VFX Audit Skill

Purpose

Make renders look professionally polished using techniques that real
editors/motion designers actually use right now — not guesses at what
"looks good."

Process

1. Research pass per style. Search editing tutorials, motion-design
   portfolios, and creator breakdowns for what's actually used in the
   style's current top-performing content: film grain overlays, subtle
   color grading/LUTs, light leaks, chromatic aberration, depth/parallax
   layering, camera shake, vignettes, etc. Different styles call for
   different treatment — minimal wants restraint, motion-graphics wants
   more layered depth.
2. Compile a concrete checklist per style, each item tied to a real
   source, not a general impression.
3. Apply the findings to the actual render templates — this should
   change real project files/settings, not just be a written list.
4. Re-audit periodically (e.g. before major scale-ups, or if engagement
   drops) since visual trends shift — don't treat this as a one-time setup.

Rules

• Never add an effect because it "seems like it'd look cool" — it must
  trace back to research showing it's actually used effectively in this
  style/niche right now.
• Keep the effect list tied to its source so it can be audited or updated
  later.
• Effects should support the content, not distract from it — heavier
  layering on motion-graphics niches, restraint on minimal/fact-driven ones.