Skill: Multi-Variant Scripting#

Owner: Sara

Version: 1.0

First used: 2026-03-24 (Reddi Agent Protocol — 3-variant pipeline)

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What This Does#

Produces 2–4 distinct script variants for the same product from a single brief. Each variant serves a different audience or communication style. Variants must be genuinely distinct — not the same script with synonyms swapped.

When to use this skill: Any time the demo-video playbook calls for 2+ variants. Read this before writing the first word of any script.

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The Variant Differentiation Test#

Before writing a single scene, define these three things for each variant:

1. What does this audience already know? (Don't explain what they know — assume it)
2. What's the ONE thing this variant needs them to feel or understand? (Not a list — one thing)
3. What's the register? (cinematic / conversational / technical)

If two variants have the same answers to all three → they are not distinct → collapse them into one.

Running this test upfront prevents the most common failure: writing three scripts that tell the same story three different ways, rather than three genuinely different stories about the same product.

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Variant Labelling Convention#

Use these labels consistently across all projects so Finn knows the production approach without reading the script:

LabelAudienceStyleVO DensityATechnical or sophisticatedCinematic — minimal VO, UI carries storySparseBGeneral / accessibleWalkthrough — guided, second personMediumCDeveloper / architectExplainer — structured, covers architectureDense

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Word Count Targets#

Check these before calling any script done:

Target LengthNarration Word Count60s110–130 words90s160–195 words2min220–260 words3min330–390 words

At natural TTS pace: ~130 words/min. Count words in the clean narration section only (no stage directions).

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Interleaved Writing Technique#

The wrong way: Write A fully → Write B fully → Write C fully

By the time you write C, it has unconsciously borrowed A's metaphors and B's sentence structure. C ends up sounding like a compressed remix of the first two.

The right way (interleaved): Write Scene 1 for A, B, C → Write Scene 2 for A, B, C → continue scene by scene

This forces explicit differentiation at each narrative beat. When you write Scene 2 for C, you've just written Scene 2 for A and B — so you're actively thinking "how is C different here?" rather than just continuing a flow.

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Common Failure Modes#

Drift#

What it is: Writing C after A and B causes C to unconsciously borrow A's metaphors and B's structural patterns.

Fix: Use interleaved writing. Never fully complete one variant before starting the others.

Jargon Bleed#

What it is: Technical terms written for C leak into B because they were written in the same session.

Fix: Before writing, define a jargon whitelist per variant. Terms on C's whitelist should not appear in B. Terms on B's whitelist should not appear in A unless they're genuinely plain-language.

Example:

• A whitelist: (none — no jargon, let the UI speak)
• B whitelist: "agent", "automates", "dashboard"
• C whitelist: "MCP protocol", "orchestrator", "tool-call", "mesh routing"

Length Creep#

What it is: All variants drift toward the same word count because the writer fills to a comfortable length.

Fix: Count words in the clean narration section after writing each scene. Stop when you hit the ceiling. Tighten, don't pad.

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Output Checklist — Before Handoff to Finn#

Run this check on all variants together, not one at a time:

• Each variant has a clean narration section (narration only — no stage directions, no scene headers)
• Word counts checked against length targets (count them, don't estimate by feel)
• No variant shares an opening line with another (first sentence must be unique per variant)
• Jargon that appears in C does not appear in B
• Jargon that appears in B does not appear in A
• Screenshot/recording requirements section is complete and specific
• "Notes for Finn" section includes timing gotchas, transition notes, any unusual assembly requirements
• Differentiation test re-run on final drafts — confirm answers to all three questions are still distinct

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Handoff Format#

Each script file must follow the standard format:

markdown

# Video Script [A/B/C] — [Title]
**Version:** 1.0
**Target length:** X seconds
**Audience:** [who]
**Style:** [description]

## Scene-by-scene
### Scene N — [Title] (M:SS–M:SS)
**Screen:** [page/state]
**Action:** [interaction if any]
**Narration:** "[exact spoken words]"
**Music/mood:** [description]

## Full narration (clean read)
[narration only — this is the direct TTS input]

## Screenshot/recording requirements
[specific assets needed, with reuse notes]

## Notes for Finn
[timing, transitions, assembly gotchas]

All three script files are handed to Finn together. Finn does not start production until Nissan has approved all scripts.