Timeline Direction — Time Theft (Pi Team)
Author: pi-editor Date: 2026-05-19
Overview
This document captures the editorial decisions for the timeline-helper agent to translate into the actual timeline.json. All durations, placements, and transition rules are defined here.
Global Settings
- Resolution: 1280x720
- FPS: 24
- Master fade-in: 1.0s (fade from black on title card)
- Master fade-out: 2.0s (mandatory fade to black at end)
Track Structure
- V1 (video) — All 30 video clips in sequence
- vo (audio, role: voice) — All narrator VO + Arthur dialogue stems
- music (audio, role: music) — Muzak beds for each act, ducked under voice
- sfx (audio, role: sfx) — Clock ticking variants, ambient texture
Audio Mixing Rules
- Voice track: volume_db: +4 (TTS needs boost)
- Music track: volume_db: -2, duck_under: “voice”, duck_db: -12
- SFX track: volume_db: -8, duck_under: “voice”, duck_db: -6
Transition Rules
- Between shots within same act: Hard cuts (no transition)
- Loop resets (shots 8→9, 14→15, 18→19): Hard cuts — the abrupt reset IS the comedic effect
- Between acts (shots 6→7, 12→13, 18→19, 25→26): Hard cuts — preserves the training film aesthetic
- Shot 30 (end card): Preceded by 0.5s crossfade from shot 29
Shot-by-Shot Timeline
Title Cards (separate from shot content)
- Opening title: Use motion graphic (tech lead to generate via titles agent)
- Closing credits: After shot 30
Act I: The Punctual Employee (0:00 - 0:45)
| Shot | Start | End | Dur | Source | VO Stem | VO Start | Dialogue | Dial Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.0 | 6.0 | 6s | shot_01 | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | 6.0 | 14.0 | 8s | shot_02 | shot02_vo_fitted (7.96s) | 6.0 | — | — |
| 3 | 14.0 | 22.0 | 8s | shot_03 | shot03_vo (7.80s) | 14.5 | — | — |
| 4 | 22.0 | 32.0 | 10s | shot_04 | shot04_vo_fitted (7.95s) | 22.0 | shot04_dialogue (2.36s) | 30.0 |
| 5 | 32.0 | 40.0 | 8s | shot_05 | shot05_vo (6.00s) | 34.0 | — | — |
| 6 | 40.0 | 45.0 | 5s | shot_06 | — | — | — | — |
Act II: Loop 1 — The Shredder (0:45 - 1:25)
| Shot | Start | End | Dur | VO Stem | VO Start | Dialogue | Dial Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 45.0 | 51.0 | 6s | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | 51.0 | 59.0 | 8s | shot08_vo (6.36s) | 53.0 | — | — |
| 9 | 59.0 | 66.0 | 7s | shot09_vo (4.88s) | 60.0 | — | — |
| 10 | 66.0 | 73.0 | 7s | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | 73.0 | 79.0 | 6s | shot11_vo (4.12s) | 74.0 | — | — |
| 12 | 79.0 | 85.0 | 6s | — | — | — | — |
Act III: Loop 2 — The Fire (1:25 - 2:00)
| Shot | Start | End | Dur | VO Stem | VO Start | Dialogue | Dial Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 85.0 | 90.0 | 5s | — | — | — | — |
| 14 | 90.0 | 97.0 | 7s | — | — | shot14_dialogue (2.68s) | 92.0 |
| 15 | 97.0 | 103.0 | 6s | shot15_vo (3.92s) | 98.0 | — | — |
| 16 | 103.0 | 109.0 | 6s | — | — | — | — |
| 17 | 109.0 | 115.0 | 6s | shot17_vo (2.64s) | 110.0 | — | — |
| 18 | 115.0 | 120.0 | 5s | — | — | — | — |
Act IV: Loops 3 & 4 — The Acceleration (2:00 - 2:30)
| Shot | Start | End | Dur | VO Stem | VO Start | Dialogue | Dial Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 120.0 | 124.0 | 4s | shot19_vo_fitted (4.51s) | 120.0 | — | — |
| 20 | 124.0 | 127.0 | 3s | — | — | — | — |
| 21 | 127.0 | 131.0 | 4s | — | — | — | — |
| 22 | 131.0 | 135.0 | 4s | shot22_vo_fitted (4.14s) | 131.0 | — | — |
| 23 | 135.0 | 140.0 | 5s | — | — | — | — |
| 24 | 140.0 | 145.0 | 5s | shot24_vo (2.28s) | 140.0 | shot24_dialogue (2.04s) | 143.0 |
| 25 | 145.0 | 150.0 | 5s | — | — | — | — |
Act V: The Conclusion (2:30 - 3:06)
| Shot | Start | End | Dur | VO Stem | VO Start | Dialogue | Dial Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 150.0 | 158.0 | 8s | shot26_vo_fitted (7.98s) | 150.0 | — | — |
| 27 | 158.0 | 164.0 | 6s | — | — | — | — |
| 28 | 164.0 | 172.0 | 8s | — | — | shot28_dialogue (2.60s) | 169.0 |
| 29 | 172.0 | 180.0 | 8s | shot29_vo (6.24s) | 173.0 | — | — |
| 30 | 179.5 | 186.0 | 6.5s | — | — | — | — |
Note: Shot 30 overlaps shot 29 by 0.5s for crossfade transition.
Music Track Placement
| Stem | Start | End | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| act1_muzak.wav (145s) | 0.0 | 85.0 | Source trim: 0-85s. Fade in 2s. Covers Acts I+II |
| act2_3_muzak_fast.wav (157s) | 85.0 | 120.0 | Source trim: 0-35s. Covers Act III |
| act4_muzak_frantic.wav (31s) | 120.0 | 150.0 | Source trim: 0-30s. Covers Act IV |
| act5_muzak_mournful.wav (29s) | 150.0 | 172.0 | Source trim: 0-22s. Covers Act V pre-conclusion |
| finale_muzak_brassy.wav (31s) | 172.0 | 186.0 | Source trim: 0-14s. Fade out 3s. Covers sign-off + end card |
SFX Track Placement (Clock Ticking)
| Stem | Start | End | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| clock_ticking.wav (31s) | 6.0 | 85.0 | Loop 2.5x. Acts I+II base tempo |
| clock_ticking_fast.wav (~24s) | 85.0 | 120.0 | Loop. Act III faster tempo |
| clock_ticking_faster.wav (~18s) | 120.0 | 150.0 | Loop. Act IV frantic |
| (silence) | 150.0 | 163.0 | Act V — clock stops after DENIED |
| clock_ticking.wav | 163.0 | 164.0 | Single loud TOCK for 9:01 moment (shot 27) |
Source Trimming Notes
- All dailies clips will have ~2s overhang (pre-roll) per the Overhang Principle
- Use source_in: 2.0 on most clips to skip the pre-roll
- For crossfade transitions, use the overhang as transition material