Timeline Shot Breakdown — The Cardboard Standoff
Purpose: Pre-production reference for timeline.json construction. Maps every shot to its track positions, audio stems, and transition requirements.
Author: Editor
Date: 2026-05-19
Voice Casting (from Tech Lead)
| Role | Voice | Style Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Fenrir | Warm, authoritative, slightly amused. Slow measured pace. |
| Tex | Orus | Tinny, resonant western drawl. Deadpan delivery. |
| Black Bart | Gacrux | Gravelly rasp. Obviously same person trying to sound tough. |
| Puppet Master | Zephyr | Muffled, frustrated, mundane. Breaking character. |
Track Plan
| Track ID | Type | Role | volume_db | duck_under | duck_db | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V1 | video | — | — | — | — | Primary video track |
| narration | audio | voice | +4 | — | — | Narrator VO (Fenrir) |
| dialogue | audio | voice | +3 | — | — | Character dialogue (Orus/Gacrux/Zephyr) |
| music | audio | music | -3 | voice | -12 | Score — ducks under ALL voice tracks |
| sfx | audio | sfx | -6 | voice | -8 | Foley/SFX — light duck under voice |
Shot-by-Shot Timeline (Corrected — Post-Atempo Extension)
Updated 2026-05-19 — Shot durations extended to accommodate 1.2x atempo-processed audio stems.
Transition rules:
- Within a scene: Hard cuts (cut is part of the puppet theater aesthetic)
- Between scenes: 0.5s crossfade (subtle, to indicate time passing)
- Final shot (34): 2.0s fade-to-black (mandatory)
- Opening: 1.0s fade-from-black
Scene 1: Welcome to Dustville (0.0s – 60.0s)
| Shot | Start | End | Dur | Vocal | Transition | Audio Stems (timeline position) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.0 | 11.0 | 11s | VO | fade-in 1.0s | vo_01 (9.65s) → 0.5–10.15 |
| 2 | 11.0 | 19.0 | 8s | VO | hard cut | vo_02 (6.45s) → 11.5–17.95 |
| 3 | 19.0 | 30.0 | 11s | SEQ | hard cut | vo_03 (3.95s) → 19.5–23.45; dlg_01 (5.52s) → 23.95–29.47 |
| 4 | 30.0 | 39.0 | 9s | VO | hard cut | vo_04 (7.72s) → 30.5–38.22 |
| 5 | 39.0 | 43.0 | 4s | SILENT | hard cut | — (music builds) |
| 6 | 43.0 | 53.0 | 10s | DLG | hard cut | dlg_02 (9.18s) → 43.5–52.68 |
| 7 | 53.0 | 60.0 | 7s | DLG | hard cut | dlg_03 (5.72s) → 53.5–59.22 |
Scene 2: The Standoff & The Malfunction (59.5s – 107.5s, with 0.5s crossfade)
| Shot | Start | End | Dur | Vocal | Transition | Audio Stems (timeline position) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 59.5 | 67.5 | 8s | VO | crossfade 0.5s | vo_05 (7.08s) → 60.0–67.08 |
| 9 | 67.5 | 72.5 | 5s | VO | hard cut | vo_06 (3.62s) → 68.0–71.62 |
| 10 | 72.5 | 76.5 | 4s | SILENT | hard cut | sfx: ticking clock |
| 11 | 76.5 | 81.5 | 5s | SILENT | hard cut | sfx: wind |
| 12 | 81.5 | 88.5 | 7s | SEQ | hard cut | vo_07 (3.58s) → 81.8–85.38; dlg_04 (2.05s) → 85.88–87.93 |
| 13 | 88.5 | 93.5 | 5s | SILENT | hard cut | sfx: scrambling |
| 14 | 93.5 | 100.5 | 7s | VO | hard cut | vo_08 (6.08s) → 94.0–100.08 |
| 15 | 100.5 | 107.5 | 7s | DLG | hard cut | dlg_05 (4.78s) → 101.0–105.78 |
Scene 3: The Draw (107.0s – 161.0s, with 0.5s crossfade)
| Shot | Start | End | Dur | Vocal | Transition | Audio Stems (timeline position) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 107.0 | 114.0 | 7s | SEQ | crossfade 0.5s | vo_09 (1.75s) → 107.3–109.05; dlg_06 (3.62s) → 109.55–113.17 |
| 17 | 114.0 | 119.0 | 5s | DLG | hard cut | dlg_07 (4.82s) → 114.1–118.92 |
| 18 | 119.0 | 123.0 | 4s | SILENT | hard cut | sfx: squeaking brass |
| 19 | 123.0 | 129.0 | 6s | VO | hard cut | vo_10 (5.18s) → 123.5–128.68 |
| 20 | 129.0 | 133.0 | 4s | SILENT | hard cut | — (dead silence = punchline) |
| 21 | 133.0 | 140.0 | 7s | DLG | hard cut | dlg_08 (6.38s) → 133.3–139.68 |
| 22 | 140.0 | 146.0 | 6s | VO | hard cut | vo_11 (4.82s) → 140.5–145.32 |
| 23 | 146.0 | 153.0 | 7s | SILENT | hard cut | sfx: tape crinkling |
| 24 | 153.0 | 161.0 | 8s | DLG | hard cut | dlg_09 (7.12s) → 153.5–160.62 |
Scene 4: The Existential Wrap (160.5s – 222.5s, with 0.5s crossfade)
| Shot | Start | End | Dur | Vocal | Transition | Audio Stems (timeline position) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 160.5 | 168.5 | 8s | DLG | crossfade 0.5s | dlg_10 (7.19s) → 161.0–168.19 |
| 26 | 168.5 | 177.5 | 9s | VO | hard cut | vo_12 (7.49s) → 169.0–176.49 |
| 27 | 177.5 | 183.5 | 6s | SILENT | hard cut | sfx: wood scraping on sandpaper |
| 28 | 183.5 | 189.5 | 6s | VO | hard cut | vo_13 (5.35s) → 183.8–189.15 |
| 29 | 189.5 | 195.5 | 6s | DLG | hard cut | dlg_11 (5.05s) → 190.0–195.05 |
| 30 | 195.5 | 201.5 | 6s | VO | hard cut | vo_14 (5.59s) → 195.7–201.29 |
| 31 | 201.5 | 206.5 | 5s | SILENT | hard cut | sfx: paper flutter |
| 32 | 206.5 | 213.5 | 7s | VO | hard cut | vo_15 (6.71s) → 206.65–213.36 |
| 33 | 213.5 | 218.5 | 5s | SILENT | hard cut | sfx: ka-chunk |
| 34 | 218.5 | 222.5 | 4s | SILENT | hard cut | — (fade to black 2.0s) |
Total timeline: ~222.5s (3:42) + title card + credits ≈ ~234s (3:54) Target: 3:00–5:00 ✅
Music Stems Required
| Stem | Description | Duration | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| score_act1 | Slow western guitar, 70-80 BPM, major key, slightly theatrical | ~60s (Scene 1: 0–60s) | lyria-3-pro-preview |
| score_act2 | Building tension, ticking percussion, twangy guitar, 80-120 BPM, breaks at key points | ~101s (Scenes 2+3: 59.5–161s) | lyria-3-pro-preview |
| score_act3 | Mournful harmonica, slow arpeggios, 50 BPM, bittersweet | ~62s (Scene 4: 160.5–222.5s) | lyria-3-pro-preview |
Note: lyria-3-pro-preview generates ~2:30 clips. We may be able to cover the film with 2 stems (acts 1+2 combined, act 3 standalone) if the musical transitions align.
SFX Stems Required (from Veo-generated audio or separate generation)
| SFX | Shot(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| wind_mouth | 1, 5, 11, 20 | Human mouth blowing into mic |
| ticking_clock | 10 | Rhythmic ticking, cardboard clock |
| scraping_popsicle | 2, 27 | Wood scraping on sandpaper |
| paper_smack | 12, 31 | Paper falling and landing |
| scrambling | 13 | Hands scrambling under stage |
| brass_squeak | 8, 18, 25 | Brass brad fastener noise |
| tape_crinkle | 23 | Masking tape being applied |
| rip | 19 | Cardboard tearing — loud, exaggerated |
| ka_chunk | 33 | Light switch clicking off |
| finger_tap | 8-12 | Rhythmic wood tapping (tension heartbeat substitute) |