine color, the glass clarity, the lid patina, the dill crown floating in the brine — all must be recognizable across every appearance.
Prompt Keywords: “glass jars of preserves, visible contents, golden brine, floating dill, garnet beet brine, patina lids, photorealistic, tactile, warm amber light, hand-crafted, lived-in”
Usage: Use as a reference image whenever jars are the primary visual focus (Shots 9, 14, 24, 33) or when they need to be identifiable in a wider shot (Shots 8, 22, 25, 26, 31). When jars appear in the background of a setting (Shots 3, 20), they can be handled by the setting reference instead.
OBJ-02: The Cutting Board
Reference Image Spec: A thick, well-used wooden cutting board on a kitchen counter. Blond hardwood (maple or beech) darkened in patches from years of knife marks and stains. Visible knife scars — cross-hatching patterns, deeper grooves from heavier cuts. The surface is NOT pristine or decorative — this is a tool that has fed a family for decades. A knife with a simple wooden handle rests beside it. Perhaps a few remnants of dill or cucumber seeds. Warm light catching the wood grain.
Why Dedicated: The cutting board is the grandmother’s workstation — it anchors every cooking scene. Its distinctive scarred surface is a visual shorthand for her lifetime of skill. It’s the first warm object to appear in the cold apartment (Shot 12) and becomes the center of operations.
Prompt Keywords: “scarred wooden cutting board, used, knife marks, darkened wood grain, kitchen counter, warm light, tactile, lived-in, photorealistic”
Usage: Use as a reference image in Shots 12 (its dramatic introduction), 13, 18, 20. In Shots 3 and 15, it can be handled by the setting reference if the budget is tight.
OBJ-03: Grandfather’s Photo
Reference Image Spec: A small framed photograph. Black and white or warm desaturated tone. A man in his 40s-50s, laughing warmly at something outside the frame, wearing a distinctive old-fashioned hat — felt or cloth, slightly ridiculous by modern standards, the kind no modern man could pull off. The frame is simple wood or metal, not ornate. The photo has a lived-in quality — not museum-preserved but not damaged.
Why Dedicated: Per tech lead recommendation — even though it appears in only 1 shot as a primary element (Shot 10), the photo is a warm emotional anchor. If it appears differently in background of later shots, it breaks the apartment’s continuity. A dedicated reference ensures the laughing man in the hat is always the same man in the same hat.
Prompt Keywords: “small framed photograph, black and white, man laughing, old-fashioned hat, simple frame, warm, photorealistic”
Usage: Use as a reference in Shot 10 (its introduction on the side table). In later shots, the photo is part of the apartment set dressing and should appear in setting references SET-B1 through SET-B4 as a background element.
3. Composite Objects (Baked into Setting References)
These objects are important but don’t need their own reference images. They should be explicitly described in the setting reference prompts and generated as part of the setting.
Dill
Visual Description: Fresh bundles of dill — bright green feathery fronds, seed heads on tall stems. Always torn, never cut (the torn edges should be visible as soft, fibrous breaks rather than clean knife cuts). Appears on counters, in the grandmother’s hands, in a terracotta pot on the bathroom windowsill, and as crowns floating in brine inside jars.
How to Composite: Include “bundles of fresh torn dill, bright green feathery fronds” in the setting reference prompts for SETTING B-INVADED Stages 2-4. For the jar references (OBJ-01), dill crowns are already part of the jar specification. For the bathroom dill (Shot 16), include “a terracotta pot of dill on the windowsill, healthy, steam-nourished” in the shot prompt.
Warm Lamp
Visual Description: A small, simple practical lamp — not a design object. Warm bulb casting a pool of golden amber light. The lamp itself is unremarkable; its EFFECT (the warm light it casts) is what matters. The pool of warm light in the cool apartment is the visual signature of the invasion.
How to Composite: Include “a small warm practical lamp casting golden amber light in one corner” in SETTING B-INVADED Stage 1-4 references. The lamp’s visual consistency matters less than the consistency of its light color and pool size.
Suitcase
Visual Description: Heavy, sturdy luggage. Leather or canvas. Not vintage-chic or decorative — functional, the kind that endures rough handling. Slightly worn but well-maintained. Dark brown or olive.
How to Handle: One-off appearance in Shot 8 only. Prompt-only — no reference image. Describe in the shot prompt: “a heavy, sturdy leather suitcase, open on the kitchen counter, dish towels and glass jars visible inside.”
4. Per-Shot Reference Budget
Every shot must stay within the Veo 3-image limit. The table below shows exactly which reference images each shot uses.
Legend:
- GM = Grandmother character sheet
- GD = Granddaughter character sheet
- HANDS = Grandmother hands reference
- SET-A = Setting A (Memory Kitchen)
- SET-B = Setting B (Apartment) — with invasion stage suffix
- JARS = OBJ-01 (Pickle Jars)
- BOARD = OBJ-02 (Cutting Board)
| Shot | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Budget | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HANDS | SET-A | — | 2/3 | Hands + memory kitchen |
| 2 | GM | SET-A | — | 2/3 | Face close-up |
| 3 | BOARD | SET-A | — | 2/3 | Food transition — cucumber cross-section on board |
| 4 | — | SET-B | — | 1/3 | Establishing — no characters |
| 5 | GD | SET-B | — | 2/3 | Granddaughter alone |
| 6 | GD | SET-B | — | 2/3 | Hand on intercom |
| 7 | GM | SET-B | — | 2/3 | Grandmother in doorway |
| 8 | GM | JARS | SET-B | 3/3 | Suitcase reveal — jars are the star |
| 9 | JARS | SET-B | — | 2/3 | Food transition — jar ECU |
| 10 | GM | SET-B1 | PHOTO | 3/3 | Grandfather photo on side table — dedicated ref |
| 11 | GM | SET-B1 | — | 2/3 | ”Your kitchen is a crime” |
| 12 | BOARD | SET-B1 | — | 2/3 | Food transition — cutting board introduction |
| 13 | HANDS | SET-B1 | — | 2/3 | Dill tearing — dill+lamp composited into setting |
| 14 | JARS | SET-B2 | — | 2/3 | Windowsill mosaic — jars are the star |
| 15 | GM | SET-B2 | — | 2/3 | Kitchen workspace — board+lamp in setting |
| 16a | GD | SET-B2 | — | 2/3 | Granddaughter in bathroom doorway (dill in setting) |
| 16b | GM | SET-B2 | — | 2/3 | Grandmother in kitchen doorway |
| 17 | — | SET-B2 | — | 1/3 | Food transition — steam from pot |
| 18 | GM | BOARD | SET-B3 | 3/3 | Overhead — ingredients laid out (dill in setting) |
| 19 | GM | GD | SET-B3 | 3/3 | Phone rejection — two characters |
| 20 | HANDS | JARS | SET-B3 | 3/3 | Two hands making pickles — granddaughter hands via prompt |
| 21 | GM | SET-B3 | — | 2/3 | ”Comfortable pickle” — close-up face |
| 22 | GM | GD | SET-B3 | 3/3 | Grape leaf + seal — two characters |
| 23 | GM | JARS | SET-B3 | 2/3 | ”Adequate” — jar in foreground |
| 24 | JARS | SET-B3 | — | 2/3 | Food transition — sealed jar ECU |
| 25 | GM | JARS | SET-B4 | 3/3 | Opening the jar — four days later |
| 26 | HANDS | JARS | SET-B4 | 3/3 | Pickle held to light — the beauty shot |
| 27 | GM | SET-B4 | — | 2/3 | THE CRACK — face close-up |
| 28 | GM | SET-B4 | — | 2/3 | ”Good.” — same angle |
| 29 | GD | SET-B4 | — | 2/3 | Inner monologue — tasting |
| 30 | GM | SET-B4 | — | 2/3 | ”You will make them again” |
| 31 | GM | GD | SET-B4 | 3/3 | Wide tableau — two characters |
| 32 | GM | SET-B4 | — | 2/3 | ”The dill needs water” |
| 33 | JARS | SET-B4 | — | 2/3 | Food transition — final jar on sill |
Budget Summary:
- 3/3 (at limit): 9 shots — all justified (two-character or multi-object compositions)
- 2/3: 21 shots — comfortable headroom
- 1/3: 2 shots — establishing/atmosphere
- 0/3: 1 shot (Shot 16 split into 16a/16b at 2/3 each)
No shot exceeds the 3-image limit. ✓
5. Setting Reference Images Required
Per the tech lead’s updated design brief, 6 setting reference images are needed:
| Setting ID | Description | Used in Shots |
|---|---|---|
| SET-A | Grandmother’s Memory Kitchen (100% World A) | 1, 2, 3 |
| SET-B | Apartment, no invasion (100% World B) | 4, 5, 6, 7 |
| SET-B1 | Apartment, Stage 1 invasion (90B/10A) — jars on sill, blanket, photo, lamp corner | 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 |
| SET-B2 | Apartment, Stage 2 invasion (70B/30A) — lamp spread, dill in bathroom, herbs on counter | 14, 15, 16a, 16b, 17 |
| SET-B3 | Apartment, Stage 3 invasion (40B/60A) — warm light dominant, full kitchen | 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
| SET-B4 | Apartment, Stage 4 invasion (10B/90A → full A) — transformed, farmhouse kitchen | 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 |
Note: Composite objects (dill, warm lamp, grandfather’s photo) must be explicitly included in their respective setting reference images at the stage where they first appear.
6. Total Reference Image Count
| Category | Count | Images |
|---|---|---|
| Character sheets | 2 | Grandmother, Granddaughter |
| Character extras | 1 | Grandmother hands reference |
| Object references | 3 | Pickle Jars, Cutting Board, Grandfather’s Photo |
| Setting references | 6 | SET-A, SET-B, SET-B1, SET-B2, SET-B3, SET-B4 |
| TOTAL | 12 |
This is the complete reference image set for the film. The Tech Lead generates all 11 during Step 3 (Character Workshop) and Step 4 (Storyboard).
7. Continuity Notes for Editor
- Pickle Jars must maintain consistent glass clarity, brine color, and lid patina across all 11 appearances. Any shot where the jars look noticeably different should be flagged for re-synthesis.
- Cutting Board scars and wood grain must be recognizable. The board is a character — its wear patterns are its identity.
- Warm Lamp light color must be consistent: golden amber, always from the same relative position (grandmother’s workspace, frame left in most shots). If the light color shifts between shots in the same scene, flag it.
- Dill is the most variable — fresh dill naturally varies in shape. Consistency requirement is lower (same green color, same feathery texture) but it should never appear wilted, brown, or cut with clean knife edges.
- Color invasion progression must be monotonically increasing — warmth should never retreat to a cooler stage in a later shot. If a shot in Scene 5 (Stage 3) looks cooler than a shot in Scene 4 (Stage 2), flag it.
Object anchoring complete. Ready for Tech Lead to begin reference image generation at Step 3.