Seth Dunlap — production handbook¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Project | The Education of Seth Dunlap (spelling: Dunlap) |
| Type | ~5 min hybrid short — thriller first, 1987–88 period moral pressure |
| Status | Closed — released (2026-07-09); retrospective logged (2026-07-10) |
| Audio | Seedance native dialogue (primary) + Eleven Labs ambience/SFX; detach audio in iMovie → projects/seth-dunlap-cold-start-brief#seedance-voice-consistency |
| Canonical brief | projects/seth-dunlap-cold-start-brief · https://wiki.darcymenard.com/projects/seth-dunlap-cold-start-brief/ — acts 0–8, shot list, production learnings |
| Parent page | projects/grok-imagine-creative-video#lane-1--the-education-of-seth-dunlap-ai-redo |
| Public URL | https://wiki.darcymenard.com/projects/seth-dunlap-production-handbook/ |
How to use this page (for Grok, Claude, Cursor, or any LLM)¶
Cold start (preferred): Darcy may say:
Help me assemble / fix a clip in Seth Dunlap. Context: https://wiki.darcymenard.com/projects/seth-dunlap-cold-start-brief/
Legacy handbook cold start:
Help me generate keyframes / video clips for [scene name] in Seth Dunlap. Context: https://wiki.darcymenard.com/projects/seth-dunlap-production-handbook/
Your job when helping:
- Read this page (or the sections linked below).
- Ask which beat (1–6, lab clip L1–L5, or L6) if unclear.
- Output copy-paste prompts for Grok Imagine 1.5, Seedance 2.0, or Eleven Labs as appropriate.
- Respect visual split: archive = Super 8 grain / B&W video; generated = clean 35mm cinematic (not Super 8).
- Do not turn prompts into historical exposé language or name real officials in dialogue.
Logline¶
1987. Grad student Alex builds a homemade Super 8 cap rig (+ cassette) to document everything as insurance. He steals research samples he believes are being shelved while patients are steered toward a brutal approved treatment. His advisor Dr. Elena Voss nearly catches him. He lies, escapes — and learns the problem may be bigger than one lab.
Creative constitution¶
Genre order: Paranoid analog thriller → period moral pressure. Suspense and Alex’s documentation habit drive every scene.
| The film dramatizes (fiction) | The film does not claim |
|---|---|
| DIY Super 8 + cassette “insurance” rig | Factual exposé of any real person or agency |
| Theft of samples + notes Alex believes matter | “They had the cure and hid it” |
| Voss as ground-level enforcer | Medical advice or historical verdict |
| Optional L6 institutional cutaway (senior official at monitor, phone order) | Documentary accuracy; use fictionalized framing + credits disclaimer |
North-star line for every scene: Someone with power decided this never left the room. Alex decided otherwise.
Credits (if L6 used): include “Characters and events fictionalized.”
Characters (paste into every prompt)¶
Alex¶
- Male grad student / researcher, late 20s
- Exhausted, unshaven, corduroy jacket over lab shirt
- Cap-mounted DIY Super 8 rig (+ synced cassette recorder) for POV “insurance” footage
- Nervous energy; hands always near cap or jacket pocket (samples concealed)
Dr. Elena Voss¶
- Female senior researcher / advisor, early 40s
- Severe lab coat, controlled stillness = threat
- Bob or hair pulled back; cold confidence
- Enforces “this data stays in the room” — personal antagonist on the ground
Senior official (L6 only — optional)¶
- 1988 Bethesda-style office; mostly over-shoulder / silhouette / partial profile
- Watches CRT monitor (lab CCTV or theft footage)
- Issues calm, operational phone orders — never named in dialogue
- Subtle period evocation only; fictionalized dramatization
Period & visual rules¶
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| When | 1987–1988 — AIDS crisis atmosphere; AZT-era texture (posters, trial clipboards, news radio under scenes) |
| Archive footage | Super 8 (grain, POV, warmth) + old B&W video (consumer camcorder, contrasty) — keep as backbone |
| Generated inserts | Clean 35mm cinematic — fluorescent institutional lab; mood: The Conversation (1974), Andromeda Strain (1971) — NOT Super 8 grain |
| Tech | Analog only on screen: rotary phones, CRTs, cassettes, keycards — no modern computers, smartphones, readable real names/logos |
| Format | 16:9, 720p, 24fps feel; clips 6–12s (up to 15s if tool allows) |
| Assembly | iMovie (primary); dialogue via Eleven Labs under picture |
Global prompt suffix (append to generated clips):
1987-1988 United States. Cinematic 35mm thriller, NOT Super 8.
Fluorescent institutional lighting, analog equipment only.
No modern computers, no smartphones, no readable real names or logos.
16:9, 720p, 24fps feel.
Tool stack — when to use what¶
| Tool | Use for |
|---|---|
| Existing Super 8 + B&W archive | Rig assembly, journey, theft hands/body, rat room, ambush, car — prefer keep |
| Grok Imagine 1.5 | Still → clip; atmosphere; L1, L4, L5; keyframes before animation |
| Seedance 2.0 | Video-in to extend archive; character-consistent two-shots (L2, L3); image @ref from lab stills |
| Eleven Labs | All dialogue — lay under in iMovie (better than relying on video-model lip sync) |
| iMovie | Stitch archive + generated; grade generated clips slightly greener fluorescent — keep sharper than Super 8 |
Per-scene archive decision:
- Keep as-is → 2. Enhance in place (grade/denoise) → 3. Seedance video-in → 4. Generate fresh → 5. Cut
Fallback: if hybrid reads as “two different movies,” go all-AI for that sequence.
Full plot — beat sheet¶
| Beat | Scene | Source | ~Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rig assembly — basement workshop; cap Super 8 + tape; test POV | Archive | 30–60s |
| 2 | Journey to lab — rental house → university; keycard; 1980s clothes/cars | Archive | — |
| 3 | Lab theft — see #beat-3--lab-theft-sequence | Archive + AI | 2–2.5 min |
| 4 | Rat room — basement; helmet; injection tests; stakes of vials | Archive | 1–1.5 min |
| 4b | L6 institutional cutaway — see #beat-4b--l6-institutional-cutaway-optional | AI | 15–25s |
| 5 | Ambush — Voss + henchmen; duct tape; escape via window / car | Archive | 1.5–2 min |
| 6 | Teaser ending — car or hiding; vials + rig = leverage or liability | Archive | 30–60s |
Runtime target: ~5 minutes (final cut, 2026-07-08). Original beat-sheet estimate was 7–9 min before assembly trim.
Beat 3 — Lab theft sequence¶
Story beat¶
Alex enters secure storage at night. B&W objective shots: lifts cryo/storage lid. Super 8 POV/hands: grabs sample box; transfers small glowing vials (film effect = marked research samples) into protective tube; tucks tube in waistband (strict downward POV). Generated cinematic: Voss appears → Alex lies → phone distraction → near-miss → corridor escape. Alex exits with stolen samples + incriminating rig footage.
iMovie assembly order¶
[ARCHIVE] Approach + B&W lab entry
[ARCHIVE] B&W body at storage / cryo lid
[ARCHIVE] Super 8 hands — box / vials
[ARCHIVE] POV tuck tube in waistband
[GEN L1] Voss enters
[GEN L2] Lie + Eleven Labs dialogue
[GEN L3] Phone (archive OR generated)
[GEN L4] Tray near-miss
[GEN L5] Corridor escape + optional Voss line
[ARCHIVE] Super 8 POV slip-out / exterior (if available)
L1 — Voss enters¶
Purpose: First cinematic threat; Alex at storage, back turned.
Prompt:
1988 university hospital-adjacent research lab corridor at night.
Female scientist Dr. Elena Voss in white lab coat enters through heavy
fire door. Fluorescent tubes buzz. She stops mid-step, expression shifts
from routine to suspicion — she heard something. Slow push-in on her face.
In soft foreground blur, male grad student at a refrigerated storage unit,
back turned. Pinned memo: "PROTOCOL REVISION — CONFIDENTIAL" (illegible).
Clean cinematic 35mm, high contrast, desaturated greens. NOT Super 8.
Motion: Voss takes two slow steps forward. Head tilt, listening.
Audio in gen: ambient hum only.
L2 — The lie (two-shot)¶
Purpose: Confrontation; Alex improvises cover story.
Tool: Seedance 2.0 + lab still as @Image1 if available.
Prompt:
@Image1 as 1988 lab interior. Two-shot thriller.
Young grad student Alex faces Dr. Elena Voss across a cluttered bench.
Alex forces a tired half-smile; one hand near jacket pocket.
Voss stands too close, arms folded, unblinking.
Background: locked sample cabinet, clipboard with trial ID numbers,
beige rotary phone. Alex gestures at a log book. Clean 35mm cinematic.
NOT Super 8.
Motion: Voss steps closer. Alex's smile breaks. Beat of silence.
Eleven Labs:
| Speaker | Line |
|---|---|
| Voss | "You're in the restricted storage tier after midnight. Explain." |
| Alex | "Batch reconciliation — the morning count was off. I wanted it logged before the coordinator sees it." |
| Voss | "The count was fine when I signed off at six." |
L3 — Phone distraction¶
Purpose: Hinge beat; Alex almost breaks; buys seconds to escape.
Tool: Seedance video-in on archive if you have phone/caricature footage; else Grok/Seedance generate.
Prompt (generate fresh):
1988 lab close-up. Vintage beige rotary phone rings loudly on metal bench.
Dr. Voss turns head, irritated. Alex's eyes flash panic — he grabs receiver
too fast, forced casual. Shallow depth of field, fluorescent flicker,
glassware and clipboards. Thriller tight framing, 35mm film. NOT Super 8.
Seedance video-in add-on: Continue this 1988 lab scene. Phone rings. Alex deflects. Match wardrobe and lighting.
Eleven Labs:
| Speaker | Line |
|---|---|
| Alex (phone) | "Hello? …Wrong line. Happens every night in this wing." |
| Voss | "Who was that?" |
| Alex | "Nobody. Like I said — wrong number." |
L4 — Near-miss (tray / pocket)¶
Purpose: Physical stakes; Voss almost sees concealment.
Prompt:
1988 lab. Dr. Voss moves past Alex toward refrigerated storage.
Alex sidesteps to block her line of sight, hip bumps metal tray —
it crashes to floor. Voss freezes, looks at floor, then slow look up
to Alex's face — curiosity, not rage yet. Alex's hand presses flat against
jacket pocket (subtle bulk). Harsh overhead fluorescent. No weapons.
Tension purely psychological. Clean 35mm cinematic. NOT Super 8.
Motion: Tray falls. Pause. Voss looks up into Alex's eyes.
Audio: metal clatter, fluorescent buzz — no dialogue.
L5 — Corridor escape¶
Purpose: Alex breaks away; cut back to archive POV exit if available.
Prompt:
1988 cinderblock lab hallway at night. Male grad student Alex backs up
two steps, turns, walks fast down long corridor of fire doors and exit signs.
Lab coat open. Clutches something under jacket. Far background: female figure
in white coat stands motionless, watching, not chasing yet. Slight Dutch angle.
Tracking shot from behind Alex. Desaturated, high contrast. Smooth cinematic
motion — NOT handheld Super 8.
Motion: Alex turns and hurries away. Camera tracks. Figure in background static.
Eleven Labs (optional, distant):
| Speaker | Line |
|---|---|
| Voss (off) | "Alex. Don't be stupid." |
Beat 4b — L6 institutional cutaway (optional)¶
Purpose: 15–25s — Alex’s enemy is institutional, not only Voss. One insert only.
Best placement: After rat room (4), before ambush (5) — or one line intercut during ambush.
Subtlety: Over-shoulder / silhouette at CRT showing lab CCTV (theft silhouette). Do not name anyone in dialogue. Optional 2s 1988 TV briefing in Alex’s house earlier as setup.
Visual prompt:
1988 United States government medical research office at night,
Bethesda aesthetic. Over-the-shoulder: senior male official in white shirt
and tie, glasses, graying hair — mostly from behind and partial profile,
face never fully frontal. He stares at a bulky CRT monitor showing grainy
green-tinted SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE of a laboratory storage room (figure
pocketing samples — silhouette only). Desk: rotary phone, manila folders
stamped CONFIDENTIAL, name plate angled away (unreadable). Wood paneling,
1980s institutional calm. All the President's Men mood. Clean 35mm. NOT Super 8.
Motion: Official turns slightly toward phone, picks up receiver without looking away from monitor.
Eleven Labs (pick 2–3 lines — operational, not speechifying):
| Option | Line |
|---|---|
| A | "It's the satellite lab. We have a containment issue. I want every duplicate log and any off-site copy found tonight." |
| B | "The footage confirms it. Don't bring him in yet — recover what he took first." |
| C | "This stays inside the institute. If the press calls, there is no story." |
Keyframe workflow (for new scenes)¶
When Darcy asks for keyframes for any beat:
- Confirm beat from #full-plot--beat-sheet.
- Output 3–8 still prompts covering: wide, medium, close-up, POV if Alex-rig scene.
- Tag each:
[ARCHIVE — already shot]|[GENERATE — Grok still]|[GENERATE — Seedance @ref]. - Include global suffix from #period--visual-rules.
- After keyframes approved → output motion add-ons for clip generation (6–12s).
- If dialogue → Eleven Labs table, not in video prompt.
Example request / response shape:
User: Keyframes for intro lab scene.
You: List K1–K5 with prompts + which tool + assembly note.
Beats 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 — archive-first notes¶
| Beat | Keyframe / clip guidance |
|---|---|
| 1 Rig | Workshop clutter, cap rig assembly, cassette sync, test POV selfie — Super 8; warm tungsten |
| 2 Journey | Daylight house exterior, walk to campus, keycard swipe — Super 8 + B&W; quiet, no score |
| 4 Rat room | Basement, rats, bicycle helmet neural rig, injection attempts — archive; keep short; quick cuts |
| 5 Ambush | Living room → basement stairs; duct tape; helmet shock; window escape — archive |
| 6 Ending | Car speed / hiding; close-up vials; look at cap rig — archive; linger on uncertainty |
AI only where archive has gaps (transitions, missing reaction, enhanced vial glow in POV still).
Prompt checklist (before you ship a clip)¶
- [ ] Beat # identified
- [ ] Archive vs generated labeled
- [ ] NOT Super 8 on generated prompts
- [ ] Period analog — no modern UI
- [ ] Dialogue in Eleven Labs, not video prompt (unless silent scene)
- [ ] No historical claims in prompt text
- [ ] No real official names in dialogue
- [ ] 6–12s duration noted
Audio — ambient-first (default)¶
Creative direction (2026-06-30): Short film + trailer may land harder without a traditional soundtrack. Default mix = per-scene ambient audio (from generated clips + archive + light foley) + Eleven Labs dialogue only. No Suno score unless a finished cut clearly needs one.
Why this fits Seth Dunlap: Super 8 / DIY-doc aesthetic reads as found footage — fluorescent hum, tape hiss, and silence between lines carry more dread than underscore. Matches The Conversation, All the President's Men, early Cronenberg.
Two layers in iMovie (default)¶
| Layer | Source | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Dialogue | Eleven Labs | Voss/Alex, L6 phone — only spoken voice |
| 2 — Ambience | Per clip — Grok / Seedance / archive native audio, plus optional foley | Scene-specific bed; no continuous score |
Workflow — wait-and-see on generation:
- Generate clips with native audio enabled.
- Listen before locking each clip — keep takes where ambient syncs to picture.
- Detach audio in iMovie; trim; crossfade 0.3–0.8s between scenes.
- Add Eleven Labs dialogue last.
- Only then decide if any beat feels too dry → see #optional-suno-underscore-deferred.
Per-scene ambient targets¶
| Beat | Ambient character | Prompt suffix for video gen |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Rig | Basement tungsten quiet, tool clinks, Super 8 motor whir, cassette capstan | ambient: workshop room tone, metal tools, tape hiss, no music, no speech |
| 2 Journey | Outdoor daylight → campus hush, footsteps, distant traffic, keycard beep | ambient: exterior footsteps, light wind, distant cars, no music, no speech |
| 3 Lab theft | Fluorescent buzz (hero sound), ventilation, cryo hum, muffled corridor | ambient: fluorescent lamp hum, HVAC drone, lab equipment, no music, no speech |
| 3 L3 Phone | Rotary ring must hit picture — prioritize native gen or foley | ambient: phone ring cuts through fluorescent hum, no music |
| 3 L4 Tray | Metal crash + reverb tail; score silence | ambient: metal tray impact, fluorescent buzz, no music |
| 4 Rat room | Basement concrete, cage rattle, electrical crackle (helmet), rat skitter | ambient: basement echo, cage clink, faint electrical buzz, no music, no speech |
| 4b L6 | CRT high whine, office clock, phone line hiss, wood-panel room tone | ambient: CRT monitor whine, quiet office, phone line static, no music |
| 5 Ambush | Stair creak, struggle thuds, duct tape, broken glass/window | ambient: domestic interior, physical struggle sounds, no music, no speech |
| 6 Ending | Engine idle, road noise, interior car rattle, held silence on vial close-up | ambient: car engine, night road, tape hiss fade, no music |
Append the relevant row’s prompt suffix to every Grok Imagine / Seedance motion prompt for that beat.
When to keep vs mute clip-native audio¶
| Keep | Mute / replace |
|---|---|
| Fluorescent / CRT / HVAC hum | Any melodic music in clip |
| Phone ring, tray, footsteps synced to action | AI speech (use Eleven Labs instead) |
| Door, corridor reverb, engine | Wind/noise that swamps dialogue |
| Archive Super 8 camera motor texture | Inconsistent tone vs adjacent clips |
Fix mismatches: iMovie foley library, or regenerate clip with stricter ambient suffix — not a score blanket.
iMovie assembly (ambient-first)¶
- Picture lock per beat.
- Detach per-clip ambience → normalize lightly (+3 dB max) → high-pass below 80 Hz if rumble.
- Crossfade ambience at cuts (short — don’t glue scenes with music).
- Eleven Labs on top; no ducking needed if no score.
- Trailer: same rule — one ambient identity per card, hard cuts OK.
Audio checklist (per scene)¶
- [ ] Clip reviewed — ambient kept or muted
- [ ] No unintended music in any take
- [ ] Key SFX hit picture (phone, tray, ring, motor)
- [ ] Dialogue (Eleven Labs) clear over ambience
- [ ] Scene feels complete without score
- [ ] Score deferred unless beat fails silence test
Optional: Suno underscore (deferred)¶
Status: On hold — revisit only after full ambient pass on generated + archive clips. Suno prompts M1–M7 retained below as fallback if specific beats feel too dry.
Suno prompts M1–M7 (fallback only — expand if needed)
**Suno settings:** Instrumental mode; 2–4 min per prompt; trim in iMovie; **1980s analog thriller, no vocals**. #### M1 — Rig assembly1980s analog thriller film score, instrumental, no vocals. Tangerine Dream
meets John Carpenter. Warm basement workshop — DIY tinkering, tape hiss,
slow-building paranoia. Analog synth arpeggios, muted drum tick. 85 BPM.
1980s paranoid thriller underscore, instrumental, no vocals. Minimal Rhodes,
sparse synth pad, heartbeat sub-bass. 70 BPM. The Conversation style.
Negative space.
M3a: 1980s scientific horror, instrumental. Pulsing analog bass, fluorescent
tension, Andromeda Strain mood. 72 BPM. No melody — pressure only.
M3b: 1980s institutional thriller, instrumental. Staccato pizzicato, muted
percussion. 90 BPM. Pauses for phone and tray hits.
1980s body-horror science thriller, instrumental. Detuned drones, irregular
pulse, metallic rhythm. 76 BPM. Creeping wrongness.
1980s political thriller, instrumental. Solo piano, clock-tick, 60 BPM.
Space for phone voice. 20 seconds.
Related¶
- projects/grok-imagine-creative-video — umbrella project + Space Zoo + other lanes
- Grok-Brief — cold-start routing for blank Grok threads
- glossary — Seth Dunlap, Seedance 2.0
Meta¶
- 2026-06-30 (b): Audio → ambient-first default; Suno deferred to collapsible fallback.
- 2026-06-30: Suno prompts M1–M7 + hybrid workflow (superseded by ambient-first as default).
- Created: 2026-06-29 — consolidated production context for external LLM keyframe/clip sessions.
- Use: Point any model at https://wiki.darcymenard.com/projects/seth-dunlap-production-handbook/ when generating Seth Dunlap visuals.