Article on Camerawork
This article is mainly designed to fill in the gaps that were left from the lectures on camera in AFA, as well as the review that was presented early on in the Spring 2021 semester of AAFA. As such we will mainly touch on topics that were left out, and expand upon the ones that we feel would be most useful for your animation.
Part i: Supplementary points on Cuts
1.1 Cut on action
A cut-on-action is when you splice together two different shots of the same action to make the cut feel more seamless.
An example would be if:
(For JAWS) You guys already do a similar thing with the MC falling into the pool and then cutting to a shot in the water. Speeding up the fall would make for a very quick and smooth transition from outside to inside the water.
An example would be if:
- Frontal shot of a person jumping into the air
- cut to a side shot of them rolling on the ground (after they have already landed)
(For JAWS) You guys already do a similar thing with the MC falling into the pool and then cutting to a shot in the water. Speeding up the fall would make for a very quick and smooth transition from outside to inside the water.
1.2 (Don't) jump cut
Jump cuts are cuts that typically exist in a similar or exactly the same angle. The effect of this on your short/film is that it... Well, it just looks bad. Jump cuts seem unprofessional, sporadic, and are often regarded as a mistake in editing.
To avoid using jump cuts:
(For JAWS) This is not too much of an issue for 2D animation, depending on how the shots are laid out. But it's something to be aware of when animating to make sure that the camera remains consistent enough to not look like there was a cut.
To avoid using jump cuts:
- Consider using zooms instead of cutting forward
- Use different framing techniques if you absolutely must do a cut
- Consider utilizing match cut/framing
(For JAWS) This is not too much of an issue for 2D animation, depending on how the shots are laid out. But it's something to be aware of when animating to make sure that the camera remains consistent enough to not look like there was a cut.
part ii: Camerawork / Camera motion
AFA Facilitators:
AAFA Students:
Absolutely no one, ever:
Alex: We're going to be using clips from this Hololive Alternative Trailer to showcase some of the shots that we'll be talking about in the rest of this article. Why? Because why not?
AAFA Students:
Absolutely no one, ever:
Alex: We're going to be using clips from this Hololive Alternative Trailer to showcase some of the shots that we'll be talking about in the rest of this article. Why? Because why not?
2.1 Static Shots
(final frame extended for better looping)
Despite the warm color of the eyes/highlights, the still camera makes this shot very cold and unfeeling
Despite the warm color of the eyes/highlights, the still camera makes this shot very cold and unfeeling
Static shots are exactly as they sound -- the camera doesnt move. It is set at a specific angle and left there as the scene goes about.
The effects of a static shot include:
The effects of a static shot include:
- Cold, distant feeling
- More emotional detachment from the characters
- Gives the feeling of "watching" the character
- Can be used to emphasize the framing, as well as other staging techniques.
- This is because the camera motion is no longer distracting from these
With this shot, it feels as if we are watching her run by, as if our heads are still and only our eyes are moving to look at the subject.
2.2 Smooth Motion (restricted)
Notice how the camera linearly follows along with the purple character.
This is referring to a smooth motion of the camera on a single axis. This includes sideways (in relation to the character) and zooming in/out. These are typically referred to as a dolly, slider, or jib
The effects of this include:
The effects of this include:
- Still quite cold, but now the camera is actively a part of the scene
- (Lateral motion) By following a specific character, we are specifically connected to that character
- (Dolly in) By zooming in, we focus in on something, by "boxing in" the frame on a certain subject
- (Dolly out) By zooming out, we open up the frame and reveal new information about the scene
Notice both the cut on action as she anticipates, and then the camera cuts to the swinging mass
which then dollies out to reveal the dragon being thrown into the air.
which then dollies out to reveal the dragon being thrown into the air.
2.3 Smooth Motion (Unrestricted)
Similar to above, but now the camera is able to move freely in all axes (i.e. up into the air). Think of smooth motion filmed from a drone or crane.
These are similarly emotionally detached, but is less formal than restricted smooth motion.
These are similarly emotionally detached, but is less formal than restricted smooth motion.
2.4 Semi-stablized camera
These shots are done usually with a human operator on a shoulder rig. What we get from this is a some more jitter to the camera, as well as more shakiness, but not so much as to disorient the viewer
Through this type of motion we get:
Through this type of motion we get:
- a more emotionally attached shot, almost as if we are walking along with the character in frame
- Can be used to shoot an action sequence, but remove the feeling of being choreographed.
2.5 Unstablized camera
Put a camera in your hand and start running. No stabilization, just pure "raw" footage. A big example is the camerawork in The Blair Witch Project.
What this does for your film is:
What this does for your film is:
- Can be use for very chaotic scenes, often allows you to disregard spatial continuity
- Can also mask bad choreography, but dont rely on this too much
- Can be very immersive for the audience
- But if done badly it just sucks.
part iii: Other camera techniques
3.1 Creating unease
Along with what was learned in AFA, here are some ideas for how to create a more uncomfortable shot for your audience
- Dutch angles
- Even a slight tilt will be enough to unbalance your audience
- Doing so in a big pool of water is quite difficult.
- Vertigo
- Typically done by: Zoom in, dolly out, or vice versa
- Powerlessness over environment
- Visual obscurity
- Covering the frame can make the audience feel anxious as we are not able to see the entire picture
- Could potentially be used in JAWS, but due to the general darkness of the climax, it may be uncessary.
3.2 Parallax
Creation of depth by having different parts of the set pan at different speeds. Very easy to pull off if your set is drawn in different pieces, then animating them using motion tweens.
Notice the difference in speed between the building in the foreground and island in the background
3.3 Intentionally imprecise motion
This is a pretty important topic, especially in 2D Animation and 3D animation. Camera rigs are not perfect. There will almost always be some form of shakiness of jitter when recording a shot. But due to having seen so much media in our lives, we are able to tune it out and believe that the shot is actually "smooth."
What this means is that when a camera is entirely smooth, it feels strange, it looks weird, it looks... "CG." As such, animators will typically have to try and "unsmooth" their camera motions to give it some of that shakiness.
What this means is that when a camera is entirely smooth, it feels strange, it looks weird, it looks... "CG." As such, animators will typically have to try and "unsmooth" their camera motions to give it some of that shakiness.
Can you see the slight shakiness in the frame?
3.4 Overshooting camera movements
Another artifact of traditional filmmaking that has been engrained into our cognitive dissonance is the imperfection of dollies and pans/zooms. More often or not, the character in frame will stop, and the dolly/camera operator will have to react and stop moving, with an obvious delay.
Here's an example
As a result, the camera will pan for slightly longer than needed, and the camera then moves back into place to fit the frame. This "overshoot" is then added into our to emulate this motion.
Note: this is very similar to the idea of slow in/slow out. Just as any character needs to wind down, a camera moving at a constant speed will either need to slow down, or overshoot and correct its motion to feel smooth.
Here's an example
As a result, the camera will pan for slightly longer than needed, and the camera then moves back into place to fit the frame. This "overshoot" is then added into our to emulate this motion.
Note: this is very similar to the idea of slow in/slow out. Just as any character needs to wind down, a camera moving at a constant speed will either need to slow down, or overshoot and correct its motion to feel smooth.
Most definitely not just adding this one cause she's cute.
This shot does not really fit the bill for intentional shakiness, nor is it a semi stabilized camera.
This camera is more of a POV shot that is made unsteady by the recoil of having clashed with the character in frame.
This camera is more of a POV shot that is made unsteady by the recoil of having clashed with the character in frame.
