kevinbadi Dolly + Rotate Camera Animation
Camera dollies forward while simultaneously rotating around the product, creating a dynamic sweeping reveal that's more engaging than a straight zoom or static orbit.
When to Use
- User wants a "dynamic" or "sweeping" shot
- User says "dolly", "move and rotate", "sweeping reveal"
- More cinematic than a simple turntable
Parameters
| Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
duration |
5 |
Video length in seconds |
fps |
24 |
Frames per second |
rotation_degrees |
90 |
How far to rotate during the dolly |
start_distance |
4.0 |
Starting distance |
end_distance |
2.5 |
Ending distance |
start_height |
2.0 |
Starting height |
end_height |
1.5 |
Ending height |
Flow
Step 1: Set Up Camera Rig
import bpy, math
bpy.ops.object.empty_add(type='PLAIN_AXES', location=(0, 0, 0.05))
tgt = bpy.context.active_object
tgt.name = 'DollyTarget'
bpy.ops.object.camera_add(location=(2.5, -START_DISTANCE, START_HEIGHT))
cam = bpy.context.active_object
cam.name = 'DollyCam'
cam.data.lens = 40
trk = cam.constraints.new(type='TRACK_TO')
trk.target = tgt
trk.track_axis = 'TRACK_NEGATIVE_Z'
trk.up_axis = 'UP_Y'
# Parent camera to target for orbital rotation
bpy.ops.object.select_all(action='DESELECT')
cam.select_set(True)
tgt.select_set(True)
bpy.context.view_layer.objects.active = tgt
bpy.ops.object.parent_set(type='OBJECT', keep_transform=True)
bpy.context.scene.camera = cam
Step 2: Animate Dolly + Rotation
TOTAL_FRAMES = DURATION * FPS
scene = bpy.context.scene
scene.frame_start = 1
scene.frame_end = TOTAL_FRAMES
scene.render.fps = FPS
# Frame 1: start position
tgt.rotation_euler = (0, 0, 0)
tgt.keyframe_insert(data_path='rotation_euler', frame=1)
cam.location = (2.5, -START_DISTANCE, START_HEIGHT)
cam.keyframe_insert(data_path='location', frame=1)
cam.data.lens = 40
cam.data.keyframe_insert(data_path='lens', frame=1)
# End: rotated + closer
tgt.rotation_euler = (0, 0, math.radians(ROTATION_DEGREES))
tgt.keyframe_insert(data_path='rotation_euler', frame=TOTAL_FRAMES)
cam.location = (1.5, -END_DISTANCE, END_HEIGHT)
cam.keyframe_insert(data_path='location', frame=TOTAL_FRAMES)
cam.data.lens = 50
cam.data.keyframe_insert(data_path='lens', frame=TOTAL_FRAMES)
# Default BEZIER interpolation for smooth cinematic feel
Step 3: Render + Encode
Same as turntable — PNG sequence with Cycles, encode to ProRes 4444.
ffmpeg -y -framerate 24 \
-i "~/Desktop/Blender Videos/dolly_rotate_frames/%04d.png" \
-c:v prores_ks -profile:v 4444 -pix_fmt yuva444p10le \
"~/Desktop/Blender Videos/dolly_rotate.mov"