Animate a Camera Shake in Maya

Animate a Camera Shake in Maya with Monty

In this free animation tutorial we show how to animate a camera shake in Maya.  It's a simple tutorial aimed at beginners learning 3d animation in Autodesk Maya. 

To animate the camera shake is simple - it's just a few keyframes on the x rotation on the shot camera, simulating what might happen to a real camera operator if (as in this example) a school bus were to whizz past at high speed. 

Animate a Camera Shake in Maya

The tutorial uses a simple pre-existing scene in Autodesk Maya, including "Monty", the Cartoonland Set and a School Bus.  If you want to replicate all the elements, start here by learning how to animate a simple head turn with Monty.  You can find out more about Monty here.  The Cartoonland Set is free to download - you can find here at Turbosquid.  The cartoony school bus is also available from Turbosquid - download it for free here.

How to Animate a Camera Shake in Maya - Free Tutorial

Camera and Cinematography

Below are some useful resources on camera and cinematography at Animation Apprentice.

• Why Animators Have Too Many Cuts
• Why Camera Always Follows - Never Leads
• Why Animators Should Avoid Jump Cuts
• Understand The 180 Degree Rule - "Crossing The Line"
• Avoid "Motion Sickness Camera" - Keep it Simple
• Don't "Break the 4th Wall"
• Understanding The "Magic Circle" - With Brad Bird
• How to Create a Shot Camera in Maya

Beginner Animation Tutorials in Maya

To see more free basic tutorials in Maya, aimed at animation beginners, see below:

• Animate a telephone ringing in Maya
• Animate a UFO on a Motion Path
• Animate a Candle with Blend Shapes
• Animate a Simple Head Turn with Monty
• Animate a Flickering Neon Sign in Maya
• Animate a Foxy Tail in Motion
• Animate a Flag Waving in Maya
• Animate Two Dice Falling and Rolling
• Animate a Cartoony Vehicle Coming to a Sudden Stop
• Animate a Traffic Cone Being Knocked Over

To find out more about Animation Apprentice, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions. To sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link.