Advanced Image Stabilization Using After Effects and Premiere Pro CC 2017

There are multiple tips and tricks you can utilize to stabilize your shots in post, but if you really need more solid results then you should probably focus on other more advanced techniques beyond the capabilities that the basic NLE stabilization tools provide.

For instance, the easiest and fastest way in Premiere Pro CC would be to use the Warp Stabilizer, but if the outcome doesn’t justify your expectations (as that’s typically what you should be prepared for on most occasions anyway), one of the viable alternatives would be to send your footage to After Effects CC instead. The best part is that the latest Adobe’s compositing software provides much greater control over the image, plus you can seamlessly round trip between the two platforms using the improved Dynamic Link just as shown in the MiesnerMedia video tutorial below.

To send a clip from Premiere Pro CC 2017 to After Effects, select the piece and by right-clicking choose Replace With After Effects Composition. Then with After Effects opened, save the project to your disk and continue further by enabling Stabilize Motion in the After Effects Tracker panel.

Additionally, make sure that Position, Rotation, and Scale parameters are all selected. You’ll need to enable the RGB Channel along with Enhance before Match and Adapt Feature on Every Frame in the Tracker’s Options dialog box for optimal results.

Before you commence tracking, you should set the Tracking points in the frame manually. Obviously, there are many ways you can do motion tracking in After Effects as in this particular case Theo opts for the Two-point tracking method that in essence utilizes two reference patterns by using the relationship between the two tracked points to record position, scale, and rotation data.

As a rule, try to find solid, high-contrast areas or objects of the image that have consistent shape and color and are visible throughout the entire shot to get the most accurate tracking and hit the Track Forward button. Once the analyzing is completed press Apply. Then, if you are satisfied with the results, create a new Null object and parent your clip to it. That way, your video will follow all the changes and tweaks you make to the Null object.

Furthermore, you can access the Position, Scale, and Rotation parameters of the Null object by hitting Shift + P,R, and S on your keyboard respectively and enable keyframing on all of them at the beginning of your clip. Scale your clip up a bit, scrub through the end and make sure that the black moving portions of the video stay out of your frame by adjusting its position, scale and rotation accordingly.

Once you’re ready with the stabilization, save the project, go back to Premiere Pro CC 2017 where you should find the updated stabilized clip on your timeline. Even though this workflow could be a bit time-consuming, the final result will be certainly worth it as we can see clearly from the side-by-side comparison of the different methods at the end of this video tutorial.

[source: MiesnerMedia]

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