Find Your Grind — PowerDirector Guide

State of Play

Every asset is generated and on disk. PowerDirector is where the 54-second video gets assembled. This guide is your complete import list, timeline layout, effect settings, and export spec.

Step 1: Create the Project

1. Open PowerDirector 365. New Project → aspect ratio 16:9, resolution 1920×1080, frame rate 30 fps (or 24 if you're going for cinematic).
2. Save project: Find Your Grind - v1.pds

Step 2: Import Assets

1. File → Import → Import Media Files
2. Import from each folder:
   • All 24 PNGs from grind_images\ (just the beat images — skip the logos subfolder for now)
   • grind_images\end_card.png
   • All 26 WAVs from grind_voiceover_v2\
   • grind_music\grind_score_v6.mp3
3. Optional: find an alarm-clock SFX for the cold open. PowerDirector 365's built-in sound library has one under Sound Clips → Household, or grab a free one from freesound.org.

Step 3: Timeline Layout — The Three Tracks

PowerDirector will give you multiple video + audio tracks. Use them like this:

Step 4: The Exact Timeline

Drop each image on Video 1 at the timestamp shown. Duration is the number in the "Sec" column. The VO clips in the "VO drop" column go on Audio 2 starting at the same timestamp.

Step 5: Title Text Overlays (Video 2)

Each beat gets a title card on Video 2, starting 0.3 sec after the image appears, fading in over 0.3 sec, holding for the rest of the beat, fading out over 0.3 sec before cutting.

Title styling (PowerDirector Title Designer)

• Font: Roboto Slab Black (download free from Google Fonts) — or fall back to Rockwell Bold / Arial Black
• Size: 72 pt (adjust visually — should feel bold but not overwhelming)
• Color: white (#F5F5F5) with a subtle dark shadow (#041E42, offset 2px, blur 2px) so it reads against any image
• Case: ALL CAPS
• Position: bottom third, centered — roughly Y=820 on a 1080 canvas
• Animation: fade in / fade out, no flying, no rotation

The 12 title strings

Beat 1:  "I MISS SLEEP."
Beat 2:  "I AM A MESS."
Beat 3:  "I STUDY MY PLAY."
Beat 4:  "I PUT IT ALL OUT THERE."
Beat 5:  "I WORK THROUGH THE PAIN."
Beat 6:  "I WORK BEHIND THE SCENE."
Beat 7:  "I MUST BE PERFECT."
Beat 8:  "SOMETIMES I MISS."
Beat 9:  "THE WORK IS NEVER DONE."
Beat 10-11: "I LIKE TO WIN." (chant, punches on beat)
Beat 12: "I WON."
Beat 13: End card already has "WORK IS WORK. FIND YOUR GRIND." burned in — no title overlay needed

Step 6: Music — stretching 30 sec to 54 sec

Lyria gave us a ~30-second track (grind_score_v6.mp3). You need 54 sec of music. Two approaches:

Approach A (simpler, recommended): half-speed + fade

1. Drop grind_score_v6.mp3 on Audio 1 at 0:02 (right after the cold open alarm)
2. Right-click the clip → Power Tools → Speed → set to 80% (stretches 30 sec → 37.5 sec) — NOT half speed, that distorts too much at 50%. 80% is the sweet spot.
3. Copy the clip, place the second copy starting at 0:40, crossfade with the first copy for 0:40-0:42
4. Fade out the second copy starting at 0:52, fully silent by 0:54

Approach B: use only the climax half

1. Drop grind_score_v6.mp3 starting at 0:34 (beginning of "The Work Is Never Done" dwell)
2. The track's dropout-and-explosion naturally lands around beat 10-12 → perfect for the victory build
3. No music during Acts 1-2 (0:02-0:34). Just sparse VO + silence + alarm-SFX tail
4. Simpler, arguably more cinematic — the silence of Acts 1-2 makes the victory drop HIT harder

Step 7: Ken Burns on Stills

Every beat image is a still. Apply a subtle motion so they don't feel static.

1. Select image clip on timeline → Tools menu → Motion → Motion Designer
2. Set initial frame: scale 1.05, position centered
3. Set final frame: scale 1.15, position slightly offset (5-10% in any direction)
4. This produces a slow push-and-drift — cinematic without being jarring
5. Exception: on Beat 9 "The Work Is Never Done" (7 sec), push slower — scale 1.0 → 1.08. Let the silence hold
6. Exception: on Beats 10-11 victory chant (4 sec), use harder snap cuts instead of Ken Burns. Each chant beat = instant cut, no motion, on the beat

Step 8: Audio Mixing

Step 9: Export

1. Produce → Standard 2D → MP4
2. Resolution: 1920×1080
3. Frame rate: 30 fps (or 24 to match cinema feel)
4. Bitrate: 20 Mbps (overkill is fine for 54 sec)
5. Audio: AAC, 320 kbps, stereo, 48 kHz
6. Filename: Find_Your_Grind_v1.mp4

Also export a social cut (optional, recommended)

After v1 exports, duplicate the project → change aspect ratio to 9:16 (1080×1920) → re-crop each image clip to fit vertical → re-export as Find_Your_Grind_9x16.mp4. Takes ~30 min. Opens the commercial to Instagram Reels + TikTok + Shorts.

Time Budget

When you hit problems

• An image doesn't cover the 16:9 frame: all 24 PNGs are 1920×1080 native. Should fit perfectly. If one looks wrong, crop in Motion Designer.
• VO sounds too quiet next to music: drop the music another 3 dB, check Audio Ducking is enabled.
• Video is too long / too short: each beat's duration is listed above. Add or remove the difference from the "hold long" beats (9 or 12).
• Text overlay unreadable against a bright image: add a 40% black gradient over the bottom third on Video 2 below the title.
• Chant text flashes feel sloppy: use a single title "I LIKE TO WIN." held for 4 seconds with a hard-cut sports/arts image switch on each chant downbeat. Simpler, still works.

What I (Claude) do while you're editing

If you hit a specific problem — "this still won't fit," "the music feels off at 0:34," "I want a different title for beat 8" — tell me. I can regen an image, iterate the VO delivery, tweak the end card, generate a different music track, render a gradient overlay PNG, whatever. Iteration is cheap, a full regen is under $1.