Reference Assets

Workflow

1. Read the standalone contract, core contract, CHARACTER_PROFILE.md, REFERENCE_AUTHORITY.md, REFERENCE_SHEETS.md, reference asset system, canon, continuity, planned scenes, shot needs, and current reference manifest.
2. Identify only continuity risks that justify a reference asset. For characters, carry canonical must_preserve, must_not_be, and may_vary fields into the reference plan.
3. Assign stable REF-### IDs and one explicit role per reference record. Add authority_scopes and must_not_control whenever one reference must control identity, composition, temporal state, location, style, or prop/context without controlling the others.
4. Write or update 03_preproduction/references/reference_manifest.json.
5. Write model-neutral reference briefs for missing character, location, prop, style, keyframe, voice, or music references.
6. For character, location, or prop multi-view coverage, write reference_sheet_plans.json using the native reference-sheet contract. Add functional/mechanical prop views when later action depends on how a prop works.
7. When several candidates must be reviewed, write contact_sheet_plan.json with panel roles and acceptance checks. Mark atlas layout as reference-only when its grid must not become composition authority.
8. Use the appropriate model adapter to create prompt documents when generation prompts are requested.
9. Separate canonical identity from scene-state variants such as expression, dirt, wardrobe, damage, props, and lighting.
10. Record recurring renderer failures under drift_risks; never promote a generation failure into canon.
11. Mark references draft, approved, superseded, or rejected. Never silently replace an approved identity master.
12. If an approved reference changes, run project-impact before continuing downstream.

Quality gate

A production reference is approvable only when its continuity-critical traits are inspectable, its role is clear, its provenance is recorded, and its crop or framing does not hide required identity information.

Done

Every continuity-critical subject has an approved reference or an explicit missing-reference record, and downstream prompts can state exactly what to preserve and what may vary.