From shaky to steady: create smooth footage, techniques for video stabilization
from the official website.
Stabilizing video is a process used in video editing to reduce or eliminate unwanted camera shake and make the footage appear more stable and smooth. When filming with a handheld camera, especially while moving, it's common for the footage to have some degree of shaking, which can be distracting and make it difficult to watch. This is where video stabilization comes in. Video stabilization uses algorithms to analyze the motion in each frame of the video and adjusts it to compensate for unwanted movements. The software identifies the intended motion (such as walking or panning) and corrects any unintended movements that occur due to the camera shake. This results in a more stable and smooth final product, making the footage easier to watch and less fatiguing on the viewer's eyes. Stabilizing video can be useful in various situations. For instance, if you're filming a documentary or a travel vlog and you want to capture the scene while moving, such as while hiking or exploring a new city, stabilization can help ensure that your footage doesn't make viewers feel sick or distracted due to excessive camera shake. Stabilization can be especially useful for action sports videos, where the camera is often in motion and the subjects are moving quickly. Stabilizing video footage before color correction or other post-production processes can help improve the overall quality of the final product by ensuring a stable foundation for these subsequent enhancements.
In order to enhance the overall quality of your video, Movavi Video Editor offers a robust video stabilization feature. Here's how to employ this tool:
Navigate to the Timeline and select the clip you wish to stabilize. Consider segmenting it into smaller portions to expedite the process.
On the left sidebar, click the More tools icon. Next, select Stabilization under the Video.
Next, click on the Stabilize button, which will open the Stabilization settings window.
Configure these parameters to optimize the stabilization process:
a. Accuracy: This setting determines the video analysis precision.
b. Shaking: Controls the noticeability of camera shake within the footage.
c. Radius: Determines the size of the area used for stabilization adjustments. Choose smaller values when dealing with dynamic videos.
d. Smoothing: Adjusts the degree of camera movement. Optimal for mostly stationary footage, higher settings deliver smoother results. Be cautious with excessive smoothing as it can restrict panning capabilities.
e. Edge Cropping: Choose from the following options to address distortion artifacts like blurred areas:
- None: Preserves original edges, ideal when minimal camera shake exists.
- Fixed: The video is cropped to a uniform size, removing specific edge portions.
- Adaptive: Zooms in on shaky parts to conceal distorted edges.
After configuring these settings, click Stabilize to initiate the processing.
To save your stabilized footage, hit Apply. The stabilized clip will replace its original counterpart on the Timeline, and a copy of the processed file will be stored in "\My Videos\Movavi Video Editor\Stabilized." Remember, deleting this file results in loss of all modifications.
If insufficient storage space is available to save the stabilized copy, consider freeing up disk space or saving your stabilized footage on an alternative drive:
Go to Preferences from the Settings menu. Navigate to the Files tab. Click the button near the Store stabilized videos in field and select a new folder on another drive. Click OK to confirm the changes.
