Digital Arts – After Effects Cameras

Camera Basics – Movement & Multi-Cameras

Download these files to use with our After Effects Cameras-

this is a zip file, download it and then double click to open the folder.

Camera_project_images

Look at this document to see the various ways cameras are used to tell a story

anatomy_and_basics_of_a_storyboard

Camera Focus – Focus, Link Focus, Null Control, Auto-Orient

*See Image for explanation of camera settings

Unified Camera Tool
Use this tool to control the camera with the mouse

• Left Click: Orbit
• Right Click: Track Z
• Middle (Wheel) Click: Track XY

Focus Basics:

  1. Create a composition with three layers
    *Use the images I provided above of the clouds, house and dog.
    Background – Clouds
    Middle Ground – House
    Foreground – Dog
  2. Create a Camera –
    Layer > New > Camera
    Type: ONE NODE
    Preset: 50mm
    Units: Pixels
    Measure Film Size: Horizontally
    CHECK the BOX: Enable Depth of Field
    CHECK the BOX: Lock to Zoom
    Change the ZOOM: 500px
  3. Turn on the 3D symbol so all layers have 3D controls
  4. Now adjust the size and placement of the images so that you have a good composition.
  5. Move the Background Image (Clouds)
    In Position put  1000 in Z
  6. Move the Middleground Image (House)
    In Position put 500 in Z
  7. Leave the Foreground Image (Dog) where it is.
  8. Switch your view to CUSTOM VIEW #1, Notice where the camera is.
  9. Switch back to ACTIVE CAMERA and..
  10. Open the Camera Layer > Camera Options
  11. Increase the APERTURE to 250 pixels
  12. Open the Camera layer and a key frame in the FOCUS DISTANCE.
  13. Now move your time line ahead and change the FOCUS DISTANCE setting to match the Z POSITION of the Middleground Image by changing it to 1000 pixels.
  14. Now move your time line ahead and change the FOCUS DISTANCE setting to match the Z POSITION of the Background Image by changing it to 1500  pixels.
  15. You should now see the focus changing!
  16. Experiment!

Link Focus – TWO NODE CAMERA
This one makes the camera stay in focus on and LINKED on an object *it can get a bit glitchy if you go too far with your Z axis

  1. Make a Stroked Shape- a colorful Ring
  2. Make a TYPE LAYER
  3. Make the layers 3D enabled
  4. Move the Stroked Shape in POSITION to 1000 in Z
  5. Create a Camera –
    Layer > New > Camera
    Type: Two-Node Camera
    Preset: 50mm
    Units: Pixels
    Measure Film Size: Horizontally
    CHECK the BOX: Enable Depth of Field
    CHECK the BOX: Lock to Zoom
    Change the ZOOM: 500px
    Press OK
  6. Select BOTH the CAMERA LAYER and your TYPE LAYER by Holding SHIFT and selecting both layers.
  7. Go to the top of the screen, LAYER> CAMERA> LINK FOCUS DISTANCE TO LAYER
  8. Experiment with moving your TEXT Layer and see how other objects will stay blurry as you move it.
  9. PROBLEM – if you’re TEXT (Linked) Layer moves beyond the Distance of Camera’s Original Zoom/Focus Distance it will stop working.

Null Control
Best and easiest way to control your camera

  1. Create a new composition.
    Add a TYPE LAYER, lock the layer.
    Create A Stroked Circle with No Fill.
  2. Turn on the 3D Button for the layers
  3. Move the POSITION of the Stroked Circle and change the Z position to 500
  4. Create a One-Node CAMERA
    Create a Camera –
    Layer > New > Camera
    Type: ONE NODE
    Preset: 50mm
    Units: Pixels
    Measure Film Size: Horizontally
    CHECK the BOX: Enable Depth of Field
    CHECK the BOX: Lock to Zoom
    Change the ZOOM: 500px
  5. Create a NULL LAYER
  6. Change the PARENT setting on your CAMERA to the NULL LAYER
  7. Experiment with Rotation and Movement in the NULl LAYER! It will control the Camera!

Auto Orient
In this case you can make Objects Auto-Orient to always face the camera
*Same steps as above but one final change

  1. Create a new composition.
    Add a TYPE LAYER
    Create 3 Circles with No Fill
  2. Turn on the 3D Button for each
  3. Adjust each Circle and change its color and its ORIENTATION So that they are offset and surround the TYPE
  4. Create a One-Node CAMERA
  5. Create a NULL LAYER
  6. Change the PARENT setting on your CAMERA to the NULL LAYER
  7. Experiment with Rotation and Movement in the NULl LAYER! It will control the Camera!
  8. Now click on your TEXT LAYER. Right-Click and go to TRANSFORM>AUTO ORIENT> ORIENT TOWARDS CAMERA
  9. The object will stay oriented towards the camera!