Emulate a Real Camera

Emulate a Real Camera

Other considerations when matching a real-world camera
include
. Depth of fi eld: This is among the most fi lmic and
evocative additions you can make to a scene. Like any
computer graphics program, After Effects naturally
has limitless depth of fi eld, so you have to re-create the
shallow depth of real-world optics to bring a fi lmic look
to a comp.
. Zoom or push: A move in or out is used for dramatic
effect, but a zoom and a push communicate very different
things about point of view.
. Motion blur and shutter angle: These are composition
(not camera) settings; introduced in Chapter 2 and
further explored here.
. Lens angle: The perspective and parallax of layers in 3D
space change according to the angle of the lens used to
view them.

. Lens distortion: Real lenses introduce curvature to
straight lines, which is most apparent with wide-angle
or “fi sheye” lenses. An After Effects camera has no lens,
hence, no distortion, but it can be created or removed
(see the section “Lens Distortion”).
. Exposure: Every viewer in After Effects includes an
Exposure control (Aperture icon, lower right); this
(along with the effect with the same name) is mathematically
similar but different in practice from the aperture
of a physical camera. Exposure and color range is
detailed in Chapter 11.
. Boke, halation, fl ares: All sorts of interesting phenomena
are generated by light when it interacts with the
lens itself. The appeal of this purely optical phenomenon
in a shot is subjective, yet they can offer a unique
and beautiful aesthetic and lend realism to a scene shot
under conditions where we would expect to see them
(whether we know it or not).
A camera report is a record of the settings used when the
footage was taken, usually logged by the camera assistant
(or equivalent).