Common Move Recipes

This library provides detailed instructions for creating standard camera movements used in professional filmmaking. Each "recipe" includes specific keyframe values, settings, and tips that you can adapt to your own productions.

Perfect Orbit Around Subject

A perfectly circular camera movement around a subject, maintaining consistent framing throughout the orbit. This classic move creates a dramatic reveal of the subject or environment.

Recipe Specifications

• Axes Used: Track (1), East/West (4), Pan (5)
• Duration: 120 frames (5 seconds at 24fps)
• Orbit Radius: 36 inches (adjustable)
• Orbit Angle: 360° (full circle)

Setup Instructions

1. Position Camera:
   • Place your subject at the center of what will be your orbit path
   • Position the camera at the desired distance from the subject (36" in this example)
   • Aim the camera directly at the subject
   • Set Track and E/W axes to 0.000 position
   • Set Pan to 0.000 position (pointed directly at subject)
2. Setup the Move:
   • Create a new move with 120 frames duration: ml 120
   • Ensure Track (1), E/W (4), and Pan (5) are in REC mode
3. Keyframe Programming Method:
   • We'll create a move with keyframes at every 90° position (4 keyframes total)

Keyframe Values

Curve Type Recommendations

1. To create a perfectly smooth orbit, set all axes to Spline curves
2. For a mathematically perfect circle, run the cc (Create Circle) command:

   cc 36.000 120 1 4 5

   This creates a circle with radius 36.000 units, over 120 frames, using axes 1, 4, and 5

Variations and Customizations

• Faster/Slower Orbit: Adjust the frame duration while maintaining keyframe positions
• Partial Orbit: Use only a segment of the orbit (e.g., 0-90° for a quarter orbit)
• Rising Orbit: Add movement on the Lift (2) axis, gradually increasing height during orbit
• Focus Pull Orbit: Add Focus (9) axis keyframes that shift focus from foreground to background
• Reveal Orbit: Set the first keyframe with the subject off-camera, then orbit to reveal

Dolly Zoom/Vertigo Effect

The classic "Vertigo" effect (named after Hitchcock's film) creates the disorienting illusion that the background is stretching or compressing while the foreground subject maintains the same size in frame.

Recipe Specifications

• Axes Used: Track (1), Zoom (10)
• Duration: 90 frames (3.75 seconds at 24fps)
• Track Distance: 48 inches forward
• Zoom Range: 80mm to 24mm (or equivalent in your zoom units)

Understanding the Mathematical Relationship

The dolly zoom effect requires precise coordination between the physical camera movement and the zoom adjustment. The mathematical relationship is:

Setup Instructions

1. Position Camera:
   • Position the camera at the starting point (about 8 feet from subject)
   • Frame the subject at a medium-telephoto focal length (80mm in this example)
   • Set Track (1) position to 0.000
   • Set Zoom (10) position to reflect the 80mm setting (value depends on your zoom calibration)
2. Setup the Move:
   • Create a new move with 90 frames duration: ml 90
   • Ensure Track (1) and Zoom (10) are in REC mode

Keyframe Values

* Zoom values are in mm focal length. Your system may use different units depending on calibration.

Curve Type Recommendations

1. For a classic dolly zoom, use Linear curves for both Track and Zoom axes
2. For a more dramatic effect at the end, use EaseIn curves for both axes
3. For precise mathematical calculation, use the vz (Vertigo Zoom) command:

   vz 1 10 96.0 80.0 8

   This creates a dolly zoom using Track (1) and Zoom (10), starting 96 inches from subject with 80mm focal length, ending 8 inches from subject

Variations and Customizations

• Reverse Vertigo: Start close with a wide angle, then move back while zooming in
• Extended Vertigo: Use a longer track and wider zoom range for a more extreme effect
• Compound Vertigo: Add slight pan or tilt movements to increase the disorienting effect
• Vertigo Reveal: Start with subject out of focus, add a focus pull during the move

Classic Crane Shots with Acceleration Curves

Crane shots create dramatic vertical movement, typically starting low and rising to reveal a wider scene, or descending from an overview to focus on a specific detail.

Recipe Specifications

• Axes Used: Lift (2), Tilt (6), Focus (9), optionally Track (1)
• Duration: 120 frames (5 seconds at 24fps)
• Lift Range: 36 inches vertical movement
• Tilt Range: 45° adjustment (to maintain framing)

Setup Instructions

1. Position Camera:
   • Position the camera at the lowest position of your planned move
   • Frame your starting composition (often looking slightly upward)
   • Set Lift (2) to 0.000 or your system's minimum height position
   • Note the starting Tilt (6) and Focus (9) positions
2. Setup the Move:
   • Create a new move with 120 frames duration: ml 120
   • Ensure Lift (2), Tilt (6), and Focus (9) are in REC mode
   • Add Track (1) in REC mode if you want forward/backward movement

Keyframe Values for Rising Reveal Crane

* Focus values depend on your system's calibration
† Track values are optional if adding forward movement

Curve Type Recommendations

1. For classic cinematic crane movement:
   • Lift (2): EaseIn/Out curve - gradual start, smooth middle, gentle stop
   • Tilt (6): Spline curve - smooth reframing throughout the move
   • Focus (9): Spline curve - continuous gradual adjustment
   • Track (1): EaseIn/Out curve - matching the lift movement
2. For more dramatic acceleration:
   • Use EaseIn curves for a slow start with progressive acceleration
   • Adjust the ease handle length in the Graph Editor to control acceleration rate

Advanced Acceleration Control

Fine-tune the acceleration profile in the Graph Editor:

1. Enter the Editor by typing ed at the main Control Panel
2. Select the Lift axis (2)
3. For each keyframe, adjust the tangent handles:
   • Frame 0: Short outgoing handle (slow initial movement)
   • Frame 60: Longer handles for increased velocity in the middle
   • Frame 120: Short incoming handle (gradual deceleration)
4. Use the curve type buttons to experiment with different acceleration profiles
5. Press ESC to exit the Editor when satisfied

Variations and Customizations

• Descending Crane: Reverse the keyframe order for a top-down reveal
• Jib Arm Simulation: Add East/West (4) movement to create an arcing path
• Parallax Crane: Add more forward Track (1) movement to enhance depth perception
• Pedestal Crane: Use only Lift (2) with minimal Tilt (6) for a straight up/down movement
• Combined Reveal: Start with a tight focus on a foreground object, then crane up to reveal the wider scene

Multi-Axis Coordinated Moves

These recipes demonstrate how to coordinate multiple axes for complex camera movements that maintain specific framing or create dynamic transitional effects.

Pan-with-Track (Parallelogram Move)

This move keeps the subject centered while the camera moves laterally, creating a dramatic shift in perspective while maintaining framing.

Recipe Specifications

• Axes Used: East/West (4), Pan (5)
• Duration: 72 frames (3 seconds at 24fps)
• E/W Range: 24 inches lateral movement
• Pan Range: Compensating angle to maintain subject centering

Mathematical Relationship

The pan angle must change in direct proportion to the lateral movement, based on the distance to subject:

Keyframe Values

Focus Pull with Complex Coordination

This sophisticated move demonstrates a focus transition between two subjects at different distances while maintaining proper framing.

Recipe Specifications

• Axes Used: Track (1), Pan (5), Focus (9)
• Duration: 48 frames (2 seconds at 24fps)
• Focus Transition: From foreground (3ft) to background (12ft) subject

Keyframe Values

* Focus values depend on your lens setup and calibration

Focus Pull Techniques

Precise focus transitions are a hallmark of professional cinematography. These recipes provide the exact settings for various focus pull effects.

Basic Focus Pull Between Two Subjects

This technique creates a clean focus transition from one subject to another, drawing the viewer's attention.

Recipe Specifications

• Axes Used: Focus (9)
• Duration: 36 frames (1.5 seconds at 24fps)
• Distance to Subjects: Subject A at 4ft, Subject B at 10ft

Keyframe Values

* Focus values depend on your lens setup and calibration

Rack Focus with Depth Reveal

This more complex focus pull creates a cinematic "reveal" of depth in the scene. It works particularly well when combined with slight camera movement.

Recipe Specifications

• Axes Used: Focus (9), Track (1)
• Duration: 60 frames (2.5 seconds at 24fps)

Keyframe Values

* Focus values depend on your lens setup and calibration

Advanced Focus Techniques

• Split Diopter Effect: Create a "split focus" effect by starting with the focus halfway between two subjects, then sharply pulling to one, then the other, then back to the middle
• Breathing Compensation: If your lens exhibits focus breathing (changing apparent focal length when focusing), add subtle zoom adjustments to compensate
• Pre-Roll Focus: Begin with focus slightly off, then quickly snap into focus at the start of the main move
• Snap Focus: Use a Linear curve with only 2-3 frames between focus positions for an immediate "snap" focus change

Stop-Motion Specialty Moves

These recipes are specifically designed for stop-motion animation, incorporating specialized techniques like go-motion and step increments.

Subtle Character Animation Drift

This recipe creates the subtle illusion of a character's slight movement in an otherwise static scene, often used in stop-motion to add life to stationary elements.

Recipe Specifications

• Axes Used: Pan (5), Tilt (6), M_ROT (7)
• Duration: 240 frames (10 seconds at 24fps)
• Motion Type: INDEX (discrete positions between frames)

Keyframe Values

Go-Motion Blur Move

This specialized stop-motion technique creates realistic motion blur within each frame, resulting in more natural-looking animation.

Recipe Specifications

• Axes Used: Track (1), Pan (5)
• Duration: 60 frames (2.5 seconds at 24fps)
• Motion Type: BLUR (camera movement during exposure)
• Exposure Time: 1/4 second

Setup Instructions

1. In the Stop Motion menu, set Track (1) and Pan (5) to B type (Blur)
2. Set the exposure time to match your camera (250ms for 1/4 second)
3. Set the blur amount to 20% (percentage of movement between frames)

Keyframe Values

Bird's Eye to Ground-Level Transitions

These dramatic top-down to eye-level transitions create powerful establishing shots or reveal sequences.

Vertical Reveal Transition

This move transitions smoothly from a bird's eye view directly above a subject to a ground-level view, revealing the environment dramatically.

Recipe Specifications

• Axes Used: Lift (2), Tilt (6), Focus (9)
• Duration: 144 frames (6 seconds at 24fps)
• Height Range: 60 inches (start) to 6 inches (end)

Keyframe Values

* Focus values depend on your lens setup and calibration

Curve Type Recommendations

• Lift (2): EaseOut curve - gradual initial descent, accelerating smoothly
• Tilt (6): Spline curve - smooth transition from vertical to horizontal
• Focus (9): Spline curve - continuous adjustment as distance changes

Variations and Customizations

• Spiral Descent: Add East/West (4) and Track (1) movement in a spiral pattern while descending
• Reveal Characters: Time the descent to reveal characters or story elements at specific heights
• Transition to Motion: Start with stationary subjects, then introduce motion as the camera reaches ground level