Skip to main content

​
Understanding shots

Each scene can contain one or more shots. A shot represents a specific camera setup — its position, orientation, movement, and duration. By default, each scene starts with one shot tied to its script heading.

​
Viewing shot cameras

Shot cameras appear in the 3D canvas as camera icons with a frustum showing their field of view. Select a shot camera to see its framing in the viewport.

​
Creating shots from the script panel

To create a shot with script-line attribution:
  1. Open the Script tab on the right side of the 3D canvas.
  2. Highlight the line or block of script this shot covers.
  3. Click Create Shot.
The Create Shot dialog opens with these fields:
  • Name — Prefilled with a sequential number (e.g., “Shot 23”). Override for a more descriptive name.
  • Preset — Choose a shot type preset.
  • Lens — Select from real lens models. Pick the one you plan to shoot on so what you see in Spark Story matches what you get on set.
  • Objects — Select which objects the shot covers.
  • Description — Optional notes about the shot.
You can also create a shot from the Outliner with Add > Shot, but this skips script-line attribution and breaks coverage tracking.
Click in the 3D scene to place your camera. Press Ctrl+F to enter full-screen camera preview, and press it again to exit.

​
Recording camera movement

Use fly mode to navigate through your scene and record the camera path in real time. The recorded movement is captured as keyframes on the timeline.
Toggle Keyframes on for the camera before moving it. Without Keyframes enabled, camera moves will not persist as animation on playback.

​
Setting manual keyframes

For precise camera animation, set keyframes manually:
  1. Move the playhead to the desired time on the timeline.
  2. Position the camera in the viewport.
  3. Set a keyframe to lock the camera’s position and rotation at that frame.

​
Camera targeting

To follow a moving target, select the camera, toggle Keyframes on, then choose one of these targeting modes:
  • Aim At — The camera rotates to track the target while staying in place. Select the target object from the dropdown. Add a keyframe at the start of the move — without Keyframes on, Aim At appears to work in the moment but quietly loses its target on playback.
  • Parent — The camera physically rides with the target (useful for vehicle interiors or dolly moves). The camera inherits the target’s movement.

​
Camera frustum visualization

The camera frustum shows the visible area from the camera’s perspective. Use it to check framing and ensure objects are within the shot.

​
Editing shot duration

Adjust the duration of a shot by modifying its range on the timeline. Longer durations give the camera more time to complete its movement.