diff --git a/Assets/_Content/Scenes/Theatre.unity b/Assets/_Content/Scenes/Theatre.unity
index b494092e..4bf35427 100644
--- a/Assets/_Content/Scenes/Theatre.unity
+++ b/Assets/_Content/Scenes/Theatre.unity
@@ -15391,6 +15391,10 @@ PrefabInstance:
       propertyPath: _stressLevel
       value: 0.3
       objectReference: {fileID: 0}
+    - target: {fileID: 1476756471834662335, guid: 6493d77978c5c1246a0410d1f9204524, type: 3}
+      propertyPath: _fadeDuration
+      value: 2
+      objectReference: {fileID: 0}
     - target: {fileID: 1476756471834662335, guid: 6493d77978c5c1246a0410d1f9204524, type: 3}
       propertyPath: _idleAmplitude
       value: 0.5
@@ -15419,6 +15423,10 @@ PrefabInstance:
       propertyPath: _debugSustainStress
       value: 0
       objectReference: {fileID: 0}
+    - target: {fileID: 1476756471834662335, guid: 6493d77978c5c1246a0410d1f9204524, type: 3}
+      propertyPath: _masterIntensityInspector
+      value: 1.5
+      objectReference: {fileID: 0}
     - target: {fileID: 5295567073180248356, guid: 6493d77978c5c1246a0410d1f9204524, type: 3}
       propertyPath: _settings.CanRun
       value: 1
diff --git a/Assets/_Content/Scripts/Features/Player/Runtime/Camera/LostFootageRig.cs b/Assets/_Content/Scripts/Features/Player/Runtime/Camera/LostFootageRig.cs
index 15930ea9..ae1ced9a 100644
--- a/Assets/_Content/Scripts/Features/Player/Runtime/Camera/LostFootageRig.cs
+++ b/Assets/_Content/Scripts/Features/Player/Runtime/Camera/LostFootageRig.cs
@@ -36,8 +36,11 @@ namespace Unheimlich.World.CameraSystem
         [Tooltip("Enable or disable the whole rig (with fade). Can also be toggled at runtime via SetActive().")]
         [SerializeField] private bool _isActive = true;
 
-        [Tooltip("Master scale applied to ALL effects (noise amplitude, jolt amplitude, inertia strength, spin strength). 0 = off, 1 = nominal.")]
-        [SerializeField] [Range(0f, 3f)] private float _masterIntensity = 1f;
+        [Tooltip("Master scale applied to ALL effects. This is the target value restored on Enable().")]
+        [SerializeField] [Range(0f, 3f)] private float _masterIntensityInspector = 1f;
+
+        // Runtime value — starts at 0 if disabled, lerps to _masterIntensityInspector on Enable().
+        private float _masterIntensity;
 
         // ── Inspector — Stress ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
@@ -140,7 +143,7 @@ namespace Unheimlich.World.CameraSystem
         // ── Runtime state ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
         private float   _weight;
-        private float   _initialMasterIntensity;  // value set in inspector, restored on Enable()
+        private bool    _started;
         private float   _noiseTimer;
         private float   _spinTimer;
         private Vector3 _noiseOffset;
@@ -165,17 +168,16 @@ namespace Unheimlich.World.CameraSystem
                 Random.Range(0f, 100f)
             );
 
-            // Spin uses its own offset to decouple from the main noise.
             _spinTimer = Random.Range(0f, 100f);
+
+            // _masterIntensity is a pure runtime field (not serialized) so this zero
+            // will never be overwritten by Unity's deserialization.
+            _masterIntensity = _isActive ? _masterIntensityInspector : 0f;
         }
 
         private void Start()
         {
-            // Store the inspector value so Enable() can restore it even if the rig
-            // started disabled (and _masterIntensity was faded to 0).
-            _initialMasterIntensity = _masterIntensity;
-
-            // Sync inspector toggle on first frame.
+            _started = true;
             IsActive = _isActive;
             _weight  = _isActive ? 1f : 0f;
 
@@ -190,8 +192,7 @@ namespace Unheimlich.World.CameraSystem
 
         private void OnValidate()
         {
-            // Allow toggling _isActive from the inspector during Play mode.
-            if (!Application.isPlaying) return;
+            if (!Application.isPlaying || !_started) return;
             SetActive(_isActive);
         }
 
@@ -290,7 +291,7 @@ namespace Unheimlich.World.CameraSystem
         // ── Public API ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
         /// <summary>UnityEvent-friendly wrapper — enables with the inspector master intensity.</summary>
-        public void Enable()  => Enable(_initialMasterIntensity, _stressLevel);
+        public void Enable()  => Enable(_masterIntensityInspector, _stressLevel);
 
         /// <summary>UnityEvent-friendly wrapper — disables with a fade to 0.</summary>
         public void Disable() => Disable(0f);