🕹️ Camera Animation Basics

Objective: Get knowledge about the timeline and keyframes to animate camera movement and export short video clips.

🔧 Tools You’ll Use

Tool / Concept	Shortcut / Location	Purpose
Add Camera	`Shift + A → Camera`	Place a camera in your scene
Set Camera View	`Ctrl + Alt + Numpad 0`	Align active camera to your current view
Move / Rotate	`G`, `R` (plus X, Y, Z for axis)	Position camera and aim it properly
Insert Keyframe	`I` in 3D Viewport	Record camera location/rotation over time
Timeline	Bottom window in layout	View and adjust keyframes
Dope Sheet	Switch from Timeline to Dope Sheet	Fine-tune animation timing
Preview Animation	`Spacebar`	Play your animation

Learn the basics on how to animate your camera

Watch and apply this basic camera animation in your own scene, then export it as a video file.

Intro to Camera Animation: How To Keyframe Camera

💾 Export Your Animation

Go to Render Properties → Output
Set file format: .FFMPEG video
Set resolution: 1920x1080
Set frame rate: 24 fps
File → Render → Render Animation
Save as `YourName_CameraMove.mp4

Experiment

Try adding these kinds of motion to your scene:

🎥 Zoom In: Move the camera closer over time
👀 Pan: Move the camera side to side or up and down

Each animation should have its own camera.

To add a new one: Shift + A → Camera
Hide any previous ones in the Outliner (click the 👁️ icon)

💾 Render each preview as a short clip (Render → Render Animation) and save it with a clear filename like:
YourName_CamOrbit.mp4, YourName_CamZoom.mp4, etc.

Learn more camera animation techniques

Follow these video tutorials to learn the basics of camera animation in Blender.
For each tutorial:

Watch the video and follow the steps in your own scene.
Add a new camera for each animated movement.
Hide any unused cameras by clicking the eye icon in the Outliner.
Export a small preview:
- Render → Render Animation
- Save as a short .mp4 file to review your work.

Tutorials to Try

📝 Reflection Prompt

How did your camera motion affect the scene?
Does it make the moment feel slow, fast, intense, peaceful, or cinematic?