human-experience-filter-art/docs/content-candidate-pool.md

Content candidate pool — operator-selected, vetted (2026-06-24)

WIRED (session 0016). The rotating pool below is now the live manifest: simulator/build_pool_manifest.py regenerates simulator/sample_media/manifest.json from this pool; the ring scale forest→coast rename + the cleanup list (bottom) are done; the player picks a random pool member on landing (player.ring.pick_clip_id). See content-pipeline design §11.

The 5 scales each get a rotating pool of clips. When the viewer lands on a scale by zooming the ring in/out, the player randomly picks one clip from that scale's pool. (This supersedes the one-clip-per-scale model — see docs/superpowers/specs/2026-06-24-content-pipeline-design.md.)

Every clip below was operator-selected from the candidate gallery, is strict public-domain or CC‑BY‑class with attribution, and was vetted word‑free / human‑free (windows trimmed past title cards, captions, telemetry burn‑in, divers, construction, logos). All processed via tools/pipeline/run.py process_clip (trim → crossfade‑loop → 1080p proxy). Media is gitignored; this file is the re‑sourceable record. Sim ids are the simulator/sample_media/<id>/ dirs.

License rule confirmed by operator: CC0 / CC‑BY / CC‑BY‑SA are acceptable with a credit line (our overlays + dream are derivatives, which these allow); CC‑BY‑ND is NOT usable (no derivatives); CC‑BY‑NC only if the installation stays non‑commercial.

🌌 cosmos (pool of 5)

id	clip	source	window (s)	license / credit
cosmos	Cosmic Cliffs — Carina Nebula flythrough	NASA SVS 31348 — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/31348/ (Clifs-3d-STScI.mp4, Exploring the Cosmic Cliffs in 3D, Webb NIRCam, 4K)	10–34	CC‑BY‑class — credit NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
cosmos_miri	Cosmic Cliffs — Carina Nebula, mid-infrared (same towers, muted gray/teal/gold dust palette)	ESA/Webb weic2205c — https://esawebb.org/videos/weic2205c/ (Pan of the Carina Nebula, combined NIRCam + MIRI, 4K weic2205c.mp4)	4–26	CC‑BY‑class — credit NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

ℹ️ Cosmos primary swapped to the Webb "Cosmic Cliffs" flythrough (2026-06-25, session 0018). History: the original primary was NASA/JPL's "Orion: Dust and Death" (captions burned in → cropping lost framing); it was then swapped to STScI's text-free Flight Through the Orion Nebula (SVS 30957, visible light). The operator found the Orion clip merely good and asked for a more dramatic nebula, so the primary is now STScI's Exploring the Cosmic Cliffs in 3D (Carina Nebula, Webb NIRCam, SVS 31348) — a full-frame, text-free 3D flythrough sourced from its 4K master (Clifs-3d-STScI.mp4, 3840×2160) → supersampled 1080p base + 4K master. Trim 10–34s clears the opening title card (gone by ~8s) and the end-credit card (~102s). The earlier decaption_cosmos crop helper remains removed. | cosmos_galaxies | Flying Through Galaxies | NASA SVS — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014950/14950_Galaxies_FlyThrough_4k.mp4 | 8–32 | PD | | cosmos_hudf | Hubble Ultra Deep Field zoom | NASA SVS — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a030000/a030600/a030687/hudf-b-1920x1080p30.mov | 20–44 | CC‑BY‑class — credit NASA, ESA, STScI | | cosmos_xdf | eXtreme Deep Field flythrough | NASA SVS — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a030000/a030600/a030681/hxdf_fly-b-1920x1080p30.mov | 2–26 | CC‑BY‑class — credit NASA, ESA, STScI |

➕ cosmos_miri added (2026-06-26). Operator wanted more Cosmic Cliffs footage and a different-color rendering. The keep-the-flythrough-primary + add-the-mid-infrared-pan pair: ESA/Webb's weic2205c is the same Carina towers shot with NIRCam + MIRI, so it renders in a muted gray/teal/gold dust palette instead of the iconic orange/blue — a distinct look from the same scene. Sourced text-free/human-free from the 4K master, trim 4–26s (clears the opening fade-from-black, ends before any tail fade) → 1080p base + 4K master, 1 s crossfade-loop (~21 s). ESA/Webb's narration-free "Diving Into the Cosmic Cliffs" pan (carina_revisit_pan, NIRCam palette) was the runner-up — left out for now since it repeats the existing palette; easy to add if wanted.

⚠️ DISCREPANCY to fix next session. Operator selected cosmos #1, #3 (Orion), #4, #5. During processing, #6 Galaxy Traverse was run by mistake instead of #3 Orion. The cosmos primary now lives at simulator/sample_media/cosmos/base.mp4 as the Webb Cosmic Cliffs flythrough (SVS 31348 — see the cosmos-primary note above). cosmos_traverse is an UNSELECTED extra on disk — drop it (or confirm with operator). The current ring scale id is cosmos; when the pool is wired, cosmos becomes one pool member.

🏗️ BUILD (2026-06-28, branch feat/sky-scale-expanded-pools) — curated pools + sky scale

Decision: add the sky scale + curate every pool to ~7–8 clips (operator chose "curate, expand from the sim" over a full ~2,000-morph bake). Morphs are cheap and length-independent — transition_cmd does trim=0:3, so each morph uses only the first 3s of each clip (2–6MB all-intra), so the curated bake is ~616 morphs ≈ ~1.8GB / ~30 min. Long clips (45–60s) validated: a 53s loop bitrate-capped (libx264 crf 23, -maxrate 2.8M -bufsize 5.6M, 1080p) = ~20MB, under the ~25MB front-proxy/LFS ceiling. The pool processor downloads each source, trims its long window, [vidstab-stabilizes / xfade-splices where flagged], crossfade-loops, and writes the capped proxy to simulator/sample_media/<id>/base.mp4.

Curated lineup (~43 clips; 30 new + 13 existing reused; prune/expand from the sim):

• cosmos (7): cosmos, cosmos_galaxies + cosmos_orion, _tarantula, _westerlund, _southernring, _carina_eso
• orbit (7): orbit_planetearth, _bluemarble + orbit_aurora2025, _citylights, _helene, _epic, _illuminated
• sky (8) NEW SCALE (between orbit & coast): sky_grca_templesa, sky_greenland_landice (stab), sky_greenland_suture (stab), sky_jungle_amazon (amazon+canopy splice), sky_jungle_waterfall, sky_coast_cliffspain, sky_mtn_castlecrags, sky_mtn_rocky
• coast (7): coast_birdrock, _surfgrass + coast_kelp, _otters, _kalaloch, _seals, _mist (dropped short drakesbeach/elkbeach)
• reef (6): reef_lionfish, _spawning, _hawkfish, _coralspacific + reef_redsea, _flowergarden (dropped murky reef_snapper; dropped reef_hawaiian — text overlay)
• abyss (7): abyss_wow, _midwaterexp, _hiding + abyss_bigfin, _dandelion, _octopus, _seapig

Remaining build steps: (1) processor finishes the 30 new bases → (2) wire build_pool_manifest.py (RING_ORDER + sky, POOLS, SCALE_AUDIO, META/AFFECT/LABELS for new clips) → (3) regenerate manifest + --media morph bake (~616) → (4) update test_build_pool_manifest.py morph-count assertion + run pytest/playwright → (5) ship via §9 (localhost+E2E → PPE). All dropped/unpicked Round-4 candidates remain in /review_pool.html for easy add-back.

📜 License policy FINALIZED (2026-06-28) + Round-4 expanded candidates

License policy (supersedes the "strict PD" framing above). The operator confirmed the installation alters footage (needs derivative rights), will keep a credits list, and may be shown commercially. Usable: CC0, US-gov Public Domain, CC BY, CC BY-SA (share-alike accepted), Pexels License. Never usable: CC BY-ND (no derivatives) and all NonCommercial (CC BY-NC*) variants. For CC BY / BY-SA, credit the author + note "footage altered." Pexels needs no attribution. Recorded in agent memory media-license-policy.

⚠️ License correction (abyss sourcing): Schmidt Ocean Institute, Nautilus Live / Ocean Exploration Trust, and MBARI are NonCommercial / all-rights-reserved → NOT usable. Deep-sea picks are NOAA Ocean Exploration (PD) / CC0 only.

Round-4 (2026-06-28): ~10 fresh candidates PER altitude, sourced under the widened licenses and chosen for long clean windows (45–60s) per the operator's "make the videos longer" ask (we cap bitrate to keep LFS objects <25MB). All 56 are HEAD-verified and live in the streaming gallery /review_pool.html (the URLs/windows/licenses are recorded in that committed file). Awaiting operator picks per altitude. Highlights: cosmos = Orion/Tarantula/Westerlund/Bubble/Carina-ESO/Stephan's-Quintet/Southern-Ring flythroughs (NASA SVS PD + ESA/ESO CC BY); orbit = ISS auroras + city-lights + storm-limb

• EPIC full-disk + ESA Sentinel (PD/CC0/CC BY-SA); sky = volcano/savanna/autumn/sea-of-clouds/ dunes/salt-flats/vineyards/badlands/boreal terrains; coast = kelp/otters/tidepool-crab/ surf-on-rock/gulls/seals; reef = Red Sea (CC BY-SA) + 6 NOAA reels (clear-water windows); abyss = bigfin squid/dandelion siphonophore/psychedelic medusa/ghost shark/octopus/ CC0 sea-pig/bamboo-coral forest/vents/dragonfish/isopod.

☁️ sky — PROPOSED NEW scale (candidates, awaiting operator review)

➕ New altitude: "up in the clouds, flying over the earth" (sourced 2026-06-27). A new ring scale that sits between orbit (ISS / space) and coast (ground) — the airplane-window / low-flight layer. Proposed slug sky, emoji ☁️; ring order would become cosmos → orbit → sky → coast → reef → abyss (operator to confirm slug + placement). The 20 candidates below are NOT yet downloaded or processed — they are a review list. Watch them streaming from the source at /review_sky.html (served by the sim; nothing downloads until you press play), then pick the keepers and we'll trim → crossfade-loop → 1080p them into a pool like every other scale. All are strict US-gov public domain unless noted; all direct URLs HEAD-verified 200 + video/mp4 on 2026-06-27.

✅ OPERATOR SELECTED (2026-06-28) — 15 clips, SOURCING CLOSED (Selected band on /review_sky.html):

• Aircraft aerials (4): sky_grca_templesa, sky_grca_templesb, sky_greenland_landice (stabilize, vidstab — wobbly), sky_greenland_suture (stabilize). (sky_greenland_gopro removed.)
• Rainforest (4): sky_jungle_amazon (spliced with sky_jungle_canopy into one clip, short crossfade at the seam), sky_jungle_river, sky_jungle_waterfall, sky_jungle_warmlight. (All Pexels License.)
• Coast (3): sky_coast_dunes (CC-BY — credit; downscale the 4K), sky_coast_turquoise, sky_coast_cliffspain (Pexels). (sky_coast_norway and sky_coast_cliffsurf2 removed.)
• Mountains (4): sky_mtn_rocky, sky_mtn_castlecrags, sky_mtn_granite, sky_mtn_sierra (swapped in for sky_mtn_snowfield).

Balance: aircraft 4 · rainforest 4 · coast 3 · mountains 4. The Round-3b/3c rainforest candidates not listed above (misty/clouds/riverhd/textured + _alts) were not chosen.

Clip-length audit (2026-06-28, measured via cv2 on the on-disk pool): shortest existing loops are coast_drakesbeach 14s and coast_elkbeach 17s (both the ground-level coast scale), then reef_snapper 20s, cosmos_miri 21s; everything else ~23s (reef_spawning 27s longest). The new sky clips all have ≥24s windows → bake to ~22–23s. Open option: re-trim the two short coast outliers to longer windows during the sky processing pass.

Dropped / superseded: the other 15 round-1 candidates; round-2 coast sky_coast_icefjord + sky_coast_moher; round-2 mountains sky_mtn_shasta + sky_mtn_snowfield; the round-2 rainforest batch (lidar/DVIDS jungle — all rejected); round-3 coast sky_coast_reef (unpicked) + sky_coast_oregon (humans + nauseating FPV). sky_coast_reeflagoon/sky_coast_cliffsurf (too short) → replaced; the short round-3 rainforest clips (amazon/canopy/river kept; misty/clouds/riverhd too short) → replaced in Round-3b. Live review page: /review_sky.html.

Group A — real aerial, from aircraft (the heart of the scale):

id	clip	source	direct media	window (s)	notes
sky_grca_pivot	Grand Canyon — high-altitude, straight down + slow 360° pivot	NPS GRCA b-roll hd09 — https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/photosmultimedia/b-roll_hd09.htm	https://www.nps.gov/nps-audiovideo/audiovideo/302c9dbf-f9ad-4964-bbf3-a21b536f36ed1080p.mp4	0–24	PD · 1080p · text/human-free; ~25s clip (use whole)
sky_grca_upstream	Grand Canyon — high-elevation glide tracking upstream	NPS GRCA hd09 (same page)	https://www.nps.gov/nps-audiovideo/audiovideo/237ed336-b101-4a44-81f1-36d692c08a7a1080p.mp4	12–36	PD · 1080p · trim before the mid-clip zoom
sky_grca_templesa	Grand Canyon — banking aerial over cliffs & "temples" (A)	NPS GRCA hd10 — https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/photosmultimedia/b-roll_hd10.htm	https://www.nps.gov/nps-audiovideo/audiovideo/0121cbe5-b185-4f9f-94af-e55f3ade40161080p.mp4	0–24	PD · 1080p
sky_grca_templesb	Grand Canyon — cliffs & "temples" aerial (B, alt angle)	NPS GRCA hd10 (same page)	https://www.nps.gov/nps-audiovideo/audiovideo/0b014199-8287-441c-b535-2416d7b049521080p.mp4	0–24	PD · 1080p
sky_grca_river	Grand Canyon — low-elevation aerial skimming the Colorado River	NPS GRCA hd08 — https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/photosmultimedia/b-roll_hd08.htm	https://www.nps.gov/nps-audiovideo/audiovideo/008a5147-7b14-49a1-9871-13aeb03325aa1080p.mp4	0–24	PD · 1080p · lower/faster altitude variety
sky_greenland_gopro	IceBridge — Western Greenland, forward flight (GoPro)	NASA SVS 13474 — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13474	https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a013400/a013474/YOUTUBE_1080_13474_2019_GoPro_Front_4K_youtube_1080.mp4	30–54	PD · 1080p (4K master on page)
sky_greenland_landice	IceBridge — N. Greenland, low flight over snowy land ice	NASA SVS 13472 — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13472	https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a013400/a013472/YOUTUBE_1080_13472_Panasonic_2016_Airborne_LandIce_4K_youtube_1080.mp4	20–44	PD · 1080p
sky_svalbard_land	IceBridge — Svalbard, over glaciated mountains	NASA SVS 13473 — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13473	https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a013400/a013473/YOUTUBE_1080_13473_LandIce_2017_iPhone_youtube_1080.mp4	25–49	PD · 1080p
sky_svalbard_seaice	IceBridge — Svalbard, banking over fractured pack ice	NASA SVS 13477 — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13477	https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a013400/a013477/YOUTUBE_1080_13477_iPhone_2017_SeaIce_Broken_youtube_1080.mp4	20–44	PD · 1080p · abstract ice leads
sky_petermann_icebergs	IceBridge — over icebergs toward Petermann calving front	NASA SVS 13471 — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13471	https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a013400/a013471/YOUTUBE_1080_3471_4K_SeaIce_2017_Icebergs_CalvingFront_youtube_1080.mp4	30–54	PD · 1080p (4K master)
sky_greenland_suture	IceBridge — N. Greenland, overhead sea-ice patterning ("Suture")	NASA SVS 13472 — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13472	https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a013400/a013472/YOUTUBE_1080_13472_4K_SeaIce_2017_Suture_youtube_1080.mp4	15–39	PD · 1080p (4K master) · nadir ice texture
sky_helheim	"The Helheim Experience" — scenic C-130 flight near Helheim Glacier	NASA SVS 11862 — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11862/	https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011800/a011862/Helheim_scenic_youtube_hq.mov	40–64	PD · ⚠ 720p only · source has a music bed (mute it)
sky_clouds_mountains	"Cloudy with a Chance of Mountains" — clouds + mountains aerial	US DoD / DVIDS 464215 — https://www.dvidshub.net/video/464215/cloudy-with-chance-mountains-no-lower-thirds	https://d34w7g4gy10iej.cloudfront.net/video/1604/DOD_103314280/DOD_103314280-1024x576-1769k.mp4	scrub	PD (DoD) · ⚠ 576p · "no lower thirds" cut; scrub to an aerial-only segment

Group B — cloudscapes & atmosphere (CG renders, "in/above the clouds"):

id	clip	source	direct media	window (s)	notes
sky_clouds_na	Clouds over North America — cinematic cloud-layer sweep	NASA SVS 3860 — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3860/	https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003800/a003860/hsymph_na.mp4	3–27	PD · 1080p · closest "sea of clouds" beauty shot (~115 MB)
sky_clouds_gulf	Simulated clouds over the Gulf — artistic "beauty" render	NASA SVS 3921 — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3921/	https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003900/a003921/michael_beauty_v08_1080p.mp4	2–26	PD · 1080p · art-lit towering clouds (~118 MB)
sky_geos_7km	GEOS-5 modeled clouds — 7 km global resolution	NASA SVS 3657 — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3657/	https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003600/a003657/comp_geos5_7km.mp4	3–27	PD · 1080p · small file (~23 MB, LFS-friendly)
sky_geos_35km	GEOS-5 modeled clouds — 3.5 km global resolution	NASA SVS 3659 — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3659/	https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003600/a003659/comp_geos5_3.5km_new.mp4	4–28	PD · 1080p · ⚠ white flashes at loop-restart — land window between them (~141 MB)
sky_geos_visible	GEOS-5 "visible" — photoreal clouds + aerosols deck	NASA SVS 30591 — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30591/	https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a030000/a030500/a030591/geos_visible_1080p.mp4	10–34	PD · 1080p (4K master) · ⚠ large ~573 MB; scrub for any colorbar

Group C — atmospheric limb / full-disk (orbit-adjacent, optional — may overlap orbit):

id	clip	source	direct media	window (s)	notes
sky_earth_atmos	Spinning Earth with atmosphere, clouds & night lights	NASA SVS 5570 — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5570/	https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a005500/a005570/Earth_wAtmos_spin_02_1080p60.mp4	0–24	PD · 1080p60 (4K master) · visible atmospheric limb + cloud layer (~33 MB)
sky_goes_fulldisk	GOES-16 — first full-disk Earth (true color)	NOAA GOES-R — https://www.goes-r.gov/multimedia/dataAndImageryVideosGoes-16.html	https://www.goes-r.gov/multimedia/originalVideoCopies/dataAndImagery/GOES16/ABI_Jan15_2017_fulldisk_loop.mp4	0–7 (loop)	PD (NOAA/NASA) · 1440×1080 · ⚠ tiny NOAA+NASA logo bottom-right (croppable)

Round-2 candidates (2026-06-28) — aerial over rainforest / coast / mountains

All direct URLs HEAD-verified 200 on 2026-06-28. Strict US-gov public domain unless a license is given; CC-BY/CC-BY-SA usable with the credit shown; ⚠ Pexels clips use a custom non-PD license (flagged). "Human-free" on the CC-BY/Pexels clips is from descriptions — eyeball the window before baking.

🌴 rainforest (aerial over canopy) — clean strict-PD photographic rainforest aerial is thin; NASA's are lidar renders, the DVIDS clips need windowing:

id	clip	source	direct media	window (s)	notes
sky_canopy_transect	50 km of Brazilian forest canopy — continuous flyover	NASA SVS 4530 — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4530	https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004500/a004530/transect2014_1080p30.mp4	18–42	PD · 1080p (4K avail) · ⚠ lidar render, not photographic
sky_canopy_flythrough	Flying through LIDAR canopy — into the leaves	NASA SVS 4532 — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4532/	https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004500/a004532/flythrough_1080p30.mp4	10–34	PD · 1080p · ⚠ lidar render; abstract
sky_jungle_pr	Puerto Rico — helicopter aerial over jungle mountains	DVIDS 584062 — https://www.dvidshub.net/video/584062/	https://d34w7g4gy10iej.cloudfront.net/video/1802/DOD_105308416/DOD_105308416.mp4	34–58	PD (USACE) · 1080p, no audio · ⚠ recovery b-roll — only mountain-overflight is clean
sky_jungle_thai	Thailand — aerial over dense jungle canopy (Cobra Gold)	DVIDS 585804 — https://www.dvidshub.net/video/585804/	https://d34w7g4gy10iej.cloudfront.net/video/1802/DOD_105335187/DOD_105335187.mp4	0–24	PD (USMC) · ≤1080p · ⚠ live-fire exercise — pick early canopy beat

🌊 coast — no humans (aerial):

id	clip	source	direct media	window (s)	license / notes
sky_coast_icefjord	Greenland — Ilulissat ice fjord, glaciers meeting the sea	NASA SVS 11982 — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11982/	https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011900/a011982/Aerials.webm	30–54	PD · 4K webm ~56 MB · real helicopter aerials (1080p mp4 Aerials_2.mp4 also live, ~282 MB)
sky_coast_moher	Cliffs of Moher — drone over Atlantic sea cliffs	Wikimedia — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cliffs_of_Moher_drone-video.webm	https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Cliffs_of_Moher_drone-video.webm	15–39	CC BY-SA 4.0 — credit Wiebe de Jager · 1080p · use over-water window
sky_coast_norway	Arctic Norway — fjords & coastal waterways (FPV drone)	Wikimedia — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aerial_imagery_of_fjords_and_rivers_in_Arctic_Norway.webm	https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Aerial_imagery_of_fjords_and_rivers_in_Arctic_Norway.webm	60–84	CC BY 3.0 — credit anotherview · 4K ⚠ ~485 MB, trim
sky_coast_dunes	The Slufter, Texel — coastal dunes & tidal channels	Wikimedia — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Slufter_from_above.webm	https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/The_Slufter_from_above.webm	30–54	CC BY 3.0 — credit Sander van Schie – De Verfilmer · 4K ⚠ ~436 MB, trim
sky_coast_reeflagoon	Coral reef / turquoise lagoon from above	Pexels 12952333 — https://www.pexels.com/video/drone-video-of-coral-reefs-under-turquoise-sea-water-12952333/	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/12952333/12952333-hd_1920_1080_25fps.mp4	0–24	⚠ Pexels License (not PD) · 1080p (1440p avail) · "No People" tag — confirm
sky_coast_cliffsurf	Rugged cliff coastline above the surf	Pexels 5619876 — https://www.pexels.com/video/drone-footage-of-a-cliff-coastline-above-the-sea-water-5619876/	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/5619876/5619876-hd_1920_1080_25fps.mp4	0–24	⚠ Pexels License (not PD) · 1080p ~8 MB · confirm no surfers/boats

⛰️ mountains (aerial over peaks & ridgelines) — the richest strict-PD vein (NPS + US Forest Service):

id	clip	source	direct media	window (s)	notes
sky_mtn_rocky	Rocky Mountain NP — aerial over alpine summits & tundra	NPS — https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=8E66DB80-64C2-4258-B878-5F9244FB6C60	https://www.nps.gov/nps-audiovideo/audiovideo/188046ff-c9d6-4859-8c7a-1e0d3d306ed61080p.mp4	60–84	PD · 1080p · pick peaks segment (Trail Ridge Rd in some shots)
sky_mtn_castlecrags	Castle Crags — past jagged granite spires & ridgelines	DVIDS 998726 — https://www.dvidshub.net/video/998726/	https://d34w7g4gy10iej.cloudfront.net/video/2603/DOD_111563303/DOD_111563303.mp4	120–144	PD (USFS) · 1080p · confirmed no text/people — strongest pick
sky_mtn_shasta	Mount Shasta — drone aerial of the snow-capped volcano	DVIDS 998733 — https://www.dvidshub.net/video/998733/	https://d34w7g4gy10iej.cloudfront.net/video/2603/DOD_111563312/DOD_111563312.mp4	30–54	PD (USFS) · 1080p · distant town in part of clip
sky_mtn_granite	Shasta-Trinity NF — high alpine terrain near Granite Peak	DVIDS 998735 — https://www.dvidshub.net/video/998735/	https://d34w7g4gy10iej.cloudfront.net/video/2603/DOD_111563314/DOD_111563314.mp4	90–114	PD (USFS) · 1080p · ridgelines, no text/people noted
sky_mtn_snowfield	Mount Shasta slopes — over white alpine snowfields	DVIDS 998725 — https://www.dvidshub.net/video/998725/	https://d34w7g4gy10iej.cloudfront.net/video/2603/DOD_111563300/DOD_111563300.mp4	30–54	PD (USFS) · 1080p · favor higher-altitude snow (trailhead may appear low)
sky_mtn_sierra	Sierra near Peddler Hill — snow-blanketed high country	DVIDS 996457 — https://www.dvidshub.net/video/996457/	https://d34w7g4gy10iej.cloudfront.net/video/2602/DOD_111530221/DOD_111530221.mp4	40–64	PD (USFS) · 1080p · softer snowy ridges

Round-3 candidates (2026-06-28) — fresh rainforest + longer reef/cliff

Replaces the rejected round-2 rainforest batch, and gives the two "liked but too short" coast subjects proper length. All HEAD-verified 200 on 2026-06-28; all durations support a 24s+ window. Mostly Pexels License (free to use, not PD/CC — flagged) since clean strict-PD photographic aerial in these subjects is effectively absent; one CC-BY option included. Human-free is per description — eyeball the window before baking.

🌴 rainforest — fresh batch (photographic drone, wild/uninhabited):

id	clip	direct media	window (s)	license / notes
sky_jungle_amazon	Lush Amazon rainforest canopy — slow aerial push	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/31291128/13360655_3840_2160_60fps.mp4	3–27	⚠ Pexels · 4K60 · confirmed no people/buildings/roads/watermark — top pick · page
sky_jungle_canopy	Lush green jungle canopy — gliding aerial	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/29780524/12796533_1920_1080_25fps.mp4	2–26	⚠ Pexels · native 1080p ~61 MB · page
sky_jungle_river	Amazon rainforest river through unbroken jungle	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/35969886/15251199_3840_2160_30fps.mp4	3–27	⚠ Pexels · 4K · the "jungle river" angle · page
sky_jungle_misty	Misty mountain forest — low cloud over jungle hills	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/34697024/14706326_3840_2160_30fps.mp4	3–27	⚠ Pexels · 4K · cloud-forest mood · page
sky_jungle_clouds	Lush greenery shrouded in clouds — aerial	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/36998596/15673868_3840_2160_60fps.mp4	3–27	⚠ Pexels · 4K60 ~19 MB (small) · page
sky_jungle_riverhd	Serene jungle river landscape — aerial	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/35897960/15226438_1920_1080_30fps.mp4	0–24	⚠ Pexels · native 1080p ~25 MB (fits LFS as-is) · page

🌊 coast — longer replacements (≥26s of footage):

id	clip	direct media	window (s)	dur	license / notes
sky_coast_reef	Coral reef + blue lagoon, Balicasag (replaces reeflagoon)	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/36379860/15428423_3840_2160_60fps.mp4	4–28	32s	⚠ Pexels · 4K60 · truest coral match · ⚠ dive site — check window for boats · page
sky_coast_turquoise	Rocks in shallow turquoise water, straight down (reeflagoon alt)	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/12738229/12738229-uhd_2560_1440_30fps.mp4	4–28	32s	⚠ Pexels · 1440p · cleanest turquoise (rocky seabed > coral) · page
sky_coast_cliffsurf2	Mountain cliffs above the sea, crashing surf (replaces cliffsurf)	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/4385207/4385207-hd_1920_1080_30fps.mp4	8–32	50s	⚠ Pexels · native 1080p · rugged cliffs + surf, no man-made · page
sky_coast_cliffspain	Dramatic Atlantic sea cliffs, N. Spain (cliffsurf alt)	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/36668415/15545045_3840_2160_60fps.mp4	1–25	26s	⚠ Pexels · 4K60 · page-confirmed no people/boats/buildings/text · page
sky_coast_oregon	Oregon Coast — rugged Pacific sea cliffs & surf (FPV drone)	https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Oregon_Coast_Odyssey-_FPV_Drone_Captures_Stunning_Ocean_Views.webm	20–44	96s	CC BY 3.0 — credit EagleView · 4K · the one clean CC cliff option · ⚠ FPV = faster/tilted motion · page

🌴 Round-3b rainforest — longer versions of the three liked-but-too-short moods (still open):

Durations measured via ffprobe; all comfortably support a 24s window. All ⚠ Pexels License.

id	clip	direct media	window (s)	dur	notes
sky_jungle_misty	Misty rainforest in dense fog — fog rolling over canopy	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/30770305/13162099_3840_2160_30fps.mp4	10–34	120s	4K · top misty pick, no flags · page
sky_jungle_misty_alt	Misty mountainous jungle, Vietnam — mist on ridgelines	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/30575002/13092740_3840_2160_60fps.mp4	3–27	31s	4K60 · cloud-forest ridgelines · page
sky_jungle_clouds	Serene misty green hills — same shoot as original, longer	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/36998553/15673828_3840_2160_60fps.mp4	5–29	38s	4K60 · adjacent ID to the liked clip · page
sky_jungle_clouds_alt	Flying through clouds over green hills	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/28499216/12400645_3840_2160_25fps.mp4	12–36	49s	4K · strongest "shrouded" feel · page
sky_jungle_riverhd	Lush green forest & river — river through canopy	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/35612503/15091993_3840_2160_30fps.mp4	10–34	54s	4K · 2nd river (redundant if one river is enough) · page

✨ Round-3c rainforest — more distinct looks (balance rainforest to ~4, still open):

Distinct subjects beyond canopy/river/misty. All ⚠ Pexels License, all ≥33s. Gaps the search could NOT fill at the 28s + clean bar: golden-hour raking light, volcanic-rainforest ridges, dramatic oxbow S-curves, mist-in-columns (closest options were <28s, vertical, contaminated with villages/canoes, or temperate biome).

id	clip	direct media	window (s)	dur	look
sky_jungle_waterfall	Waterfall plunging out of dense jungle canopy	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/8334944/8334944-uhd_4096_2160_24fps.mp4	10–34	46s	WATERFALL — fully distinct, strongest new look · page
sky_jungle_warmlight	Tropical jungle canopy in warm hazy morning light	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/26829790/12015586_3840_2160_30fps.mp4	4–28	~33s	warm low-light (closest to golden-hour found) · page
sky_jungle_textured	Varied jungle canopy — mixed greens & emergent texture	https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/2317719/2317719-uhd_3840_2160_24fps.mp4	6–30	37s	textured/emergent canopy, richer than the plain glide · page

Round-3 sourcing note: reef/lagoon clips ≥25s are scarce (most are 12–20s); the two above clear the bar. Cliff-coast supply is good. The genuine remaining gap is strict-PD / CC reef + rainforest — Commons has no clean aerial reef video and only short/credit-bound rainforest, so Pexels is the pragmatic floor here.

Round-2 sourcing notes: NPS bans in-park drone ops (2014) → almost no NPS aerial coast/forest; DVIDS coast aerials nearly all had people/boats/vehicles; photographic strict-PD rainforest aerial is the genuine gap (NASA's are lidar renders) — Pixabay/Pexels drone canopy is the fallback if none of the above land. DVIDS direct files serve as binary/octet-stream but are valid mp4 (the page uses <source type="video/mp4"> so they preview inline).

Sources considered & rejected (so a future session doesn't re-chase them): NOAA's high-res GOES satellite loops (FOUREASTER full-disk, Irma/Maria geocolor, "Clouds with Precipitation", "Satellite Models") all carry burned-in telemetry bars / political borders / date stamps / colorbars → unusable. NOAA's clean globes (SOS "Clouds real-time", "Blue Marble") are text-free but only 400×400 and overlap the existing orbit blue-marble. NESDIS "Earth from Orbit" and the Ocean-Today "Hurricane Hunters" piece are produced/narrated packages with text+people. NASA "Fly Above Alaskan Glaciers" is 360°/equirectangular (not a flat clip). The IceBridge cockpit "banking over Disko Bay" cut has windshield/panel in frame. The full NASA SVS IceBridge 13471–13477 series is a rich vein if more aerial-ice clips are wanted later (each page also offers multi-GB 4K .mov masters).

🛰️ orbit (pool of 3)

id	clip	source	window (s)	license
orbit_planetearth	ISS — View of Planet Earth	NASA SVS — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a030000/a030700/a030771/ISS_View_of_Planet_Earth_2160p.mp4	10–34	PD
orbit_crewobs	ISS — Crew Earth Observations	NASA SVS — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a030000/a030700/a030771/ISS_Crew_Earth_Observations_2160p.mp4	9–33	PD
orbit_bluemarble	NPP "Blue Marble" rotating globe (CG)	NASA SVS — https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004500/a004550/BlueMarble_starfield_4k_2160p30_v2.mp4	10–34	PD

Operator also selected aurora→Perth (#4) and west‑coast lights (#5); both rejected as UNUSABLE — #4 has a date/time burned into every frame, #5 has the ISS module + solar panel in frame throughout. No clean window exists in either.

🏖️ coast (pool of 4) — NEW scale, replaces the granite/waterfall forest

id	clip	source	window (s)	license
coast_birdrock	Bird rock + ocean (aerial)	NPS Channel Islands — https://www.nps.gov/nps-audiovideo/audiovideo/663a2f13-6183-4b3e-a4a9-6698a84619d01080p.mp4	3–27	PD
coast_surfgrass	Surfgrass / coralline tidepool	NPS Cabrillo — https://www.nps.gov/nps-audiovideo/audiovideo/de7d1cf2-e422-45b5-aa66-4c69e29a4d811080p.mp4	2–26	PD
coast_elkbeach	Elk resting in coastal grass/fog	NPS Redwood — https://www.nps.gov/nps-audiovideo/legacy/redw/4634070E-F68D-4F74-E43174448168AC8A/redw-elkbeach_1280x720.mp4	20–38	PD (720p source)
coast_drakesbeach	Elephant seals on dark sand	NPS Point Reyes — https://www.nps.gov/nps-audiovideo/audiovideo/1cfd8165-1061-4d75-af53-b46c2e3ed2701080p.mp4	20–35	PD

Operator also selected the Lifeboat Station "elephant seal timelapse" (more‑options #3) — FAILED: the NPS page's video resolved to the wrong footage (an aerial of the bay with road/parking/boats, no seals). An alternate source UUID (50a7a20a-9e52-4643-b186-c61ce1cef0f7) appeared in the page HTML and could be retried next session if the seal timelapse is still wanted.

Scale rename: the live ring scale is still forest (Yosemite). Next session renames it coast and points it at this pool. The old real Yosemite base (simulator/sample_media/forest/) becomes unused.

🐠 reef (pool of 5)

All NOAA Fisheries b‑roll (PD, credit "NOAA Fisheries"); Brightcove download endpoint https://download.gallery.brightcove.com/api/gallery/account/659677166001/site/site-600408/video/<VIDEO_ID>/download.

id	clip	VIDEO_ID	window (s)	notes
reef_spawning	Snapper school + yellow fish over sunlit reef	1553921798001	50–78	clean window from a 12‑min reel
reef_hawkfish	Humphead parrotfish over reef (Hawaiian atoll)	6039896460001	250–274
reef_lionfish	Lionfish hovering + blue snapper	4088881464001	12–36	underwater clean; humans on land after ~190s
reef_snapper	Red snapper schooling (Gulf, greenish water)	5305427942001	7–31
reef_coralspacific	Pacific coral macro, spotted fish	5231464663001	30–54	diver‑free window (divers at 6–25s)

🦑 abyss (pool of 3)

All NOAA Ocean Exploration (PD, 17 U.S.C. §105). These have creatures drifting into and out of frame — the prime material for time‑windowed tracked labels.

id	clip	source	window (s)	creatures
abyss_wow	"World of Water"	https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/wow-1280x720-1.mp4	10–34	jelly + ctenophore + siphonophore enter/exit
abyss_midwaterexp	"Midwater Exploration"	https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/midwater-exploration-1920x1080-1.mp4	16–40	white medusa + red worm enter/exit
abyss_hiding	"Hiding in the Dark"	https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/dark-1280x720-1.mp4	20–44	crimson jelly + ctenophore enter/exit

Operator also selected Crossota (#4) and comb jelly (#5); both rejected — Crossota has only ~17s clean (too short for a 24s window), comb jelly has a species caption covering the whole clip.

On disk but NOT in any pool — ✅ CLEANED UP (session 0016)

Removed from local media (all were gitignored, so repo-invisible):

• cosmos_traverse — unselected (the #6/#3 mix‑up above). dropped.
• orbit_westcoast — rejected (ISS hardware in frame). dropped.
• forest — the old Yosemite base, superseded by the coast pool. dropped.
• reef — the original placeholder/early reef base, superseded by reef_*. dropped.
• orbit / abyss — the Increment‑1 single real bases (NASA ISS Exp65 / ctenophore), not in the new pools. dropped (the cosmos base — now the Webb Cosmic Cliffs flythrough, SVS 31348 — stays as the cosmos pool primary).
• review.html gallery — now .gitignored (local‑only, re‑buildable).