# Video Edit Decision Report

**Original Video:** `sora_2_The_alien_language_isnt_a_too_1768318009.mp4`
**New Video:** `sora_2_alien_language_highlight.mp4`
**Date:** 2026-01-15

---

## Edit Summary

| Property | Original | Edited |
|----------|----------|--------|
| **Duration** | 12.1 seconds | 6 seconds |
| **Kept Section** | - | 0:05 - 0:11 |
| **Cut Section** | - | 0:00 - 0:05 |
| **Reduction** | - | 50% shorter |

---

## Why These Cuts Were Made

### Scenes REMOVED (0:00 - 0:05) - "The Boring Parts"

| Timestamp | Scene | Reason for Cutting |
|-----------|-------|-------------------|
| 0:00 - 0:02 | Woman observing interface | **Static shot** - character just standing and looking at a screen. No action, no emotional engagement. Expository setup that slows pacing. |
| 0:02 - 0:03 | Hand touching display | **Generic UI interaction** - close-up of hand swiping. Could be from any sci-fi video. No character connection. |
| 0:03 - 0:05 | Working at computer with DNA | **More screen-watching** - still exposition. The DNA helix is visually interesting but the scene lacks dynamism. |

**Summary:** These scenes establish the "science" but are visually repetitive (person looking at screens) and emotionally flat. They're necessary for a full narrative but expendable for a highlight reel.

---

### Scenes KEPT (0:05 - 0:11) - "The Emotional Core"

| Timestamp | Scene | Reason for Keeping |
|-----------|-------|-------------------|
| 0:05 - 0:06 | Medical injection | **Action + Stakes** - First moment of physical action. Creates tension. Shows the "payoff" of the research. Blue liquid is visually striking. |
| 0:06 - 0:08 | Child smiles, says "Mom" | **Emotional climax** - The daughter's recovery is the heart of the story. The word "Mom" is the only dialogue from the child - maximum emotional impact. Warm color grading contrasts with earlier cold scenes. |
| 0:08 - 0:11 | Sunset contemplation | **Resolution + Beauty** - Gorgeous golden hour cinematography. Mother's hopeful expression. Voiceover delivers the key message: "a way to change the ending." Perfect ending shot. |

---

## Visual Comparison

### What Was Cut (Cold/Exposition)
```
[Blue tones] → [Screens] → [Data] → [Static poses]
     ↓
   BORING: Setup without payoff
```

### What Was Kept (Warm/Emotional)
```
[Action] → [Child's smile] → [Golden sunset]
     ↓
   ENGAGING: Stakes, emotion, resolution
```

---

## Editing Philosophy

The edit follows the principle: **"Show the transformation, not the process."**

- **Original video:** 50% setup (science/technology) + 50% payoff (family/hope)
- **Edited video:** 100% payoff

For a highlight/teaser, viewers don't need to understand the science - they need to *feel* the story. The kept section delivers:

1. **Visual variety** - injection, bedroom, outdoor landscape
2. **Emotional arc** - tension → joy → peace
3. **Key dialogue** - "Mom" and "change the ending"
4. **Color journey** - neutral → warm golden tones

---

## Technical Details

```
ffmpeg -ss 00:00:05 -i [input] -t 6 -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -c:a aac -b:a 192k [output]
```

- **Start point:** 5 seconds (skips slow exposition)
- **Duration:** 6 seconds (captures emotional core)
- **Quality:** CRF 18 (high quality, minimal compression artifacts)
- **Audio:** 192kbps AAC (preserves voiceover clarity)

---

## Conclusion

The 6-second highlight captures the **essence** of the original 12-second video:
- A mother's love driving scientific discovery
- Hope triumphing over fate
- The warm payoff after cold analysis

The removed sections were necessary for world-building but dispensable for emotional impact. The edit transforms a narrative piece into an impactful teaser.

---

*Edit decision based on Gemini 3 scene analysis*
