Move a camera, light, or point of interest



Camera layers and light layers each include a Point Of Interest property, which specifies the point in the composition at which the camera or light points. By default, the point of interest is at the center of the composition. You can move the point of interest at any time.

Before moving a camera, choose a view other than Active Camera so that you can see the point of interest icon and the boundaries defining its angle.
  1. Select a camera or light layer.
  2. (Optional) To set the camera or light to ignore the point of interest, choose Layer > Transform > Auto-Orient and select an option other than Orient Towards Point Of Interest.
  3. Using the Selection or Rotation tool, do one of the following:

    • To move the camera or light and its point of interest, position the pointer over the axis you want to adjust, and drag.

    • To move the camera or light along a single axis without moving the point of interest, Ctrl-drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac OS) the axis.

    • To move the camera or light freely without moving the point of interest, drag the camera icon  or light icon.

    • To move the point of interest, drag the point of interest icon .

Note: As with all properties, you can also modify a camera or light’s position, rotation, and orientation properties directly in the Timeline panel.
When working with a camera or light layer, create a null object layer and use an expression to link the Point Of Interest property of the camera or light to the Position property of the null layer. Then, you can animate the Point Of Interest property by moving the null object. It is often easier to select and see a null object than it is to select and see the point of interest.

You can also move a camera with the Camera tools. (See Adjust a camera view or working 3D view.)

Online resources for moving and animating cameras and lights

The AE Enhancers forum provides an expression that makes moving a camera or light more convenient.

Trish and Chris Meyer provide a video tutorial on the ProVideo Coalition website that demonstrates the use of the Camera tools to adjust cameras and 3D views.

Trish and Chris Meyer provide a tutorial for using 3D layers, lights, and cameras in a PDF excerpt from their book After Effects Apprentice on the Focal Press website.

Matt Haliski provides instructions on his HexLuv website that describe how to parent a camera to a system of null object layers to make camera animation easier and more efficient.

Dale Bradshaw provides a script and sample project for automating the rigging of a camera on the Creative Workflow Hacks website.

Mark Christiansen provides tips and detailed techniques for working with cameras in the “Virtual Cinematography in After Effects” chapter of After Effects Studio Techniques on the Peachpit Press website. This chapter includes information about matching lens distortion, performing camera moves, performing camera projection (camera mapping), using rack focus, creating boke blur, using grain, and choosing a frame rate to match your story-telling.

Richard Harrington provides a video tutorial on the Creative COW website that shows how to use the camera tools and camera views in After Effects to create a camera move with 3D layers. (This tutorial is the second in a two-part series. Part 1 concentrates on working with photographs to isolate and create sky in Photoshop for use in After Effects.)