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Best way to fine tune artificial camera movements (using null layer) to pan between constructed scenes?
Hi. I have a question about panning between constructed scenes in AE. I am using a null layer with the scene elements parented to it to create artificial camera movements. My main challenge has been trying to create extremely smooth ease-ins and ease-outs with a bit of acceleration in the middle so that it’s not boring. I want it to look real. I’ve gotten decent at it but I wonder if I’m missing something.
Here is an example video clip along with screenshots of the null layer. Am I doing it right? Is there an easier way to do this? It just requires so much fine tuning. I would like to be able to control the behaviour of the action in the middle independently from just using the bezier handles of the start and end keyframes. I could add new keyframes in the middle of the pan of course but then you have to finesse those to make the animation smooth. I looked into roving keyframes but you can’t use that feature with properties such as scale and rotation. Any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wahhdrjcrrirfgz/pan%20example.mp4?dl=0
With the null the biggest movement is with the x axis. There is a bit of rotation to make it look natural and a bit of movement on the y axis. I tried to start the animations extremely slowly so that the viewer doesn’t notice it, but I worry that that makes it a bit too slow overall. Making it faster creates a sudden point at the beginning where you notice the start of the animation.
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3 Replies
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I struggle with this stuff too. Lately i’ve taken to recording a similar movement with a real camera and bringing the footage into AE for comparison. I’ve not bothered with tracking the real footage, but having it as reference is sometimes enough.
http://www.YouTube.com/ShiveringCactus – Free FX for amateur films
https://shiveringcactus.wordpress.com/ – FX blog -
for smoothness i look at both the graph curve of its speed and the physical course of the camera in 4 camera view…most often of times i can create that camera path using only 2-3 keyframes…but it sure does take a while to perfect into a super smooth camera..
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Ok glad to know that I’m not alone haha. Creating a smooth path with 3 keyframes must be difficult. Do you use the camera feature in AE, or do you use null layers to create a “camera” as I did? If you used the camera feature, how is that better than using nulls?
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