Canon Database Manager Skill

Purpose

Create and maintain CANON_DB.json - the machine-readable source of truth that powers all visual generation and consistency checking.

Trigger

All Phase 1 (story foundation) artifacts pass Gate 5.

Inputs Required

• •CREATIVE_BRIEF.md
• •CHARACTER_SHEETS/*.md
• •RELATIONSHIP_MAP.json
• •EP{{XX}}_SCENELIST.md (all episodes)
• •SCRIPTS/SCRIPT_EP{{XX}}.md (all episodes)
• •SHOW_BIBLE.md

Outputs Produced

• •CANON_DB.json - Machine-readable canon database

Process

Step 1: Initialize Database Structure

Create the base CANON_DB.json with all required sections:

{
  "meta": {},
  "characters": {},
  "locations": {},
  "props": {},
  "visual_style": {},
  "factions": {},
  "canon_facts": [],
  "continuity_log": []
}

Step 2: Populate Meta Section

"meta": {
  "show_title": "",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "last_updated": "",
  "knowledge_cutoff": "",
  "phase": "PRE_VISUAL"
}

Step 3: Extract Characters

For each character in CHARACTER_SHEETS:

1. •

   Create character ID: UPPERCASE_SNAKE_CASE (e.g., "ALICE_CHEN")

2. •

   Extract psychology:

   • •want, need, lie, wound from character sheet
   • •virtue_with_cost
3. •

   Extract visual data:

   • •Physical description (prompt-optimized)
   • •Signature outfit
   • •Color palette
   • •Signature props
   • •Negative prompts
   • •Initialize empty reference_images object
4. •

   Extract voice data:

   • •Sentence length pattern
   • •Metaphor domain
   • •Sarcasm/directness levels
   • •Linguistic fingerprints
   • •Taboo topics
5. •

   Extract relationships:

   • •Convert from RELATIONSHIP_MAP.json
   • •Include all axes, bond/pressure mechanisms

Step 4: Extract Locations

Scan all SCENELIST files for unique locations:

1. •

   Create location ID: UPPERCASE_SNAKE_CASE

2. •

   Determine type: primary / secondary / recurring / one-off

3. •

   Extract visual data:

   • •Description from scene headers
   • •Time variants needed (from scenes)
   • •Key areas (from action descriptions)
   • •Mood associations
   • •Initialize empty reference_images object
4. •

   Define blocking rules (if applicable):

   • •Standard character positions
   • •Key furniture/feature placement

Step 5: Extract Props

Identify signature props from CHARACTER_SHEETS and scripts:

1. •

   Create prop ID: UPPERCASE_SNAKE_CASE

2. •

   Define properties:

   • •type: signature / functional / environmental
   • •owner (if character-specific)
   • •description
   • •significance
   • •Initialize empty reference_images object

Step 6: Define Visual Style

From CREATIVE_BRIEF.md aesthetic section:

"visual_style": {
  "global_aesthetic": "",
  "color_grading": "",
  "lighting_style": "",
  "lens_language": "",
  "camera_movement": "",
  "shot_taxonomy": {}
}

Step 7: Extract Factions/Groups

If applicable, identify organizational groupings:

• •Members list (character IDs)
• •Values
• •Conflicts with other factions

Step 8: Compile Canon Facts

List all established facts that cannot be contradicted:

• •Timeline events
• •Character history facts
• •World rules
• •Relationship history

Step 9: Initialize Continuity Log

Empty array ready for tracking changes:

"continuity_log": [
  {
    "date": "",
    "change": "",
    "affected_artifacts": [],
    "reason": ""
  }
]

Step 10: Validate Completeness

Check that:

• • All characters from CHARACTER_SHEETS are present
• • All locations from SCENELISTs are present
• • All relationships from RELATIONSHIP_MAP are present
• • Visual descriptions are prompt-ready
• • No placeholder text remains

Schema Reference

See templates/CANON_DB_schema.json for complete JSON schema.

Key Design Principles

IDs

• •All IDs are UPPERCASE_SNAKE_CASE
• •Character IDs match first_last format
• •Location IDs are descriptive but concise

Visual Descriptions

• •Optimized for image generation prompts
• •Include specific, concrete details
• •Include negative prompts (what to avoid)
• •Reference images start empty, populated by generators

Relationships

• •Bidirectional (A→B stored under A, includes B reference)
• •Axes use -5 to +5 scale
• •Arc directions describe season trajectory

Extensibility

• •New fields can be added
• •Reference_images objects expand as images are generated
• •Continuity_log grows with each update

Update Protocol

When updating CANON_DB.json:

1. •Read current version
2. •Make targeted changes only
3. •Update meta.version (semver)
4. •Update meta.last_updated
5. •Add entry to continuity_log
6. •Validate against schema

Notes

• •CANON_DB.json is the single source of truth for visual generation
• •All reference generators read from this database
• •Updates must be logged in continuity_log
• •Never edit directly in scripts—use this skill
• •Visual reference paths are added by generators, not this skill