Working with Cameras in After Effects

In this tutorial we’ll get you up to speed with everything you need to know to get started with cameras in After Effects.
Download the Project File: www.schoolofmotion.com/tutori...
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Auto-Generated Transcript Below 👇
Music (00:02): [intro music]
Caleb Ward (00:10): Hey, what's up. This is Caleb Ward with school of motion. And in this after effects tutorial, we're going to be talking about cameras. This is going to cover everything from camera nodes to depth of field. So if you're ready to learn something new, let's hop in.
Caleb Ward (00:24): The first thing I want you to know is that you can download the free project file used in this tutorial over at school of motion. You'll just find a link in the description of this video. I find that whenever I follow along with a project file, uh, I tend to learn better. So, so that is free to you over at school of motion. So when we're talking about cameras and after effects, we should just go ahead and get the first thing out of the way, uh, to create a new camera, uh, just go to layer new camera, or you could do option command shift C, and that will create a new camera as well. And this camera settings dialog box, it's going to pop up. Now, when the camera settings dialog box pops up here, there are a lot of numbers and charts and this whole thing looks really scary.
Caleb Ward (01:05): I understand exactly what's going on here. And I am still like what in the world, this is the craziest looking chart. Uh, I have ever seen. We're going to get to all of these things, but first let's talk about the different types of cameras. So in after effects, there's a OneNote and a two note camera. And I think the best way to illustrate these camera types is to, uh, look at these charts here. So right here, we have a, an example of a OneNote camera and a one node camera operates very similarly to a camera in real life in that there is just a single point, uh, that the camera is operating around. So as you rotate your camera, you know, pan or tilt your camera, uh, the area that you are focused on, uh, is going to move with the camera as well. And so, uh, this is just a more natural way of using a camera and thinking about a camera.
Caleb Ward (01:56): And so whenever you're new to after effects, a one note camera is typically where people start now, that is in contrast to a two node camera. Now a two node camera is a OneNote camera with a point of interest. So I'm gonna play this back. So you kind of understand what I'm talking about here. So, um, unlike the one node camera, as you move a two node camera around, it is going to auto orient itself to a point of interest. In fact, if we select our camera down here and kind of go to the dropdown menu, you see that we have a point of interest. This is a two node camera that we are operating with in our timeline right now. Um, now the interesting thing about working with the two note camera is that you can actually adjust the point of interest as well.
Caleb Ward (02:40): So if we play this back here, you'll see that as we adjust the point of interest or camera orients, uh, to the position of the point of interest now, uh, this can be incredibly useful if you're working with a logo reveal or titles that have a specific point of interest, um, it can also be a annoying sometimes if you're working on a project that has a lot of complex 3d movement, and there is no specific, uh, area or point of interest that the cameras should be focusing on. So you probably have the question now, which node should you use. And that's not actually a very easy question to answer because a one node camera, like I was saying before is more natural. And, uh, you know, if you're working on 3d photos or compositing, or you want to generate realistic camera shake, uh, a one node camera is certainly a very useful tool, but a two node camera can also be very useful.
For the full transcript visit: www.schoolofmotion.com/tutori...

[@Reebert02]

This is without doubt the best AE camera tutorial that I've seen! Detailed without being overwhelming and very concise without a any fluff. Well done!

[@bluekite1000]

Unbelievable explanation. I have been a photographer and also videographer for over 15 years and I don't think I or anyone else, could have explained this feature of AE better than you have. I myself was reluctant to learn it, because , I have always found it tedious to get around it. You have made it look so simple with the right approach. I love your tutorial. I am liking motion graphics a lot more now.

[@1WillyDAVID]

thanks for keep this free, is a great resource for those of us who are on the way of Mograph Learning, really apreciated, God bless you tons

[@kozmizm]

This is the best camera explanation video I have found. It's well thought out and each portion is kept simple enough but powerful. I feel like I'm not expressing myself very well, but I really like this video you made. Very impressed! Thank you!

[@yellowcake.]

Kaleb!!!!!!!! Thank you! Without question your presentation and clarity was just what the MoGraph doctor ordered for me. I will revisit this tutorial as needed. Again THANKS!!!!!

[@camilledebastiani6517]

Very useful. By far the best camera tutorial on youtube.

[@cristobalbolanoslopez8873]

I love so much your tutorials! Thanks a lot!

[@0the0ambient0]

Probably the best tutorial on this that I’ve seen

[@balabenjaminharuna]

Great work with detailed illustrations thanks. This was really helpful

[@WubstepJR]

Great tutorial! It really cleared my knowledge of the camera tool. Keep up the great work.

[@schoolofmotion]

Don't make me blush. - Caleb

[@MatONeill]

Ha! I subscribed before the intro was finished. That was amazing!

[@AntonisPetroulias]

Bravo! Perfect tutorial.

[@mauricecalloway5961]

Great tutorial. School of Motion always has the best explanations as to which settings does what and why or why not one should use it. About to start messing with it now as a matter of fact.😁

[@VIDEOEPPO]

This Is the best on this subject I have seen so far.Very Helpful

[@joshuacappello2314]

such a great tutorial much appreciated!!

[@madjesterlabs9369]

Fantastic tutorial! Thank you.

[@hoopz_animation]

Great Tutorial !! Now I can use the camera with confidence

[@hyun6008]

Thank you so much for the great tutorial! It was so helpful!

[@jropstv3158]

Great tutorial, thanks!

[@nawfalsedutainment]

Thanks. For saving me from watching another tutorial video learning nothing. Clear and concise.

[@cepwin]

Excellent tutorial...thanks!

[@bluorb]

@<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1003">16:43</a> - "Set focus distance to layer" alone was worth watching this video! How have I never found that option??? Thanks so much :)

[@Trazynn]

Thanks so much for this. The AE camera feels so counter-intuitive.

[@AlexPotvin]

Intuitive and AE don't go hand in hand. I can't believe I've been editing for so long and how I barely ever understood what I was doing in AE.

[@1WillyDAVID]

thanks dude, excellent lesson! totally Amazing :) God Bless you

[@thecookvideos]

Amazing content!

[@craftycurate]

Very useful thanks!

[@MahckMedia]

Wowww. I never knew about the "2 node camera"! ha. I could have saved so much time. Thanks for the vid!

[@vg8332]

Awesome job 👌👍

[@PJ_Ponders]

AMAZING!!! LOVE THIS VIDEO SO MUCH!

[@schoolofmotion]

[@vickmure]

Thank you so much, learnt a lot too

[@hosseintdu5525]

thank you bro

[@MossReviews]

Best camera angle video tutorial I have seen.

[@schoolofmotion]

Cheers!

[@Nightalexander]

Thanks you very much for this collaboration...

[@Richardtimmy75]

Great job..

[@secret_things7944]

this video was very baller, thank you! tahnk you. perfect overview, truly

[@curiosidicas]

still very good tut!! Thanks a lot

[@O2-studios]

Very helpful. Great job. Thank you. Looking for a clear explanation of the difference between Focus Distance & Point of Interest.

[@enchantedsmoke]

really detailed explanation thanks!

[@schoolofmotion]

Glad we could help!

[@Forward_AD]

bro... I really liked this tut! register on the website right after.

[@pipislao]

thank you

[@nicholaslindquist2644]

Good stuff, thank you!

[@schoolofmotion]

no prob!

[@MaraThamizhan]

Super useful.

[@estebanfigueroa9772]

Cool!

[@noicerone]

thanks for the knowledge! XP gained++

[@marcdevinci893]

Thanks a lot very informative! I was hoping you would talk about the different camera views and how to "read" them.

[@JeFilm94]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1046">17:26</a> I imagine linking this to a null object could be very useful. Then you would have an invisible object in 3D space to set the focus with, rather than just referring to the numbers in the Camera settings. As well as having a layer to parent other objects to if you would want them to follow the same path.

[@kulimanga]

exactly that came up in my mind at that moment :)

[@the_videomatic]

Nice! Are you planning to make a video for camera animation? I'd be pretty interested in how you guys keep things sane while making big & complex moves.

[@bernhagen93]

thanks

[@derekmswanson]

Great tutorial. Do you have any examples of high shutter animations? Curious if you've seen anything where you crank up the shutter that high (400+). Thanks!

[@grimech302]

hello from morocco ARTISTE

[@hamigraphic22]

great

[@peteblac1]

30sSolid Overview, link explaining construction of examples would be of use.. Kudos to all creating and sharing this knowledge. Tech note, traditional modern film is made cellulose acetate or polyester base. In this video, the phrase 'celluloid' is used. Celluloid was the first 'plastic' used for film in the early 20th century. Extremely flamable and fragile, it was replaced in the 1930s. If you have noticed steel shutters in certain movie theaters, this was to protect customers from the extreme fire hazard of early projection booths.

[@JONICHI74]

Saludos desde Ecuador, maravilloso tutorial, cuando hacen un tutorial de transicion con camaras (cambio de planos) varias camaras

[@erwinsmith4586]

NiCee

[@ziching859]

thank you for the tutorial ! may i know how do you not have the text and some of the elements in the composition layer window, yet it's in the composition, where are they at? 🤔

[@danstudio6855]

very helpful informations. I'm just newby for after effect user. I just wondering how can I apply one effect use to multiple photo to save of a times. Do you have some toturail about this?

[@none53]

if we want different angles after 5 seconds , so everytime we need to make a new comp , i did by spliting the null and camera but that didnt work smooth

[@pixelationstudios6101]

Sir, will u please save a copy of the project file as cc 13 or cc 14 bcoz it's not opening

[@iUmarFarooqi]

Please do a tutorial on how you guys compress these tutorials! They're SO high-quality and small sized, at the same time!!

[@schoolofmotion]

We just use the H264 preset in Premiere Pro. It has come a long way in the last few years.

[@RamzBagal]

The other great option would be, is using the app called "Handbrake" it's absolutely free and powerful!It shrinks your video size without losing the quality. Highly reccomend it!Just drop your video in that program and render it,no need to mess with options ,the only important option is "Constant Quality" leave it as is,or if you want to make your video more smaller in size,chose number more than 20,like 25 would be the best in this case.There is a lot videos about this app, check it out.

[@FedericoCocheoFiletti]

RamzBagal Handbrake is a phenomenal piece of software! Can't recommend it enough!

[@fabwalk8133]

i just tried it and couldn't believe my eyes, the file dropped from 98 to 5.7 MBs, same resolution. don't know how to thank you man i'v been looking for this for a decade

[@RamzBagal]

If you talking about "Handbrake" app, yeah!that's how this app works:)) it's awesome!

[@magdimoghni4374]

Perfect tutorial.I have signed in your website but I could not find create account to download the project file. Could you please send me the link to the project file. Thank you,

[@Hillelize]

is there any difference using the 3D camera handle to change camera position versus changing the layer position properties via the timeline panel? I do see that the first impacts the point of interest while the second don't. I just don't understand when to use which?

[@ziondeldiouz1498]

Wow! Great tutorial. Thank you for this knowledge shared. I tried downloading the project file from the link provided but each time i click the "download project file" from the link, it opens another instance of the same page. Please i'd be glad if you could help with the link. Thank you.

[@magdimoghni4374]

Amazing tutorial. I can not open the project file because was created for A/E 15. Could I have the link to download the project for A/E cc14. Thank you very much.

[@MightyIndians]

please upload project files for lower versions of AE

[@magdimoghni4374]

Is possible to have this great tutorial with live examples like subjects (Soccer Player) not only the camera logo and an After Effect project to practice on the camera movements. Thank you again.

[@FarshSchafer]

mee too looking forward to see that . :)

[@guillaumecayla8304]

Hey, Thanks for this great tutorial ! I'v just have one question : My "preview box" in the camera settings is uncheckable, do you know how I can fix that ? thanks for everything !

[@schoolofmotion]

this is unchecked when you first create a camera. But, once it's a layer in your composition you should be able to use the preview check box! Let us know if that doesn't help! - SOM

[@wissamsalman6415]

This is fantastic! However I got confused at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="834">13:54</a> when you wanted to change the settings from One node to two nodes, but you changed it from two nodes to two nodes instead! which made me doubt whether or not I missed the one node lesson?

[@yellowcake.]

Update Note: In AE 17.5 the universal camera tool is accessed by pressing ALT when the camera tools are active.

[@CmdrTigerKing]

would be nice if you explained how you got this strange camera view.

[@maxmagnus777]

So should we work with nulls or these controls? Oh bdw how do you use multiple nulls?

[@ghadafaisal5020]

Thanks a lot!!! Can I ask you a question please I use mac too and the software is osx so i cant use after effects cc .. but I'm really afraid to lose everything when i update it to high sierra and also I cant backup them.. what can I do then? and will i lose them or the update don't erase everything??!

[@gusmaiawork]

why can't you backup?

[@palpytine]

"Really wide... 4mm", and not even fisheye! I want that lens; Gilliam, eat your heart out.

[@TRK-up2zw]

I want to use a one-node camera and kind of avoid points of interest, but I also really value the link focal distance to layer tool, which is only available with two-node cameras--I'm not sure why when both use depth of field. Is there a workaround equivalent to that tool with a one-node camera? Thx!

[@diegofiallos1616]

maan may I use one of those presets, in my fotography channel for my intro?

[@hibye8500]

what is the difference between the camera and null layer?

[@dayashiniR]

Hey nice tutorial!! How would you animate the camera to track through a scene. For example, saying you're animating a P.O.V of a person walking down a corridor and then turning left, how would you go about this? Would you have to set the scene to accommodate this camera movement? Cheers

[@antonoksenenko275]

Greetings, Dear! If it's not too difficult for you, could you tell me what program do you use to add sound to video from After Effects? Thank you for your work! Health to you and your family! Greetings to you from Russia!

[@ludoviajante2]

thank you so much, chicken butt

[@DylanJamesOfficial]

PLEASE TELL ME WHAT FONT YOU USED FOR THE NODE TITLES!! I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A NICE FONT FOR SO LONG AHHHHH!!! LOL

[@schoolofmotion]

I'm not sure off the top of my head, but it should be in the download file.

[@darkbeauty8379]

how can we incept gravity without newton 3? for motion graphics?

[@Expe_riencE]

how to make background like that?

[@limmykinh]

Is there a way to change the node of the camera midway?

[@schoolofmotion]

Currently, this does not seem possible... The option to keyframe the node is not available. Maybe this will help? aescripts.com/ae-camera-morph/

[@MrSoundScan]

Cannot open Project file on Windows version. Please provide a project file compatible with windows.

[@schoolofmotion]

Hi Billy, the AE file that is included in the zip download is compatible with both Windows and Mac. Is there a particular error message that you received that you could share with us? Thanks!

[@Zgjimik]

The Camera is a very scary tool for beginners.

[@kthree100]

im guessing the file was created in macintosh because im not able to open it on my pc

[@schoolofmotion]

Hmmm, You definitely should be able to open it on a PC...

[@TripologyIndia]

[@stevesculptor1]

Wait! at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="859">14:19</a> I can't see what you're doing with orbit POI

[@alexdib3915]

Bokehlicious

[@SparklingDramaProduction]

how-to-Download

[@schoolofmotion]

Go here: www.schoolofmotion.com/tutorials/cameras-after-effects create an account and click the download button.

[@norwayportal3748]

Add ONE small thing - If nothing responds to the camera - Select the layers you want to use with the camera and select in the top menu - Layer and 3Dlayer. Otherwise nothing responds to the camera. Had me baffeled for a second..

[@Jake-um8yf]

Wait a sec... DON'T use motion blur? Why not?

[@onlyzeus3587]

*My Brain*