diff --git a/src/content/__tests__/falSubscribe.test.ts b/src/content/__tests__/falSubscribe.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ac5d5d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/content/__tests__/falSubscribe.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
+import { falSubscribe } from "../falSubscribe";
+
+const mockSubscribe = vi.fn();
+vi.mock("@fal-ai/client", () => ({
+  fal: { subscribe: (...args: unknown[]) => mockSubscribe(...args) },
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@trigger.dev/sdk/v3", () => ({
+  logger: { error: vi.fn() },
+}));
+
+describe("falSubscribe", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it("returns fal result on success", async () => {
+    const expected = { data: { images: [{ url: "fal://img.png" }] } };
+    mockSubscribe.mockResolvedValue(expected);
+
+    const result = await falSubscribe("fal-ai/some-model", { prompt: "test" });
+    expect(result).toBe(expected);
+    expect(mockSubscribe).toHaveBeenCalledWith("fal-ai/some-model", {
+      input: { prompt: "test" },
+      logs: true,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("logs error details and rethrows on failure", async () => {
+    const falError = Object.assign(new Error("Unprocessable Entity"), {
+      status: 422,
+      body: { detail: "bad input" },
+    });
+    mockSubscribe.mockRejectedValue(falError);
+
+    const { logger } = await import("@trigger.dev/sdk/v3");
+
+    await expect(
+      falSubscribe("fal-ai/some-model", { prompt: "test" }),
+    ).rejects.toThrow("Unprocessable Entity");
+
+    expect(logger.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "fal.ai request failed",
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        model: "fal-ai/some-model",
+        status: 422,
+        message: "Unprocessable Entity",
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("handles circular error objects safely", async () => {
+    const circular: Record<string, unknown> = { message: "fail" };
+    circular.self = circular;
+    mockSubscribe.mockRejectedValue(circular);
+
+    await expect(
+      falSubscribe("fal-ai/some-model", { prompt: "test" }),
+    ).rejects.toBe(circular);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/content/__tests__/resolveFaceGuide.test.ts b/src/content/__tests__/resolveFaceGuide.test.ts
index e603a60..f2707c3 100644
--- a/src/content/__tests__/resolveFaceGuide.test.ts
+++ b/src/content/__tests__/resolveFaceGuide.test.ts
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ describe("resolveFaceGuide", () => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
   });
 
-  it("returns null when template does not use face guide", async () => {
+  it("returns null when usesFaceGuide is false and no images provided", async () => {
     const result = await resolveFaceGuide({
       usesFaceGuide: false,
-      images: ["https://example.com/face.png"],
+      images: undefined,
       githubRepo: "https://github.com/test/repo",
       artistSlug: "artist",
     });
@@ -38,6 +38,20 @@ describe("resolveFaceGuide", () => {
     expect(fetchImageFromUrl).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it("passes attached images through even when usesFaceGuide is false", async () => {
+    vi.mocked(fetchImageFromUrl).mockResolvedValue("https://fal.ai/uploaded.png");
+
+    const result = await resolveFaceGuide({
+      usesFaceGuide: false,
+      images: ["https://example.com/album-cover.png"],
+      githubRepo: "https://github.com/test/repo",
+      artistSlug: "artist",
+    });
+
+    expect(fetchImageFromUrl).toHaveBeenCalledWith("https://example.com/album-cover.png");
+    expect(result).toBe("https://fal.ai/uploaded.png");
+  });
+
   it("uses fetchImageFromUrl when images array has entries", async () => {
     vi.mocked(fetchImageFromUrl).mockResolvedValue("https://fal.ai/uploaded.png");
 
diff --git a/src/content/__tests__/resolveImageInstruction.test.ts b/src/content/__tests__/resolveImageInstruction.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7766ba5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/content/__tests__/resolveImageInstruction.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
+import { resolveImageInstruction } from "../resolveImageInstruction";
+import { FACE_SWAP_INSTRUCTION, NO_FACE_INSTRUCTION } from "../contentPrompts";
+import type { TemplateData } from "../loadTemplate";
+
+function makeTemplate(overrides: Partial<TemplateData> = {}): TemplateData {
+  return {
+    name: "test",
+    imagePrompt: "",
+    usesFaceGuide: false,
+    styleGuide: null,
+    captionGuide: null,
+    captionExamples: [],
+    videoMoods: [],
+    videoMovements: [],
+    referenceImagePaths: [],
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+describe("resolveImageInstruction", () => {
+  it("uses customInstruction from style guide when present", () => {
+    const result = resolveImageInstruction(
+      makeTemplate({ styleGuide: { customInstruction: "Place the album art onto a vinyl sleeve." } }),
+    );
+    expect(result).toBe("Place the album art onto a vinyl sleeve.");
+  });
+
+  it("uses customInstruction even when usesFaceGuide is true", () => {
+    const result = resolveImageInstruction(
+      makeTemplate({ usesFaceGuide: true, styleGuide: { customInstruction: "Custom instruction here." } }),
+    );
+    expect(result).toBe("Custom instruction here.");
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to FACE_SWAP_INSTRUCTION when usesFaceGuide is true and no customInstruction", () => {
+    const result = resolveImageInstruction(
+      makeTemplate({ usesFaceGuide: true, styleGuide: {} }),
+    );
+    expect(result).toBe(FACE_SWAP_INSTRUCTION);
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to NO_FACE_INSTRUCTION when usesFaceGuide is false and no customInstruction", () => {
+    const result = resolveImageInstruction(
+      makeTemplate({ styleGuide: {} }),
+    );
+    expect(result).toBe(NO_FACE_INSTRUCTION);
+  });
+
+  it("falls back correctly when styleGuide is null", () => {
+    const result = resolveImageInstruction(
+      makeTemplate({ usesFaceGuide: true }),
+    );
+    expect(result).toBe(FACE_SWAP_INSTRUCTION);
+  });
+
+  it("treats whitespace-only customInstruction as empty", () => {
+    const result = resolveImageInstruction(
+      makeTemplate({ styleGuide: { customInstruction: "   " } }),
+    );
+    expect(result).toBe(NO_FACE_INSTRUCTION);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/content/falSubscribe.ts b/src/content/falSubscribe.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9a5b82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/content/falSubscribe.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import { fal } from "@fal-ai/client";
+import { logger } from "@trigger.dev/sdk/v3";
+
+/**
+ * Wraps fal.subscribe with structured error logging.
+ * Logs model, status, and a safely-serialized body on failure, then rethrows.
+ */
+export async function falSubscribe(
+  model: string,
+  input: Record<string, unknown>,
+): Promise<ReturnType<typeof fal.subscribe>> {
+  try {
+    return await fal.subscribe(model, { input, logs: true });
+  } catch (error: unknown) {
+    const err = error as Record<string, unknown>;
+    let body: string;
+    try {
+      body = JSON.stringify(err.body ?? err).slice(0, 1000);
+    } catch {
+      body = String(err).slice(0, 1000);
+    }
+    logger.error("fal.ai request failed", {
+      model,
+      status: err.status,
+      message: err.message,
+      body,
+    });
+    throw error;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/content/generateContentImage.ts b/src/content/generateContentImage.ts
index ab7c05a..e0bc3de 100644
--- a/src/content/generateContentImage.ts
+++ b/src/content/generateContentImage.ts
@@ -1,21 +1,22 @@
 import fs from "node:fs/promises";
 import { fal } from "@fal-ai/client";
 import { logger } from "@trigger.dev/sdk/v3";
+import { logStep } from "../sandboxes/logStep";
 import { DEFAULT_PIPELINE_CONFIG } from "./defaultPipelineConfig";
+import { falSubscribe } from "./falSubscribe";
 
 /**
- * Generates an AI image of the artist using fal.ai.
+ * Generates an AI image using fal.ai.
  *
- * Takes two images:
- *   1. Face-guide (headshot on white/plain background) — the artist's identity
- *   2. Reference image (composition with a different person) — the scene/setting
+ * Takes up to two images:
+ *   1. Guide image (face-guide headshot or album cover) — the primary subject
+ *   2. Reference image (scene composition from template) — the setting
  *
- * The prompt tells the model to replace the person in the reference scene
- * with the person from the face-guide headshot.
+ * The prompt tells the model how to combine these images.
  *
- * @param faceGuideUrl - fal storage URL of the artist's face-guide (headshot)
+ * @param faceGuideUrl - fal storage URL of the guide image (face or album cover)
  * @param referenceImagePath - local path to a template reference image (or null)
- * @param prompt - Scene/style prompt that instructs the face swap
+ * @param prompt - Scene/style prompt with instructions for how to use the images
  * @returns URL of the generated image
  */
 export async function generateContentImage({
@@ -23,14 +24,14 @@ export async function generateContentImage({
   referenceImagePath,
   prompt,
 }: {
-  /** Face-guide URL — omit for templates that don't use the artist's face. */
+  /** Guide image URL — omit for templates that don't use an input image. */
   faceGuideUrl?: string;
   referenceImagePath: string | null;
   prompt: string;
 }): Promise<string> {
   const config = DEFAULT_PIPELINE_CONFIG;
 
-  // Build image_urls: face-guide (if provided) + reference image (if provided)
+  // Build image_urls: guide image (if provided) + reference image (if provided)
   const imageUrls: string[] = [];
   if (faceGuideUrl) imageUrls.push(faceGuideUrl);
 
@@ -44,22 +45,21 @@ export async function generateContentImage({
     imageUrls.push(refUrl);
   }
 
-  logger.log("Generating image", {
+  logStep("Generating image", false, {
     model: config.imageModel,
-    prompt: prompt.slice(0, 100),
+    promptLength: prompt.length,
     imageCount: imageUrls.length,
+    hasFaceGuide: Boolean(faceGuideUrl),
+    hasReferenceImage: Boolean(referenceImagePath),
   });
 
-  const result = await fal.subscribe(config.imageModel, {
-    input: {
-      prompt,
-      image_urls: imageUrls,
-      aspect_ratio: config.aspectRatio,
-      resolution: config.resolution,
-      output_format: "png",
-      num_images: 1,
-    },
-    logs: true,
+  const result = await falSubscribe(config.imageModel, {
+    prompt,
+    image_urls: imageUrls,
+    aspect_ratio: config.aspectRatio,
+    resolution: config.resolution,
+    output_format: "png",
+    num_images: 1,
   });
 
   const data = result.data as Record<string, unknown>;
diff --git a/src/content/resolveFaceGuide.ts b/src/content/resolveFaceGuide.ts
index ac6459f..3d5a0bd 100644
--- a/src/content/resolveFaceGuide.ts
+++ b/src/content/resolveFaceGuide.ts
@@ -21,13 +21,14 @@ export async function resolveFaceGuide({
   githubRepo: string;
   artistSlug: string;
 }): Promise<string | null> {
-  if (!usesFaceGuide) return null;
-
+  // Always pass attached images through (e.g. album cover art — no face-swap needed).
   const imageUrl = images?.[0];
   if (imageUrl) {
     return fetchImageFromUrl(imageUrl);
   }
 
+  if (!usesFaceGuide) return null;
+
   logStep("Fetching face-guide from GitHub");
   const buffer = await fetchGithubFile(
     githubRepo,
diff --git a/src/content/resolveImageInstruction.ts b/src/content/resolveImageInstruction.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c5e62d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/content/resolveImageInstruction.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import { FACE_SWAP_INSTRUCTION, NO_FACE_INSTRUCTION } from "./contentPrompts";
+import type { TemplateData } from "./loadTemplate";
+
+/**
+ * Picks the image-generation instruction for the prompt.
+ * Uses the template's customInstruction when available,
+ * otherwise falls back to the default face-swap or no-face instruction.
+ */
+export function resolveImageInstruction(template: TemplateData): string {
+  const custom = template.styleGuide?.customInstruction;
+  if (typeof custom === "string" && custom.trim().length > 0) return custom.trim();
+  return template.usesFaceGuide ? FACE_SWAP_INSTRUCTION : NO_FACE_INSTRUCTION;
+}
diff --git a/src/content/templates/album-record-store/caption-guide.json b/src/content/templates/album-record-store/caption-guide.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2d68225
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/content/templates/album-record-store/caption-guide.json
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+{
+  "templateStyle": "album art on vinyl in a record store — the kind of post an artist makes when their music hits wax for the first time",
+  "captionRole": "the caption should feel like the artist posted this themselves. proud but not corny. announcing the vinyl, reflecting on the music, or saying something raw about what the album means.",
+  "tone": "understated pride, like posting a photo of your album in a store and letting the moment speak for itself. not hype-man energy — quiet flex.",
+  "rules": [
+    "lowercase only",
+    "keep it under 80 characters for short, can go longer for medium/long",
+    "no punctuation at the end unless its a question mark",
+    "never sound like a press release or marketing copy",
+    "never say 'out now' or 'stream now' or 'link in bio'",
+    "dont describe whats in the image",
+    "can reference the album, the songs, or what they mean to you",
+    "can reference the physical vinyl / record store experience",
+    "if it sounds like a label wrote it, rewrite it until it sounds like the artist texted it to a friend"
+  ],
+  "formats": [
+    "a one-line reflection on the album ('i left everything in this one')",
+    "a quiet flex about being on vinyl ('never thought id see this in a store')",
+    "a nostalgic moment ('used to dig through bins like this looking for something that felt like home')",
+    "something the listener would screenshot ('this album is the version of me i was scared to show you')",
+    "a short dedication or thank you that feels real, not performative"
+  ],
+  "examples_of_good_length": [
+    "i left everything in this one",
+    "found myself in the crates today",
+    "this album is the version of me i was scared to show you",
+    "never thought id see my name on a spine in a record store",
+    "wrote this in my bedroom now its on wax"
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/src/content/templates/album-record-store/references/captions/examples.json b/src/content/templates/album-record-store/references/captions/examples.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d5d383
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/content/templates/album-record-store/references/captions/examples.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[
+  "i left everything in this one",
+  "found myself in the crates today",
+  "never thought id see my name on a spine in a record store",
+  "wrote this in my bedroom now its on wax",
+  "this album is the version of me i was scared to show you",
+  "every scratch on this vinyl is a memory",
+  "the songs sound different on wax. heavier somehow",
+  "somebody in new york is gonna find this in a bin one day and feel something"
+]
diff --git a/src/content/templates/album-record-store/references/images/ref-01.png b/src/content/templates/album-record-store/references/images/ref-01.png
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new file mode 100644
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diff --git a/src/content/templates/album-record-store/references/images/ref-09.png b/src/content/templates/album-record-store/references/images/ref-09.png
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diff --git a/src/content/templates/album-record-store/style-guide.json b/src/content/templates/album-record-store/style-guide.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b86489
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/content/templates/album-record-store/style-guide.json
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+{
+  "name": "album-record-store",
+  "description": "Album cover art displayed in a gritty New York record store — vinyl spinning on a turntable",
+  "usesFaceGuide": false,
+  "customInstruction": "Place the album cover art from the first image into the scene in two ways: (1) The vinyl record spinning on the turntable MUST display the same album artwork — the label and sleeve art on the spinning record must match the provided album cover exactly. (2) The full album cover should also be clearly visible nearby — propped up on a shelf, leaning against a crate, or displayed on the counter next to the turntable. Do NOT alter the album art — reproduce it exactly in both locations, including its original text/design. Do not add any extra scene overlays, subtitles, captions, or watermarks outside the album artwork.",
+  "customMotionPrompt": "Completely static camera. The vinyl record spins slowly on the turntable. {movement} Warm dust-in-the-air feeling. {mood} Shot on phone, warm tungsten lighting.",
+  "imagePrompt": "A vinyl record spinning on a turntable inside a cramped, rundown New York City record store. The album cover art is displayed next to the turntable, propped against a stack of records. Wooden crate bins full of vinyl records fill the background. Warm tungsten overhead light, dust particles visible in the air. The store feels lived-in — peeling stickers on the counter, handwritten price tags, faded band posters on the walls. Phone camera, slightly warm color cast.",
+
+  "camera": {
+    "type": "iPhone resting on the counter, recording a quick story",
+    "angle": "slightly above the turntable, looking down at an angle — like someone held their phone over the record to film it spinning",
+    "quality": "iPhone video quality — warm color cast from the overhead light, slight lens flare, not perfectly sharp, natural vignetting at corners",
+    "focus": "turntable and album art in focus, background bins and shelves slightly soft"
+  },
+
+  "environment": {
+    "feel": "a real independent record store in lower Manhattan or Brooklyn — cramped, cluttered, full of character",
+    "lighting": "warm tungsten bulbs overhead, maybe a small desk lamp near the register. Pools of warm light, deep shadows between the bins. Dust particles catching the light.",
+    "backgrounds": "wooden crate bins overflowing with vinyl, hand-lettered genre dividers, faded concert posters and stickers on every surface, a boombox or old speakers on a high shelf, maybe a cat sleeping on a stack of records",
+    "avoid": "clean modern stores, bright fluorescent lighting, empty shelves, corporate branding, pristine surfaces, anything that looks new or staged"
+  },
+
+  "subject": {
+    "expression": "N/A — no person in the shot, the subject is the album and turntable",
+    "pose": "N/A",
+    "clothing": "N/A",
+    "framing": "turntable takes up the lower half of frame, album art visible in the upper portion or to the side, surrounded by the store environment"
+  },
+
+  "realism": {
+    "priority": "this MUST look like a real phone video taken inside an actual NYC record store, not a render or AI image",
+    "texture": "warm grain from the phone camera, slight dust and scratches visible on the vinyl, wood grain on the crate bins, worn edges on the record sleeves",
+    "imperfections": "fingerprints on the vinyl, slightly crooked album display, a price sticker on the sleeve, dust on the turntable platter, uneven stacks of records in the background",
+    "avoid": "clean renders, perfect symmetry, bright even lighting, glossy surfaces, anything that looks digital or AI-generated, stock-photo record stores"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/content/templates/album-record-store/video-moods.json b/src/content/templates/album-record-store/video-moods.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..90d7c99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/content/templates/album-record-store/video-moods.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[
+  "warm nostalgia, like walking into a place that reminds you of being a kid",
+  "quiet pride, the feeling of seeing something you made exist in the real world",
+  "intimate, like youre showing a close friend something that matters to you",
+  "reverent, the way people handle vinyl carefully because it feels sacred",
+  "bittersweet, like the album captured a version of you that doesnt exist anymore",
+  "hypnotic, the kind of calm that comes from watching something spin in circles",
+  "peaceful solitude, alone in the store after hours",
+  "wistful, like remembering the sessions that made this album"
+]
diff --git a/src/content/templates/album-record-store/video-movements.json b/src/content/templates/album-record-store/video-movements.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..efa9aa9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/content/templates/album-record-store/video-movements.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[
+  "the vinyl spins steadily, tonearm tracking the groove, dust particles drift through the warm light",
+  "camera slowly drifts closer to the album art, the vinyl keeps spinning in the background",
+  "a hand reaches into frame and gently places the needle on the record",
+  "the turntable spins, the overhead light flickers once, dust motes float lazily",
+  "someone flips through records in a crate in the background, out of focus, while the vinyl spins",
+  "the camera barely moves, just the vinyl spinning and the warm light shifting slightly",
+  "a slight camera drift to reveal more of the store — bins, posters, clutter — then settles back on the turntable",
+  "the tonearm rides the groove, a tiny reflection of light glints off the spinning vinyl surface"
+]
diff --git a/src/tasks/createContentTask.ts b/src/tasks/createContentTask.ts
index 5309f63..62a323f 100644
--- a/src/tasks/createContentTask.ts
+++ b/src/tasks/createContentTask.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import {
   buildImagePrompt,
   buildMotionPrompt,
 } from "../content/loadTemplate";
-import { FACE_SWAP_INSTRUCTION, NO_FACE_INSTRUCTION } from "../content/contentPrompts";
+import { resolveImageInstruction } from "../content/resolveImageInstruction";
 
 /**
  * Content-creation task — full pipeline that generates a social-ready video.
@@ -92,8 +92,8 @@ export const createContentTask = schemaTask({
     // --- Step 5: Generate image ---
     logStep("Generating image");
     const referenceImagePath = pickRandomReferenceImage(template);
-    // Build prompt: face-swap instruction (if needed) + template scene + style guide
-    const instruction = template.usesFaceGuide ? FACE_SWAP_INSTRUCTION : NO_FACE_INSTRUCTION;
+    // Build prompt: custom/face-swap/no-face instruction + template scene + style guide
+    const instruction = resolveImageInstruction(template);
     const basePrompt = `${instruction} ${template.imagePrompt}`;
     const fullPrompt = buildImagePrompt(basePrompt, template.styleGuide);
     let imageUrl = await generateContentImage({