Staring into the Soul of a Great Cormorant

{
  "shot": "Extreme close-up wildlife portrait, eye-level",
  "subject": "Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo): long slender hooked bill, glossy black plumage with faint green-blue iridescence, sharp emerald eyes; calm and statuesque presence",
  "scene": "Defocused papyrus/reed marsh at water's edge; soft overcast daylight; no human-made objects visible",
  "visual_details": {
    "timeline": [
      {
        "time": "0.0-2.6s",
        "action": "Cormorant holds an unblinking stare directly into lens; throat pouch moves subtly with breathing; slight feather micro-movements around head and neck."
      },
      {
        "time": "2.6-5.6s",
        "action": "Head tilts slowly 6–8deg to its right (one continuous motion), neck muscles settle; expression remains composed and alert."
      },
      {
        "time": "5.6-8.0s",
        "action": "One natural blink (~220–260 ms) then return to still gaze; bill angle adjusts slightly (<2deg), breathing steady."
      }
    ]
  },
  "cinematography": {
    "style": "Documentary wildlife naturalism",
    "framing": "Top of head to upper chest; eyes on upper third line",
    "camera": {
      "virtual_body": "Full-frame digital cinema",
      "lens": "200mm prime equivalent",
      "focus_distance_m": 2.2,
      "aperture_T": 2.8,
      "shutter": "1/96s at 24fps",
      "iso": 400,
      "nd_stops": 2,
      "dof_note": "Shallow DOF; irises and feather edges crisp; background bokeh smooth; no focus hunting"
    },
    "motion": "Single, constant micro dolly-in of ~2% over 8s (no other moves)",
    "stabilization": "Locked-off feel; no handheld jitter",
    "lighting": "Soft overcast key; gentle wrap; avoid specular hotspots on bill; WB ≈ 5600K"
  },
  "audio": {
    "ambience_layers": [
      "Distant marsh birds (low, intermittent)",
      "Soft insect bed",
      "Light reed rustle"
    ],
    "mix": {
      "lufs_integrated": -20,
      "stereo_image": "Wide but subtle",
      "reverb": "Natural outdoor short tail"
    },
    "fx_optional": "Very faint natural bill clack if present; do not exaggerate",
    "music": "none",
    "dialogue": "none"
  },
  "color_palette": "Glossy black with subtle green-blue iridescence on bird; muted reed green-browns in background; low saturation overall",
  "grade": {
    "pipeline": "ACEScg -> Rec.709",
    "look": "Soft contrast with smooth highlight roll-off; preserve midtone feather detail; no HDR halos",
    "grain": "Fine, subtle film-like texture"
  },
  "physics_rules": "Head tilt eases in/out; blink ~240 ms; breathing amplitude minimal; feathers react with slight secondary motion; no exaggerated expressions.",
  "visual_rules": [
    "Photoreal only; no painterly or CGI sheen",
    "No text, subtitles, watermarks, or logos",
    "Single take—no cuts or transitions",
    "No rack focus; maintain fixed focal plane",
    "No anthropomorphic gestures or human artifacts"
  ],
  "negative_rules": [
    "Do not add handlers, fences, or enclosure elements",
    "Do not introduce extra animals",
    "Do not add dramatic VFX, lens flares, or artificial haze",
    "Do not alter bill size/shape beyond species-accurate proportions"
  ],
  "limits": {
    "duration": "8s",
    "resolution": "1920x1080",
    "fps": 24,
    "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
    "bitrate_target": "≥16 Mbps H.264 High Profile",
    "safety": "Wildlife-safe depiction; calm behavior only"
  }
}