STATE — Boundary Locks
Coordinate Category: Boundary Continuity & State Locking
Status: Specialized Precision Coordinate
1. Purpose & Functional Role
[STATE IN] and [STATE OUT] explicitly declare the starting and terminal physical coordinates of a Macro-State beat. They act as hard continuity locks during complex physical transitions, prop exchanges, or emotional turning points.
2. Specification: [STATE IN]
[STATE IN] captures the visible baseline condition of characters, postures, or props at the immediate beginning of a line before any new kinetic action occurs.
- Placement: Placed at the front of the Macro-State chain, immediately following
[CAM]or[AXIS]. - Function: Re-anchors subtle continuity markers inherited from the previous line.
- Example Usage:
[CAM 02] -> [STATE IN] Evan facing ocean, shoulders rigid -> [ACT] Evan lowers arms...[CAM 01] [AXIS] screen-left [STATE IN] Robert's hand resting on window frame -> [ACT] Robert turns...
3. Specification: [STATE OUT]
[STATE OUT] locks the resulting physical configuration, posture, and prop placement at the conclusion of a Macro-State line.
- Placement: Placed toward the end of the Macro-State chain, immediately preceding terminal audio cues.
- Function: Provides an unambiguous, explicit handoff state for the next Macro-State line (\(S_{n+1}\)) to inherit.
- Example Usage:
... -> [ACT] Robert slides brass weight down -> [STATE OUT] Robert's thumb poised over pendulum tip... -> [ACT] Mark lowers the paper to his thigh -> [STATE OUT] Mark standing taut, shoulders dropping
4. When to Deploy Boundary States
Do not force [STATE IN] or [STATE OUT] on simple, single-subject beats. Deploy them specifically when: 1. A prop changes hands between characters. 2. A character undergoes a major posture change (standing \(\to\) collapsing \(\to\) seated). 3. An emotional turning point requires precise visual stillness before a cut.