diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/components/MemoryCinema.svelte b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/components/MemoryCinema.svelte
index 38712d3..68bb823 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/components/MemoryCinema.svelte
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/components/MemoryCinema.svelte
@@ -78,18 +78,29 @@
 	// Deterministic layout: spread path nodes on a gentle spiral so the camera
 	// has distinct world positions to fly between (independent of the WebGL
 	// graph's internal coordinates — keeps the sandbox isolated).
+	// Lay the beat nodes out on a TIGHT, BOUNDED shell centered on the origin —
+	// fixed radius, no per-beat growth. Earlier this grew (22 + i*6) so each beat
+	// sat farther out and the camera+storm marched off into space ("flying off").
+	// A bounded shell keeps the whole composition centered; cinematic variety
+	// comes from the camera angle/move/standoff, not from translating across a
+	// huge volume. The focused node is always re-centered by recenterOn() below.
+	const SHELL_RADIUS = 14;
 	function layoutPositions(p: CinemaPath): Map<string, THREE.Vector3> {
 		const pos = new Map<string, THREE.Vector3>();
 		const n = p.beats.length;
 		for (let i = 0; i < n; i++) {
-			const angle = (i / Math.max(1, n)) * Math.PI * 2 * 1.4;
-			const radius = 22 + i * 6;
+			// Distribute beats evenly on a sphere (golden-angle spiral) so they
+			// never clump and never exceed SHELL_RADIUS from center.
+			const t = n > 1 ? i / (n - 1) : 0.5;
+			const y = 1 - t * 2; // 1..-1
+			const r = Math.sqrt(Math.max(0, 1 - y * y));
+			const theta = i * 2.399963; // golden angle
 			pos.set(
 				p.beats[i].nodeId,
 				new THREE.Vector3(
-					Math.cos(angle) * radius,
-					(i % 2 === 0 ? 1 : -1) * (4 + i * 2),
-					Math.sin(angle) * radius
+					Math.cos(theta) * r * SHELL_RADIUS,
+					y * SHELL_RADIUS * 0.5,
+					Math.sin(theta) * r * SHELL_RADIUS
 				)
 			);
 		}
@@ -235,7 +246,7 @@
 				stage = 'done';
 				statusLine = 'End of tour.';
 			},
-		}, { reducedMotion, shots });
+		}, { reducedMotion, shots, centerOnOrigin: webgpuActive });
 
 		stage = 'playing';
 		statusLine = webgpuActive
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/director.ts b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/director.ts
index 8681f88..6252cbc 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/director.ts
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/director.ts
@@ -37,12 +37,18 @@ export interface DirectorOptions {
 	 * director — every value falls back to the constants above. When present,
 	 * each shot's move/angle/dutch/standoff/flight/dwell/cut directs that beat. */
 	shots?: ResolvedShot[];
+	/** When true, the camera frames the WORLD ORIGIN every shot (the WebGPU storm
+	 * is pinned there) instead of flying out to scattered node positions — so the
+	 * subject is ALWAYS centered and can never fly off-screen. Camera variety
+	 * comes purely from angle/standoff/orbit. Used by the WebGPU sandbox path. */
+	centerOnOrigin?: boolean;
 }
 
 type Phase = 'idle' | 'flying' | 'dwelling' | 'done';
 
 const _tmpDir = new THREE.Vector3();
 const _tmpUp = new THREE.Vector3(0, 1, 0);
+const _origin = new THREE.Vector3(0, 0, 0);
 
 export class CinemaDirector {
 	private camera: THREE.PerspectiveCamera;
@@ -81,6 +87,7 @@ export class CinemaDirector {
 			standoff: opts.standoff ?? 26,
 			reducedMotion: opts.reducedMotion ?? false,
 			shots: opts.shots ?? [],
+			centerOnOrigin: opts.centerOnOrigin ?? false,
 		};
 	}
 
@@ -122,11 +129,18 @@ export class CinemaDirector {
 		this.phase = 'done';
 	}
 
-	/** Compute the camera stand-off position for a beat's node, directed by its
-	 * shot (move / angle / standoff). With no shot, reproduces the original
+	/** The focal point a beat frames: the world ORIGIN in centered mode (storm is
+	 * pinned there), else the node's laid-out position. */
+	private focalPoint(beat: CinemaBeat): THREE.Vector3 | null {
+		if (this.opts.centerOnOrigin) return _origin;
+		return this.positions.get(beat.nodeId) ?? null;
+	}
+
+	/** Compute the camera stand-off position for a beat's focal point, directed by
+	 * its shot (move / angle / standoff). With no shot, reproduces the original
 	 * framing exactly: standoff = opts.standoff, +0.35 up-bias (filmic tilt). */
 	private framePosition(beat: CinemaBeat, index: number, out: THREE.Vector3): THREE.Vector3 {
-		const nodePos = this.positions.get(beat.nodeId);
+		const nodePos = this.focalPoint(beat);
 		if (!nodePos) {
 			// Node has no resolved position yet — keep current framing.
 			return out.copy(this.camera.position);
@@ -159,7 +173,7 @@ export class CinemaDirector {
 
 	private beginFlightTo(index: number): void {
 		const beat = this.path.beats[index];
-		const nodePos = this.positions.get(beat.nodeId);
+		const nodePos = this.focalPoint(beat);
 		const shot = this.shotAt(index);
 
 		this.fromPos.copy(this.camera.position);
@@ -205,7 +219,7 @@ export class CinemaDirector {
 			}
 		} else if (this.phase === 'dwelling') {
 			if (!this.opts.reducedMotion) {
-				const nodePos = this.positions.get(this.path.beats[this.beatIndex].nodeId);
+				const nodePos = this.focalPoint(this.path.beats[this.beatIndex]);
 				if (nodePos) {
 					this.target.lerp(nodePos, 0.02); // gentle settle keeps the shot alive
 					// An orbit shot slowly revolves the camera around the node
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/sandbox.ts b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/sandbox.ts
index e3ab3f7..eec67d4 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/sandbox.ts
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/sandbox.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@
 import * as THREE from 'three';
 import type { SemanticRole, SemanticComputeStorm } from './storm';
 
+// The storm lives at the world origin, permanently. The camera always looks here
+// and is clamped to a safe distance band so the subject can never leave frame.
+const ORIGIN = new THREE.Vector3(0, 0, 0);
+const MIN_CAM_DIST = 18;
+const MAX_CAM_DIST = 46;
+
 export function isWebGPUSupported(): boolean {
 	return typeof navigator !== 'undefined' && 'gpu' in navigator;
 }
@@ -153,26 +159,37 @@ export class CinemaSandbox {
 		this.booted = true;
 	}
 
-	/** Retarget the storm + look the camera at the beat (called by the director). */
-	transitionTo(role: SemanticRole, worldPos: THREE.Vector3): void {
+	/** Retarget the storm's MODE/ignition for a beat. The storm is permanently
+	 * centered at the WORLD ORIGIN (see render) so it is always dead-center in
+	 * frame — worldPos here only conveys which node, not where the storm sits. */
+	transitionTo(role: SemanticRole, _worldPos: THREE.Vector3): void {
 		if (!this.booted) return;
-		this.storm.transitionTo(role, worldPos);
+		this.storm.transitionTo(role, ORIGIN);
 	}
 
-	/** Render one frame. Camera is driven externally (director mutates position/target).
-	 * A single frame's failure must not crash the tour — it's caught and surfaced
-	 * via a thrown error the caller already handles (drops to camera-only). */
+	/** Render one frame. The storm is pinned to the origin and the camera always
+	 * looks at the origin, so the storm CANNOT leave the frame. The director
+	 * varies only the camera's orbital position/angle (set via cameraRef), and we
+	 * clamp that to a safe distance band here as a final guarantee. */
 	async render(deltaSeconds: number): Promise<void> {
 		if (!this.booted) return;
-		this.camera.lookAt(this.target);
 
-		// Keep the storm inside the frame: derive the largest world radius that
-		// fully fits the camera's vertical FOV at the current distance to target,
-		// minus a margin so the glow halo stays on-screen too. The storm clamps
-		// itself to this each frame, so it reframes as the camera flies.
-		const dist = this.camera.position.distanceTo(this.target);
+		// Hard guarantee: clamp the camera into a distance band from origin so a
+		// runaway director move can never push the subject out of view, then look
+		// dead at the origin where the storm lives.
+		const distToOrigin = this.camera.position.length();
+		if (distToOrigin < MIN_CAM_DIST || distToOrigin > MAX_CAM_DIST || !Number.isFinite(distToOrigin)) {
+			const d = Math.min(MAX_CAM_DIST, Math.max(MIN_CAM_DIST, distToOrigin || MAX_CAM_DIST));
+			if (distToOrigin > 1e-3) this.camera.position.setLength(d);
+			else this.camera.position.set(0, 12, d);
+		}
+		this.camera.lookAt(ORIGIN);
+
+		// Size the containment sphere to the camera's FOV at the origin so the
+		// storm always fully fits the frame with margin.
+		const dist = this.camera.position.length();
 		const vfov = (this.camera.fov * Math.PI) / 180;
-		const fitRadius = Math.tan(vfov / 2) * dist * 0.62; // 0.62 = on-screen margin
+		const fitRadius = Math.tan(vfov / 2) * dist * 0.55;
 		this.storm.setContainRadius(fitRadius);
 
 		await this.storm.update(deltaSeconds);