Stabilize a shaky clip

Stabilize a shaky clip

Use the Stabilize tracking behavior to smooth shaky motion in a movie or image sequence. For a full description of Stabilize parameters, see Stabilize controls.

Using the Stabilize behavior, there are three ways to analyze a clip:

  • Use the default advanced motion analysis technique that evaluates the entire frame of a clip to extract movement data without using onscreen trackers.

  • Use onscreen trackers that analyze a reference pattern (a small group of pixels) in the Canvas. These are the same trackers used by the Match Move and Analyze Motion behaviors.

  • Use a combination of the advanced motion analysis and onscreen trackers.

Important: For information on using onscreen trackers with the Stabilize behavior, see Improve stabilization.

The Stabilize behavior is primarily useful for removing unwanted trembling from less-than-stable crane or jib arm moves, eliminating teetering from handheld walking shots, or reducing vibrations in automotive shots.

Note: Motion blur present in the image remains, even though the subject in the shot is smoothed or locked.

Stabilize a clip using the Stabilize behavior

  1. Apply a Stabilize behavior to the clip you want to stabilize.

    Note: Unlike other behavior workflows, the Stabilize behavior’s automatic mode analyzes the entire clip from its first frame, rather than from the current playhead position. Additionally, onscreen track points are not created when using the default motion analysis in the Stabilize behavior.

  2. In the Behaviors Inspector, set the options for the analysis:

    1. Click the Method pop-up menu, then choose one of the following options:

      • Stabilize: Locks down an image, removing problems such as camera shake. The resulting effect is similar to footage shot on a camera mounted to a stationary tripod.

      • Smooth: Eliminates camera jitter while maintaining the general motion of the camera.

    2. Click the Borders pop-up menu, then choose one of the following options:

      • Normal: Maintains the size of the stabilized footage. Resulting transformations made to the stabilized image may cause moving black borders to appear around the edges of the clip. A very shaky clip results in large black borders.

      • Zoom: Expands the clip to the full size of the Canvas, preventing black borders from appearing around the edges of the stabilized clip.

      Canvas showing Stabilize behavior applied to object and Borders set to Normal; and Stabilize behavior applied to object and Borders set to Zoom

      Note: For suggestions on correcting the black borders, see Remove black borders from stabilized clips.

    3. Click the Direction pop-up menu, then choose one of the following options:

      • Horizontal and Vertical: Applies the stabilize transformation to the X and Y dimensions.

      • Horizontal: Applies the stabilize transformation to the X dimension.

      • Vertical: Applies the stabilize transformation to the Y dimension.

    4. Enable or disable the Adjust buttons, as follows:

      • Position: Enable this button to apply the analyzed position data to the clip. (The X and Y position changes in the footage are smoothed or stabilized.) To stabilize the X and Y position of the shot and leave scale or rotation changes intact, enable Position and disable Scale and Rotation.

      • Scale: Enable this button to apply any analyzed scale data to the clip. (Scale changes in the footage are smoothed or stabilized.) To stabilize or smooth changes in scale and leave position or rotation changes intact, enable Scale and disable Position and Rotation. (The Scale option is not related to the Zoom option in the Borders pop-up menu.)

      • Rotation: Enable this button to apply analyzed rotation data to the clip. (Changes in the rotation of the footage are smoothed or stabilized.) To stabilize or smooth changes in rotation in the shot and leave position or scale changes intact, enable Rotation and disable Position and Scale.

      For the smoothest result, enable all three Adjust buttons (Position, Scale, and Rotation).

      Note: You can change the Method, Borders, Direction, and Adjust parameters before or after the clip is analyzed.

  3. In the Behaviors Inspector or HUD, click the Analyze button.

    Note: The clip is stabilized according to defined parameters. Unlike Motion trackers, the default Stabilize analysis does not create keyframes in the Keyframe Editor. However, the stabilized object’s transformation can be converted to keyframes. For more information, see Advanced strategies to improve tracking results. When trackers are added to and analyzed with the Stabilize behavior, keyframes are created.

    For more information on correcting problems associated with stabilization, see Improve stabilization.

Limit the area analyzed by the Stabilize behavior

When stabilizing a clip, you can define an area to be analyzed. During analysis, the area outside the region is ignored. Use this option for faster processing of a clip.

  1. In the Layers list, select a Stabilize behavior.

  2. In the Behaviors Inspector, then select the Track Region checkbox.

    A transparent red overlay representing the track region appears in the Canvas.

  3. Do any of the following:

    • Change the position of track region: Drag in the region.

    • Resize the track region: Drag a handle on the bounding box of the region. The corner handles simultaneously resize width and height; the top and bottom center handles resize height; the left and right center handles resize width.

    • Resize the track region from its center: Press Option while dragging a handle.

    • Change the angle of the track region: Drag the rotation handle in the center of the track region.

      Canvas showing track region boundaries and handles

  4. After defining the track region, click the Analyze button in the Behaviors Inspector.

    Because analysis takes place in the defined track region, the clip is analyzed more quickly.