Review & publish

Review has two distinct stages: select usable storyboard stills before motion generation, then watch the assembled film with sound before approving delivery. A still-image handoff does not prove the finished film's pacing, continuity or audio.

Commands below use vclaw; source-checkout users can substitute node dist/cli/vclaw.js. Read vclaw schema --json for the installed contract.

Select the storyboard stills

Open the local review station:

vclaw video review-ui --project myvideo --root .

Open the URL printed by the command. Review each scene, reject incorrect candidates, lock the chosen still and attach its high-resolution handoff asset. The station saves production artifacts such as scene-selection.json, asset-manifest.json, director-seedance-plan.json, post-plan.json and the review report. It does not generate the final video.

For existing candidates, vclaw video review-autopilot --project myvideo --root . can prepare the still handoff without manual selection. Inspect its decisions and limitations: automatic candidate selection is not a full audiovisual review.

Review the actual film

New agent-led productions should follow the shared filmmaking workflow. Projects with an explicit film plan, or an existing film-edit review history, need current evidence tied to the delivered media before they can pass.

Create an edit-source JSON file. Media paths are relative to the project directory and must stay inside it:

{
  "clips": [
    { "shotId": "opening-01", "path": "outputs/scene-0.mp4", "inSeconds": 0, "outSeconds": 6 }
  ],
  "exportedMediaPath": "outputs/final.mp4"
}

List the actual ordered clips and trims. Add a separate soundtrack and offset when applicable; the complete contract also supports edit intent and preservation constraints.

Inspect without recording a verdict:

vclaw video review --project myvideo --film-edit ./edit-source.json

This hashes the actual files and returns their current fingerprint and review status. Watch the entire export with its delivery sound. Save a review JSON containing that fingerprint, the reviewer, method: "full-playback", and a reasoned verdict for each of story, pacing, continuity, audio and technical. Only all five passing after full playback can approve the edit. Sampled frames or a successful media check cannot certify sound or the entire film.

vclaw video review --project myvideo --film-edit ./edit-source.json --film-review ./film-review.json --verdict pass

Review history is retained in film-edit-reviews.json. Changed clip bytes, order, trims, soundtrack, export or edit intent make an earlier approval stale. Inspect and review the changed delivery again. The review station also checks the saved film evidence before writing completion artifacts; drafts remain saveable.

Existing projects without film plans

For a legacy project with no film-edit history, the manual command remains available:

vclaw video review --project myvideo --verdict pass --finding "Reviewed full export with sound"

Use this only after an actual review. It records your judgement; it does not perform visual analysis. On planned or previously film-reviewed projects this command cannot substitute for current film-edit evidence.

Record delivery

Check project status and the current edit status before delivery:

vclaw video status --project myvideo
vclaw video review --project myvideo --film-edit ./edit-source.json
vclaw video publish --project myvideo --status ready

The publish gate requires review-report.json to contain verdict: "pass" and metrics.publishReady: true. Planned or film-reviewed projects additionally require a current passing film-edit review; an old report alone is insufficient. Supplying --final-output checks that file against the reviewed export.

vclaw video publish --project myvideo --status published --final-output outputs/final.mp4 --note "Delivered to client"

publish writes the handoff record. It does not upload a film to a social network or hosting service. Status values are ready, published and blocked.

See assembly for creating the export, modes for storyboard approval before generation, and troubleshooting for blockers.