MAXON Computer Cinema 4D Tutorials: Vertigo Effect

Tips & Techniques - Camera

Camera:
Vertigo Effect
Download:
PDF / Works with:
SE and XL Requires:
Version 5.0+

Description: In horror or suspense films (especially Alfred Hitchcock films) the director or cinematographer will use the Vertigo effect to create dramatic effect. The QuickTime at right is a good example of this technique.

This tutorial will show you how can quickly and simply create this effect in CINEMA 4D.

Click above for a QuickTime Movie

Step 1: First add a camera to your scene (Objects=>Scene Objects=>Camera) and position it so that it is focused on the subject of your scene. Here we used a couple of bottles with a checkerboard background.

With the camera selected, activate the Virtual Camera Tool so that your 3D view is from the camera's perspective.

Step 2: Go into the Timeline window (Windows=>Timeline) and create an animated parameter track for your camera. Select the camera and click Function=>New Track=>Parameter=>Camera. Then, add a sequence to the track by clicking Function=>New Sequence. The effect works best when it is relatively short; say 5 seconds at the most.

Step 3: Now create a keyframe at 0 (cntrl-click). In the new dialog, leave all settings at their defaults and click OK. Then, create another keyframe the end of the sequence. In that dialog, change the Focal Length setting to Fish Eye and click OK.

The lens length will now change gradually from its normal setting to the fish eye focal length to create the effect.

Step 4: You'll see that the changes to focal length gives the illusion that the camera is moving backwards. To counteract this, you compensate by moving the camera forward.

Create a Position track for the camera. Leave the camera in its current position for frame 0, then move the timeline to the last frame of the animation and adjust the camera position so that the scene is captured with our new focal length as shown. Don't forget to record a keyframe for that last position.

And, that's all there is to it!