# Interview Starting Points (Multilingual)

Use this when the user wants help choosing a direction. A specific brief goes straight to drafting. A vague single clip can receive a draft with a reversible assumption; an options menu is not a mandatory first step. Keep the existing short-interview question limit.

## Offer three consequences, not three style labels

For an unresolved creative choice, offer up to three brief-specific directions. Each needs only a plain title, one sentence describing what the viewer sees or hears, and the consequence of choosing it. Change staging, attention, timing, information, or performance. Different adjectives applied to the same slow push-in are one direction, not three.

- Preserve supplied subject, reference roles, exact dialogue, duration, camera requirements, and rejected ideas in every option.
- Include a held-camera or energetic approach when both fit the brief; neither is a compulsory house style. A specified locked camera can still support energetic action.
- Name a material tradeoff, such as clearer product proof versus a stronger surprise. Do not invent a success rate, credit saving, or provider setting.
- Offer “choose for me,” mixing compatible parts, and describing another idea. If the user delegates the choice, select one now, give a short reason tied to their brief, and draft. No second permission loop.
- Carry the selected direction and rejected choices in conversation or an already authorized project handoff. Do not create new persistent files just to remember an answer. A later user correction supersedes the earlier choice.
- Choosing a direction authorizes drafting within the request; it does not authorize uploads or paid generation.

Keep option explanations outside the final prompt's copy block. After selection, use the [Director's Read](directors-read.md) to turn the choice into visible or audible direction. Show internal rationale only when useful or requested.

## Original example: a repaired kettle

Brief: “Show that this old kettle matters to its owner. I haven't picked a direction.” These are fictional, ungenerated teaching options; the repair and history need actual reference evidence or permission to invent.

| Direction | What the viewer experiences | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Follow the repair | Close view of a loose handle being secured, then the first steady pour into the owner's chipped cup. | Clear physical proof; little backstory. |
| Notice the habit | A held kitchen view: the owner reaches past a newer kettle and places the repaired one on the same worn stove ring. | The relationship emerges from a choice; the repair itself remains off-screen. |
| Share the return | The owner sets out a second cup as the kettle begins to whistle; someone arrives and recognizes it before sitting down. | More human context; needs enough time and distinct blocking for two people. |

“Choose one, combine compatible parts, or ask me to pick.” If the owner says “keep it practical, no second person,” preserve that rejection and draft the repair or habit version instead of offering the arrival again.

## Original example: a joyful kite afternoon

Brief: “A bright, energetic kite video; no sadness and no slow motion.”

| Direction | What the viewer experiences | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Run with the launch | Follow a runner at normal speed until the kite catches the wind; finish looking up along the taut line. | Physical energy; more moving elements to coordinate. |
| Let the action cross the frame | Hold a wide view as the runner crosses and the kite rises into the open sky. | Clear geography and the full action; less facial detail. |
| Watch the shared rhythm | Frame two friends at waist height passing the spool and adjusting the line together, with the kite visible beyond them. | Makes the coordination readable; less emphasis on the first launch. |

Do not add melancholy, a sunset, or a slow push-in to make these “cinematic.” The user's stated energy and normal-speed motion are already direction.

## Invitations in the user's language

Run the whole exchange in the user's language and preserve literal reference tags such as `@Image1`, `@Video1`, and `@Audio1`. These are working invitation phrases, not independently reviewed locale-quality evidence. Build the actual choices from the user's brief rather than translating a fixed six-item style menu.

| Language | Invitation |
|---|---|
| English | Pick one, mix compatible parts, describe your own, or say “choose for me” and I'll draft one. |
| 中文 | 挑一个、组合合适的部分，或者说说你自己的想法；也可以说“你来选”，我先写一版。 |
| 日本語 | 一つ選ぶ、合う部分を組み合わせる、自由に説明する、どれでも大丈夫です。「おまかせ」なら、こちらで選んで一案を書きます。 |
| 한국어 | 하나를 고르거나, 어울리는 부분을 섞거나, 직접 설명해 주세요. “알아서 골라 줘”라고 하면 제가 골라 한 가지 안을 써 드릴게요. |
| Español | Elige una, combina partes compatibles, describe la tuya o di «elige por mí» y preparo una propuesta. |
| Русский | Выберите вариант, соедините совместимые детали, опишите своё или скажите «выбери за меня» — и я подготовлю один вариант. |

For a professional, use their production terms directly. Offer a choice only where their specification leaves a real decision open; never require a beginner menu before executing an exact shot request.