Focus and Depth of Field For Animators

Focus and Depth of Field are principles of cinematography that animators need to understand, because you don't always want the audience to see everything in your shot. Animators are film-makers, and the audience needs to be guided through scene, shown only what is important - and leaving out what is unimportant. Focus and depth of field can help with this - if something in your shot isn't important, simply blur it out. To see more about what the terms Focus and Depth of Field mean - and how it all works in practice - watch the short video above. 

Camera, Layout and Cinematography

Camera Always Follows - Never Leads

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
• How to Animate a Camera Shake in Maya

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.