diff --git a/movmaker.py b/movmaker.py
index ce2d9d6..5e325ea 100755
--- a/movmaker.py
+++ b/movmaker.py
@@ -39,11 +39,11 @@ DEFAULT_INTRO_LOGO = BASE_DIR / "img" / "moto_travel.png"
 INTRO_LOGO_TARGET_HEIGHT_RATIO = 0.75
 INTRO_LOGO_EXTRA_HOLD = 6.0
 INTRO_LOGO_FADE_OFFSET = 3.0
-INTRO_LOGO_DEFAULT_ALPHA = 1.0
-INTRO_TITLE_START_OFFSET = 4.0
+INTRO_LOGO_DEFAULT_ALPHA = 0.75
+INTRO_TITLE_START_OFFSET = 0.0
 INTRO_TITLE_FADE_LENGTH = 1.0
 INTRO_TITLE_VISIBLE = 6.0
-INTRO_TITLE_FADE_ENABLED = True
+INTRO_TITLE_FADE_IN_ENABLED = False
 DEFAULT_IMAGE_DURATION = 6.0
 DEFAULT_CROSSFADE_DURATION = 3.0
 FIRST_IMAGE_DURATION_MULTIPLIER = 2.0
diff --git a/mvlog_worker.py b/mvlog_worker.py
index 07d5196..46e9f56 100755
--- a/mvlog_worker.py
+++ b/mvlog_worker.py
@@ -57,7 +57,9 @@ def list_jobs(host: str, remote_root: str) -> list[str]:
     return [line.strip() for line in out.splitlines() if line.strip()]
 
 
-def remote_file_exists(host: str, path: str) -> bool:
+def remote_file_exists(host: str | None, path: str) -> bool:
+    if host is None:
+        return Path(path).is_file()
     return ssh(host, f"test -f {remote_q(path)}", check=False).returncode == 0
 
 
@@ -92,7 +94,13 @@ print(hashlib.sha256(json.dumps(entries, ensure_ascii=False, separators=(',', ':
     return ssh(host, cmd).stdout.strip()
 
 
-def read_remote_json(host: str, path: str) -> dict:
+def read_remote_json(host: str | None, path: str) -> dict:
+    if host is None:
+        try:
+            data = json.loads(Path(path).read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+            return data if isinstance(data, dict) else {}
+        except Exception:
+            return {}
     res = ssh(host, f"cat {remote_q(path)} 2>/dev/null", check=False)
     if res.returncode != 0 or not res.stdout.strip():
         return {}
@@ -115,11 +123,24 @@ def write_remote_json(host: str, path: str, data: dict) -> None:
     ssh(host, cmd, input_text=payload)
 
 
-def read_state(host: str, job_dir: str) -> dict:
+def read_state(host: str | None, job_dir: str) -> dict:
+    if host is None:
+        path = Path(job_dir) / STATE_NAME
+        if not path.exists():
+            return {}
+        try:
+            return json.loads(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+        except Exception:
+            return {}
     return read_remote_json(host, f"{job_dir}/{STATE_NAME}")
+ 
 
-
-def write_state(host: str, job_dir: str, state: dict) -> None:
+def write_state(host: str | None, job_dir: str, state: dict) -> None:
+    if host is None:
+        path = Path(job_dir) / STATE_NAME
+        path.write_text(json.dumps(state, ensure_ascii=False, indent=2) + "\n", encoding="utf-8")
+        path.chmod(0o664)
+        return
     path = f"{job_dir}/{STATE_NAME}"
     tmp_path = f"{path}.tmp.$$"
     data = json.dumps(state, ensure_ascii=False, indent=2) + "\n"
@@ -129,7 +150,7 @@ def write_state(host: str, job_dir: str, state: dict) -> None:
         f"mv {remote_q(tmp_path)} {remote_q(path)}"
     )
     ssh(host, cmd, input_text=data)
-
+ 
 
 def copy_job_from_remote(host: str, job_dir: str, local_input: Path) -> None:
     local_input.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
@@ -215,7 +236,23 @@ def render_job(local_input: Path, local_out: Path, extra_args: list[str]) -> Pat
             "--intro-logo-alpha", INTRO_LOGO_ALPHA,
         ]
     cmd = [sys.executable, str(MOVMAKER), str(local_input), "--out-dir", str(local_out), *intro_args, *extra_args]
-    subprocess.run(cmd, check=True)
+    log_dir = local_input / ".logs"
+    log_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    log_path = log_dir / f"mvlog_worker_{datetime.now().strftime('%Y%m%d_%H%M%S')}.log"
+    try:
+        result = subprocess.run(cmd, capture_output=True, text=True, check=True)
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as exc:
+        log_path.write_text(
+            "Command failed:\n" + " ".join(cmd) + "\n\nSTDOUT:\n" + (exc.stdout or "") + "\n\nSTDERR:\n" + (exc.stderr or ""),
+            encoding="utf-8",
+        )
+        raise RuntimeError(f"movmaker failed; see {log_path}") from exc
+    else:
+        if result.stdout or result.stderr:
+            log_path.write_text(
+                "Command:\n" + " ".join(cmd) + "\n\nSTDOUT:\n" + (result.stdout or "") + "\n\nSTDERR:\n" + (result.stderr or ""),
+                encoding="utf-8",
+            )
     outputs = sorted(local_out.glob("*.mp4"), key=lambda p: p.stat().st_mtime, reverse=True)
     if not outputs:
         raise RuntimeError("movmaker finished but no MP4 was produced")
@@ -338,6 +375,7 @@ def process_job(host: str, remote_root: str, job: str, work_dir: Path, extra_arg
 
 def main() -> int:
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Render changed MVLog input dirs from a remote web server.")
+    parser.add_argument("--local", action="store_true", help="Treat remote paths as local; skip SSH")
     parser.add_argument("--host", default="192.168.0.204", help="SSH host for the web server")
     parser.add_argument("--remote-root", default="/var/www/html/mvlog", help="Remote MVLog web root")
     parser.add_argument("--work-dir", default=str(Path.home() / ".cache" / "mvlog-worker"), help="Local work directory")
@@ -348,9 +386,9 @@ def main() -> int:
 
     work_dir = Path(args.work_dir)
     work_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-    jobs = args.job or list_jobs(args.host, args.remote_root)
+    jobs = args.job or list_jobs(None if args.local else args.host, args.remote_root)
     for job in jobs:
-        process_job(args.host, args.remote_root, job, work_dir, args.movmaker_arg, args.force)
+        process_job(None if args.local else args.host, args.remote_root, job, work_dir, args.movmaker_arg, args.force)
     return 0