How To Create a Shot Camera in Maya

In this short video we show how to create and animate a shot camera in Autodesk Maya.  If you were on a live action set, one of the first things you would do is set up your camera and decide what the shot was going to look like. But in Maya, because we get a Perspective View for free, animators often forget to create a shot camera. This is a mistake - we want to make an early decision on what the audience is going to see. Watch this beginner's video tutorial above to find out how to create a camera in Maya and lock it off. 

Always Create a Shot Camera

Always Create a Shot Camera

Creating a shot camera is easy, and ensures that you will make an early decision as to what your audience is going to see. 

Is is a Wide Shot? a Mid Shot? A Close Up? The important thing is to decide what the shot will look like, what the audience will see, and adapt your animation to the shot camera.

Animation Basics in Maya

To see more about how to master the basics of animation in Maya, watch the short tutorials below:

• How to Use Infinity Curves in Maya
• Why Animators Need Sine Waves - And How to Use Them
• How to Use the Graph Editor in Maya

• 

  Maya Basics Tutorials at YouTube

  How to Use Maya's Motion Trail Tool
• How to Use the Layer Editor in Maya
• How to Copy and Paste Curves in Autodesk Maya
• Maya Basics Tutorials at YouTube
• Animate a Ball Bounce in Maya 
• Animate a Lamp Hop in Maya

Lighting Basics in Maya

Basic Lighting in Arnold

Below are some short tutorials for simple lighting setups in Maya.

• Basic Lighting in Arnold - Sky Shader
• Basic Lighting in Arnold in Maya - Physical Sky
• Create a Starry Sky in Arnold and Maya with Arnold Skydome

Animation with Monty

Monty The Green Pea

To see more tutorials about how to learn to animate with Monty The Green Pea, read the blog posts below:

• Animate a "Double Bounce" Walk With Monty
• Animate a Head Turn with Monty
• Animate a Run Cycle with Monty
• Animate a Jump with Monty
• Animate Monty saying "Smokin'"
• Animate Monty Singing "Oh Yeah"
• Animate a Weight Shift with Monty
• Learn to animate a basic walk with "Monty" by Alex Williams
• Character Walk Tutorial with "Monty", with Alex Williams
• How to stop feet sliding in a walk cycle, with Alex Williams
• "Monty" walk tutorial with Marc Stevenson
• Meet Monty - The Green Pea

Vimeo Tutorial Channel

The Escape Studios Vimeo Tutorial Channel is our main hub for our animation and VFX video tutorials, making it easy for our students to find tutorials to support their classroom studies.

Animation & VFX Tutorials

Our tutorials cover Animation, 3D VFX, Compositing, Rigging, Motion Graphics, Storyboarding & Character Design, Unreal Engine and Cinematography.

The Escape Studios Animation Blog offers a personal view on the art of animation and visual effects.  To apply for one of our courses, follow this link.