diff --git a/main/Scene.cc b/main/Scene.cc
index 3cde950..ba0aef8 100644
--- a/main/Scene.cc
+++ b/main/Scene.cc
@@ -68,12 +68,28 @@ Scene::~Scene()
 void Scene::load(const char * filename)
 {
     /* TODO: parse file somehow */
-    m_shapes.push_back(new Sphere(2.0));
+    Shape * shape = new Sphere(2.0);
+    m_transform.translate(2.0, 6.0, 1.0);
+    shape->setTransform(m_transform);
+    m_shapes.push_back(shape);
 }
 
 void Scene::render()
 {
+    if (m_verbose)
+    {
+        cout << " *** Beginning scene render ***" << endl;
+        cout << "Parameters:" << endl;
+        cout << "----------------------------------------" << endl;
+        cout << "    Width: " << m_width << endl;
+        cout << "    Height: " << m_height << endl;
+        cout << "    Multisample Level: " << m_multisample_level << endl;
+        cout << "    Vertical Field of View: " << m_vfov << endl;
+        cout << "----------------------------------------" << endl;
+    }
+
     m_data = new unsigned char[m_width * m_height * 3];
+
     for (int i = 0; i < m_height; i++)
     {
         for (int j = 0; j < m_width; j++)
@@ -82,6 +98,11 @@ void Scene::render()
         }
     }
 
+    if (m_verbose)
+    {
+        cout << " *** Ending scene render ***" << endl;
+        cout << "Writing output file '" << m_output_file_name << '\'' << endl;
+    }
     BMP outputImage(m_output_file_name.c_str(), m_width, m_height, m_data);
 }
 
diff --git a/main/Scene.h b/main/Scene.h
index ad29b8f..8003c8d 100755
--- a/main/Scene.h
+++ b/main/Scene.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ class Scene
         void render();
 
     private:
+        /* private methods */
         void load(const char * filename);
         void renderPixel(int x, int y, unsigned char * pixel);
 
@@ -27,8 +28,9 @@ class Scene
         bool m_verbose;
         double m_vfov;
 
-        /* the shapes in the scene */
+        /* private data */
         std::vector<Shape *> m_shapes;
+        Transform m_transform;
 
         /* framebuffer */
         unsigned char * m_data;
diff --git a/main/fart.cc b/main/fart.cc
index f00ae65..ac52090 100644
--- a/main/fart.cc
+++ b/main/fart.cc
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ int main(int argc, char * argv[])
         { NULL,             0,                 NULL, 0   }
     };
 
-    while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "o:w:h:m:f:",
+    while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "o:w:h:m:f:v",
                               long_options, &option_index)) != -1)
     {
         switch (opt)
diff --git a/util/Matrix.cc b/util/Matrix.cc
index 39a9ae3..b6e36bc 100644
--- a/util/Matrix.cc
+++ b/util/Matrix.cc
@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@
 
 Matrix::Matrix()
 {
+    /* set matrix to the identity matrix */
+    for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++)
+    {
+        for (int j = 0; j < 4; j++)
+        {
+            m_matrix[i][j] = i == j ? 1.0 : 0.0;
+        }
+    }
     m_inverse_calculated = false;
 }