An episode arc is a small, goal-driven storyline spanning 1–5 episodes/chapters with a clear setup, escalation, climax, and fallout. In AI production, arcs also bundle reusable assets (prompts, character sheets, LoRAs, locations, props) and metadata for reproducibility. Treat each arc as a package you can version, rerender, and localize.

Use templates to reduce rewriting and prompt sprawl.

• Monster-of-the-week (1–2 eps): New threat → learn rule → exploit weakness → teaser for bigger arc.
• Training arc (2–3 eps): Skill gap → mentor/constraint → failure montage → capstone test.
• Tournament arc (3–5 eps): Bracket reveal → rivals intro → escalating matches → finals with twist.
• Heist arc (2–3 eps): Target intel → team assembly → misdirection → reveal and escape.
• Mystery arc (3 eps): Crime/oddity → red herrings → reveal via prior clue → moral cost.
• Travel arc (2 eps): New locale → cultural rule → conflict → change token for party.

1. Series bible: premise, canon rules, tone, visual style anchors.
2. Arc sheet: logline, promise, stakes, twist, theme beat, asset list, continuity flags.
3. Beat sheet: 12–16 beats per episode with scene purpose and tokens.
4. Board/shot plan: keyframes, camera language, transitions.
5. Asset plan: characters, costumes per arc, locations, props, VFX motifs, SFX/TTS voices.
6. Render plan: model versions, seeds, guidance, ControlNet settings.
7. QA gates: continuity, readability, pacing, audio mix, subtitle sync.

• Style locks: 3–5 style sentences reused in every prompt (tone, palette, line weight).
• Character keys: name + 5 immutable traits + costume tag + emotional range per scene.
• Memory tokens: arc_code, episode_code, location_code referenced in all prompts and seeds.
• Recap prompts: open each episode with a 2–3 line recap to anchor tone and stakes.
• Shot prompts: subject → action → emotion → setting → lens → lighting → palette → composition → continuity tags.
• Anti-drift constraints: forbidden tropes list, power ceiling, continuity checklist in-system prompt.

Maintain faces, costumes, and locations as the arc progresses.

• Identity: character LoRA or IP-Adapter reference stack for faces; save 3 anchor views per costume.
• Pose/control: ControlNet/OpenPose for repeatable action beats; Depth or Lineart for style stability.
• Environments: tileable backgrounds + region prompts; keep time-of-day and weather tokens consistent.
• Props: assign unique IDs (prop_sword_v2); track wear/damage per episode.
• Color script: short palette notes per scene to guide consistent grading.

Organize for re-renders and localization.

• Folder schema: /arcs/arc-XX/title/{bible,arc-sheet,beats,boards,prompts,assets,models,renders,qa}.
• Naming: arcXX_epYY_sceneZZ_shotAA_v03_seed1234.png.
• Model registry: record base model, LoRA IDs, ControlNet versions, CFG, steps, sampler.
• Prompt registry: JSON per shot with negative prompts, seeds, control maps, masks.
• Repro notes: what changed between v01 and v02 (why and impact).

• Script QA: stakes clear by beat 4; conflict escalates; twist earned; theme stated.
• Visual QA: character identity ≥95% match vs anchors; no off-model faces in hero shots.
• Audio QA: TTS voice consistency; SFX motifs maintained; mix peaks within target LUFS.
• Accessibility: captions accurate, onomatopoeia readable in panels.
• Release: thumbnails per episode, synopsis, tags, arc logline, spoiler-safe stills.

Track if an arc works and why.

• Completion rate per episode and per arc.
• Drop-off timestamp clustering → identify slow scenes.
• Panel/shot engagement heatmaps (reads, pauses, comments).
• A/B test thumbnails, cold opens, and twist reveal timing.
• Postmortem: keep a playbook of arc patterns that retain best.

• Model drift: lock seeds for hero frames; rerender B-roll when swapping models.
• Power creep: add explicit power ceilings and costs in the bible.
• Meandering plots: reduce beats; use ticking clock and resource constraints.
• Inconsistent faces: strengthen LoRA; increase reference weight; add anchor shots per scene.
• Visual noise: simplify prompts; enforce palette; reduce simultaneous effects.