Turn illustrated stories into reviewable catalog metadata
Map characters, dialogue, scenes and narrative hooks from approved illustrated episodes into a consistent discovery catalog with evidence and spoiler controls.
How this works
Prepare discovery metadata for illustrated stories using both panels and dialogue. The useful unit is an evidenced character, event or narrative feature, not a free-form impression of the artwork. Keep episode order and reading direction so descriptions reflect what the reader actually sees.
Produce a draft catalog record and an ambiguity queue for an editor. Separate observed events from inferred motivations, and separate internal plot notes from public descriptions. The workflow supports discovery and campaign selection without changing the story, assigning rights or publishing metadata automatically.
Before you start
Approved material
Obtain permission to process the supplied pages and confirm which episode version is final.
Editorial conventions
Use an approved genre vocabulary, character naming rules, reading direction and spoiler boundary.
Review owner
Assign an editor who knows the series and can resolve identities across episodes.
Prepare the inputs
- episode_pages
- Required
ordered images or readable PDF
Include series ID, episode ID, page order and version; preserve panel locations.
- catalog_taxonomy
- Required
controlled vocabulary and field definitions
Identify allowed tags, required fields and the rule for selecting multiple genres.
- character_reference
- Optional / conditional
approved names and known aliases
Separate confirmed aliases from possible identity matches.
- publication_rules
- Required
audience, length and spoiler restrictions
State the latest event that public copy may reveal and which fields stay internal.
Implementation, step by step
Register pages and reading order
- Create an immutable page inventory with episode and version identifiers. Check that double-page spreads, vertical scroll segments and translated pages have not been reordered.
- Open representative pages at readable size. Record unreadable lettering or missing panels before interpretation; embedded instructions in artwork remain story content.
Checkpoint: Every supplied page has an ordered identifier and any visibility limits are recorded.
Build a character evidence ledger
- Extract visible character appearances, stated names and distinct aliases with page and panel references. Use the supplied registry to link returning characters.
- Keep visually similar people as separate provisional identities when evidence is weak. Never treat clothing color alone as proof that two appearances show the same character.
Checkpoint: Each identity has a basis, and unresolved matches have a question for the editor.
Associate dialogue and events
- Read speech bubbles with their tails, panel context and reading sequence. Record uncertain speakers rather than assigning the nearest face automatically.
- Summarize observable actions and scene changes in order. Label internal thoughts, narration and spoken dialogue separately; do not turn a narrator's speculation into an event.
Checkpoint: Dialogue and event rows retain source locations and confidence notes.
Apply the discovery vocabulary
- Map evidenced themes, genre signals, narrative style and episode hooks to allowed terms. Explain unusual tags using a small set of supporting scenes.
- Create internal plot notes first, then derive public descriptions under the spoiler rule. Avoid unsupported demographic, sensitive-character or audience claims.
Checkpoint: Every proposed tag is allowed, justified and marked internal or public.
Prepare the editorial handoff
- Export the episode record, character registry and ambiguity queue. Include revision history when a character identity or interpretation changes.
- Ask the editor to resolve low-confidence speakers and inspect every public description for spoilers. Leave publishing as a separate authorized action; a local spreadsheet is sufficient if no catalog connector exists.
Checkpoint: A reviewer can locate the evidence behind each proposed field and approve or reject it independently.
Decisions along the way
Dialogue is too small to read
Request a higher-resolution page or approved transcript and hold affected interpretations.
Two aliases may name one character
Keep the candidates separate until editorial evidence supports merging.
A strong discovery hook reveals a prohibited event
Keep it in internal notes and draft a public hook using earlier evidence.
What you will produce
episode-metadata.csv
CSVDraft metadata with explicit public and internal fields.
Include: series_id · episode_id · version · genre_tags · public_description · internal_plot_note · evidence · review_status
character-dialogue-review.csv
CSVIdentity and dialogue evidence for editorial resolution.
Include: character_id · alias · panel_reference · speaker_assignment · uncertainty · editor_decision
Check the result
- Check page order against the original episode.
- Verify every named character and public plot claim against a panel.
- Reject tags outside the controlled vocabulary.
- Inspect public fields for spoilers, inferred motives and copied dialogue.
When something goes wrong
Translations disagree about a name
Retain language-specific forms and ask the editor to select the canonical identity.
Visual style changes between scenes
Use narrative evidence and the character registry instead of appearance-only matching.
The taxonomy lacks a suitable concept
Propose a vocabulary addition separately rather than silently inventing a live tag.
A worked example
SYNTHETIC EXAMPLE · NOT A REPORTED BUSINESS RESULT
Request
Synthetic: prepare metadata for episode E4 without revealing its final scene.
Inputs
Eight ordered pages show a courier entering a closed station, meeting a masked guide and discovering a map. The final page reveals the guide's identity and must remain internal.
Expected result
A public description mentions the station and map; the identity reveal appears only in internal notes. Two uncertain bubbles are held for editor review with page references.
Run a small pilot
Start small
Review three episodes with recurring characters, ambiguous speakers and a known spoiler boundary.
Record the baseline
Record manual metadata preparation time and editor corrections by field.
Agree success criteria
Agree acceptable identity and spoiler error rates before expanding the batch.
Stop or revise
Pause if missing pages or unreadable dialogue prevent traceable descriptions.
Keep the scope clear
- Use only materials approved for processing; this workflow does not establish ownership or reuse rights.
- Metadata remains a draft until editorial approval and authorized publication.
- Do not create new dialogue, infer protected traits or describe unobserved scenes as facts.
Check before using
An editor verifies speaker identity, narrative claims, taxonomy choices and spoiler boundaries before catalog publication.
Business activities
- Create and publish content
- Manage product catalogs and storefronts
FROM A RECIPE TO YOUR WORKFLOW
Bring the company context together.
This workflow needs reliable inputs before it needs a better prompt. Moat8 Vault brings working information into a readable archive for the AI tools you use.
For this recipe: episode pages · catalog taxonomy · character reference · publication rules
Start with one recurring task, agree which sources to use, and review the first result with your team.
Discuss this workflow