Updated Steady as a Rock How to Stabilize Your Videos in After Effects

Updated Steady as a Rock How to Stabilize Your Videos in After Effects

Emma Lv12

Steady as a Rock: How to Stabilize Your Videos in After Effects

Stabilize Shaky Videos After Recording Easily

Wondershare Filmora is one of the most popular video editing software among YouTubers , which provides the video stabilization tool to remove shake from videos within one-click. Download and have a try now.

Try It Free Try It Free

Video content is becoming increasingly popular; with the proliferation of online content, practically every product now needs its mini-documentary or video clip. Experienced filmmakers and VFX artists used to be the only ones who could get smooth footage. Those days, however, are over.

Adobe After Effects is an excellent tool for smoothing out video footage, in addition to being a great blending and motion animation software; although it’s usually preferable to maintain your film as seamless as possible on location, it’s not the end of the world if you take a seat to edit your video and decide it’s too shaky. In truth, there are several options available to you. In After Effects, there are three options for stabilizing footage. What are they – and how to use After Effects to stabilize footage? Let’s find out!

In this article

01 Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

02 Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

03 Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

Part 1: Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

The Warp Stabilizer effect is a new technique to cope with unsteady video. In this part, I will show you how to apply Warp Stabilizer to a layer, adjust the effect’s essential parameters, and demonstrate how they work briefly.

Step 1: The Warp Stabilizer is the most excellent built-in choice for After Effects. This may be found under the Distort tools section of the Effects & Presets panel. You may also go to the effects tab and look for “Warp“ in the search box.

after effects effects presets pane

Step 2: When you’ve identified Warp Stabilizer, you’ll have to add it to the layer you want to stabilize. You may accomplish this in one of three different ways. You may either drag and drop the filter into the chosen layer in the composing window, place it on the desired layer in the timeline, or double-tap on the effect while selecting your choice footage layer.

after effects warp stabilizer vfx

Step 3: Once you apply the warp stabilizer, it will start immediately. So now, all you have to do is lay back and let the stabilizer do its job.

(Note: The procedure should take no more than a few minutes, and a blue bar will appear across your composition window, indicating that the warp stabilizer is evaluating the film. The composition panel would then display an orange bar, indicating that the effect is applied).

Step 4: After stabilization, use the spacebar to begin a RAM peek. Choose the layer you added to and click to display the drop-down menu or go to the Effects Control panel whenever you need to tweak the stabilizing effect.

Part 2: Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

Using Stabilize Motion feature to stabilize video is an old-school heritage function from the era of the Creative Suite, it will still be there in After Effects presently and performs admirably.

Step 1: The tracker panel is most likely open by default in your edition of After Effects, but if it isn’t, go to Window in the top menu to open it. Once you’ve arrived here, scroll to the bottom until you locate Tracker and double-check that it has a checkbox beside it.

after effects tracker pane

Step 2: Select Stabilize Motion from the drop-down menu whenever the tracker panel is open. You’ll see that a tracker box appears in your Layer Panel once you’ve done this.

(Note: You’ll need to identify a proper location in your film for the tracker to operate at this stage. We’re monitoring a vehicle using a camera operator’s drone in the instance below).

after effects tracker track motion

Step 3: Let’s press the Play button on the tracker panel once we’ve set up the tracker box. The tracker box should adhere to the location or item you chose when you do this.

(Note: When your tracking points start to go astray, use the Pause button, personally modify the tracking point, and then push play to resume the journey).

adobe effects track motion effects

Step 4: When the tracker is done and satisfied with the results, click Edit target to verify that the tracking data is transferred to the correct layer. Then proceed to the bottom of the page and click the Apply option.

(Note A dialogue window with choices for applying them. Usually, you’ll want to choose X and Y here).

edit target track motion feature

Hit the spacebar to evaluate how well the stabilize motion tracker performed now when you’re back in the composition window. When you’re not pleased with the outcomes, you might have to go back to try again. Although this approach is best used for photos with a clear point of focus that doesn’t go out of frame, it could still be helpful in some situations.

Part 3: Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

As a graphic and motion designer, animator, or 3D artist, After Effects plugins may completely change the way you operate. Since it can handle so much right out of the box, Adobe After Effects CC is already a go-to motion graphic and compositing program for many artists.

However, as with any good program, third-party plugins could only help you take your work to the next level by adding new features or streamlining your process.

It should be unsurprising that After Effects has many plugins for a program that is over 30 years old. Here are the best stabilization plugins for smoother video in AE:

1. Orb

Orb is focused on generating realistic planets and includes a range of unique features to make planetary creation easy. It utilizes a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s great Element 3D plugin, and it employs a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s outstanding Element 3D plugin.

You would believe that making planets in 3D is simple —create a circle, add textures, and you’re done! Getting a world to ‘look’ properly, on the other hand, might be more complicated than it appears.

For example, how can the line between night and day be altered in a model of a populated planet such that cities may be visible at night but not during the day?

Although Orb doesn’t work for every planetary picture, this would function for 90% of them and is a helpful previs tool. This is particularly true when used in conjunction with other After Effects plugins or paired with a 3D lens from a 3D program, which may be brought into After Effects with background plates for things like spacecraft.

2. Depth of Field Generator PRO (DOF PRO)

Richard Rosenman’s renowned Photoshop depth of field generator plugin, DOF PRO (Depth of Field Generator PRO), is now downloadable for After Effects. DOF PRO has become the industry’s professional option for an unprecedented and complex depth of field effects rapidly and effectively as a post-process.

This is thanks to almost a decade of discovery and application since the first launch in 2005. DOF PRO’s cutting-edge characteristics offer new and advanced technologies not found anywhere else, resulting in one of the industry’s most potent and sophisticated depth of field processors.

Capability for chromatic and achromatic aberration, focal plane bokeh distinction, astigmatism and vignetting effects, bespoke aperture maps, and noise recovery are among the advanced features.

There will also be compatibility with the alpha channel and transparency, 32-bit floating-point color, correct aperture displays, and an iris array display. A feature comparison between the plugin and After Effects’ Camera Lens Blur effect can be found here.

3. ReelSteady

ReelSteady for After Effects is a recent addition to the stabilization marketplace. ReelSteady is similar to After Effects’ warp stabilizer plugin. However, the stabilization in ReelSteady is far superior.

ReelSteady also has several other features that make it ideal for creating next-level tunes. Users may design filters to block off specific sections of your frame. This is useful for removing a subject that travels around the frame a lot.

In terms of performance, the After Effects plugin is pretty similar to the warp stabilizer but with a few more features. To begin with, ReelSteady includes a built-in rolling shutter repair tool that operates in tandem with its built-in stabilizer.

The ReelSteady effect is a two-pass effect. For instance, after the effect has been executed for the first time, you will likely wish to level out certain places. You’ll successfully isolate specific parts in the effect to “iron out” sections of the footage.

You would like to record your film at a more excellent resolution than your expected outcome to get the most out of ReelSteady. If you wish to output your video in 4K, you might capture it in 4.6K or 5K. You’ll have some leeway for ReelSteady to work its magic.

ReelSteady’s sole flaw is its high price ($399). ReelSteady is not available in After Effects, unlike some of the other choices on this list. ReelSteady, on the other hand, is the way to go if you would like the smoothest footage imaginable.

Conclusion

Shaky video footage would be the last thing any video creator wants unless it’s done intentionally for artistic or creative reasons. As a result, they employ methods and equipment to keep the camera safe from any undesired movement.

However, occasionally those tools aren’t available, and the outcome is questionable. That is why we decided to compile this article to add to the knowledge of our readers how they can use After Effects to stabilize videos to enhance their video content!

Try It Free Try It Free

Video content is becoming increasingly popular; with the proliferation of online content, practically every product now needs its mini-documentary or video clip. Experienced filmmakers and VFX artists used to be the only ones who could get smooth footage. Those days, however, are over.

Adobe After Effects is an excellent tool for smoothing out video footage, in addition to being a great blending and motion animation software; although it’s usually preferable to maintain your film as seamless as possible on location, it’s not the end of the world if you take a seat to edit your video and decide it’s too shaky. In truth, there are several options available to you. In After Effects, there are three options for stabilizing footage. What are they – and how to use After Effects to stabilize footage? Let’s find out!

In this article

01 Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

02 Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

03 Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

Part 1: Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

The Warp Stabilizer effect is a new technique to cope with unsteady video. In this part, I will show you how to apply Warp Stabilizer to a layer, adjust the effect’s essential parameters, and demonstrate how they work briefly.

Step 1: The Warp Stabilizer is the most excellent built-in choice for After Effects. This may be found under the Distort tools section of the Effects & Presets panel. You may also go to the effects tab and look for “Warp“ in the search box.

after effects effects presets pane

Step 2: When you’ve identified Warp Stabilizer, you’ll have to add it to the layer you want to stabilize. You may accomplish this in one of three different ways. You may either drag and drop the filter into the chosen layer in the composing window, place it on the desired layer in the timeline, or double-tap on the effect while selecting your choice footage layer.

after effects warp stabilizer vfx

Step 3: Once you apply the warp stabilizer, it will start immediately. So now, all you have to do is lay back and let the stabilizer do its job.

(Note: The procedure should take no more than a few minutes, and a blue bar will appear across your composition window, indicating that the warp stabilizer is evaluating the film. The composition panel would then display an orange bar, indicating that the effect is applied).

Step 4: After stabilization, use the spacebar to begin a RAM peek. Choose the layer you added to and click to display the drop-down menu or go to the Effects Control panel whenever you need to tweak the stabilizing effect.

Part 2: Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

Using Stabilize Motion feature to stabilize video is an old-school heritage function from the era of the Creative Suite, it will still be there in After Effects presently and performs admirably.

Step 1: The tracker panel is most likely open by default in your edition of After Effects, but if it isn’t, go to Window in the top menu to open it. Once you’ve arrived here, scroll to the bottom until you locate Tracker and double-check that it has a checkbox beside it.

after effects tracker pane

Step 2: Select Stabilize Motion from the drop-down menu whenever the tracker panel is open. You’ll see that a tracker box appears in your Layer Panel once you’ve done this.

(Note: You’ll need to identify a proper location in your film for the tracker to operate at this stage. We’re monitoring a vehicle using a camera operator’s drone in the instance below).

after effects tracker track motion

Step 3: Let’s press the Play button on the tracker panel once we’ve set up the tracker box. The tracker box should adhere to the location or item you chose when you do this.

(Note: When your tracking points start to go astray, use the Pause button, personally modify the tracking point, and then push play to resume the journey).

adobe effects track motion effects

Step 4: When the tracker is done and satisfied with the results, click Edit target to verify that the tracking data is transferred to the correct layer. Then proceed to the bottom of the page and click the Apply option.

(Note A dialogue window with choices for applying them. Usually, you’ll want to choose X and Y here).

edit target track motion feature

Hit the spacebar to evaluate how well the stabilize motion tracker performed now when you’re back in the composition window. When you’re not pleased with the outcomes, you might have to go back to try again. Although this approach is best used for photos with a clear point of focus that doesn’t go out of frame, it could still be helpful in some situations.

Part 3: Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

As a graphic and motion designer, animator, or 3D artist, After Effects plugins may completely change the way you operate. Since it can handle so much right out of the box, Adobe After Effects CC is already a go-to motion graphic and compositing program for many artists.

However, as with any good program, third-party plugins could only help you take your work to the next level by adding new features or streamlining your process.

It should be unsurprising that After Effects has many plugins for a program that is over 30 years old. Here are the best stabilization plugins for smoother video in AE:

1. Orb

Orb is focused on generating realistic planets and includes a range of unique features to make planetary creation easy. It utilizes a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s great Element 3D plugin, and it employs a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s outstanding Element 3D plugin.

You would believe that making planets in 3D is simple —create a circle, add textures, and you’re done! Getting a world to ‘look’ properly, on the other hand, might be more complicated than it appears.

For example, how can the line between night and day be altered in a model of a populated planet such that cities may be visible at night but not during the day?

Although Orb doesn’t work for every planetary picture, this would function for 90% of them and is a helpful previs tool. This is particularly true when used in conjunction with other After Effects plugins or paired with a 3D lens from a 3D program, which may be brought into After Effects with background plates for things like spacecraft.

2. Depth of Field Generator PRO (DOF PRO)

Richard Rosenman’s renowned Photoshop depth of field generator plugin, DOF PRO (Depth of Field Generator PRO), is now downloadable for After Effects. DOF PRO has become the industry’s professional option for an unprecedented and complex depth of field effects rapidly and effectively as a post-process.

This is thanks to almost a decade of discovery and application since the first launch in 2005. DOF PRO’s cutting-edge characteristics offer new and advanced technologies not found anywhere else, resulting in one of the industry’s most potent and sophisticated depth of field processors.

Capability for chromatic and achromatic aberration, focal plane bokeh distinction, astigmatism and vignetting effects, bespoke aperture maps, and noise recovery are among the advanced features.

There will also be compatibility with the alpha channel and transparency, 32-bit floating-point color, correct aperture displays, and an iris array display. A feature comparison between the plugin and After Effects’ Camera Lens Blur effect can be found here.

3. ReelSteady

ReelSteady for After Effects is a recent addition to the stabilization marketplace. ReelSteady is similar to After Effects’ warp stabilizer plugin. However, the stabilization in ReelSteady is far superior.

ReelSteady also has several other features that make it ideal for creating next-level tunes. Users may design filters to block off specific sections of your frame. This is useful for removing a subject that travels around the frame a lot.

In terms of performance, the After Effects plugin is pretty similar to the warp stabilizer but with a few more features. To begin with, ReelSteady includes a built-in rolling shutter repair tool that operates in tandem with its built-in stabilizer.

The ReelSteady effect is a two-pass effect. For instance, after the effect has been executed for the first time, you will likely wish to level out certain places. You’ll successfully isolate specific parts in the effect to “iron out” sections of the footage.

You would like to record your film at a more excellent resolution than your expected outcome to get the most out of ReelSteady. If you wish to output your video in 4K, you might capture it in 4.6K or 5K. You’ll have some leeway for ReelSteady to work its magic.

ReelSteady’s sole flaw is its high price ($399). ReelSteady is not available in After Effects, unlike some of the other choices on this list. ReelSteady, on the other hand, is the way to go if you would like the smoothest footage imaginable.

Conclusion

Shaky video footage would be the last thing any video creator wants unless it’s done intentionally for artistic or creative reasons. As a result, they employ methods and equipment to keep the camera safe from any undesired movement.

However, occasionally those tools aren’t available, and the outcome is questionable. That is why we decided to compile this article to add to the knowledge of our readers how they can use After Effects to stabilize videos to enhance their video content!

Try It Free Try It Free

Video content is becoming increasingly popular; with the proliferation of online content, practically every product now needs its mini-documentary or video clip. Experienced filmmakers and VFX artists used to be the only ones who could get smooth footage. Those days, however, are over.

Adobe After Effects is an excellent tool for smoothing out video footage, in addition to being a great blending and motion animation software; although it’s usually preferable to maintain your film as seamless as possible on location, it’s not the end of the world if you take a seat to edit your video and decide it’s too shaky. In truth, there are several options available to you. In After Effects, there are three options for stabilizing footage. What are they – and how to use After Effects to stabilize footage? Let’s find out!

In this article

01 Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

02 Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

03 Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

Part 1: Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

The Warp Stabilizer effect is a new technique to cope with unsteady video. In this part, I will show you how to apply Warp Stabilizer to a layer, adjust the effect’s essential parameters, and demonstrate how they work briefly.

Step 1: The Warp Stabilizer is the most excellent built-in choice for After Effects. This may be found under the Distort tools section of the Effects & Presets panel. You may also go to the effects tab and look for “Warp“ in the search box.

after effects effects presets pane

Step 2: When you’ve identified Warp Stabilizer, you’ll have to add it to the layer you want to stabilize. You may accomplish this in one of three different ways. You may either drag and drop the filter into the chosen layer in the composing window, place it on the desired layer in the timeline, or double-tap on the effect while selecting your choice footage layer.

after effects warp stabilizer vfx

Step 3: Once you apply the warp stabilizer, it will start immediately. So now, all you have to do is lay back and let the stabilizer do its job.

(Note: The procedure should take no more than a few minutes, and a blue bar will appear across your composition window, indicating that the warp stabilizer is evaluating the film. The composition panel would then display an orange bar, indicating that the effect is applied).

Step 4: After stabilization, use the spacebar to begin a RAM peek. Choose the layer you added to and click to display the drop-down menu or go to the Effects Control panel whenever you need to tweak the stabilizing effect.

Part 2: Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

Using Stabilize Motion feature to stabilize video is an old-school heritage function from the era of the Creative Suite, it will still be there in After Effects presently and performs admirably.

Step 1: The tracker panel is most likely open by default in your edition of After Effects, but if it isn’t, go to Window in the top menu to open it. Once you’ve arrived here, scroll to the bottom until you locate Tracker and double-check that it has a checkbox beside it.

after effects tracker pane

Step 2: Select Stabilize Motion from the drop-down menu whenever the tracker panel is open. You’ll see that a tracker box appears in your Layer Panel once you’ve done this.

(Note: You’ll need to identify a proper location in your film for the tracker to operate at this stage. We’re monitoring a vehicle using a camera operator’s drone in the instance below).

after effects tracker track motion

Step 3: Let’s press the Play button on the tracker panel once we’ve set up the tracker box. The tracker box should adhere to the location or item you chose when you do this.

(Note: When your tracking points start to go astray, use the Pause button, personally modify the tracking point, and then push play to resume the journey).

adobe effects track motion effects

Step 4: When the tracker is done and satisfied with the results, click Edit target to verify that the tracking data is transferred to the correct layer. Then proceed to the bottom of the page and click the Apply option.

(Note A dialogue window with choices for applying them. Usually, you’ll want to choose X and Y here).

edit target track motion feature

Hit the spacebar to evaluate how well the stabilize motion tracker performed now when you’re back in the composition window. When you’re not pleased with the outcomes, you might have to go back to try again. Although this approach is best used for photos with a clear point of focus that doesn’t go out of frame, it could still be helpful in some situations.

Part 3: Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

As a graphic and motion designer, animator, or 3D artist, After Effects plugins may completely change the way you operate. Since it can handle so much right out of the box, Adobe After Effects CC is already a go-to motion graphic and compositing program for many artists.

However, as with any good program, third-party plugins could only help you take your work to the next level by adding new features or streamlining your process.

It should be unsurprising that After Effects has many plugins for a program that is over 30 years old. Here are the best stabilization plugins for smoother video in AE:

1. Orb

Orb is focused on generating realistic planets and includes a range of unique features to make planetary creation easy. It utilizes a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s great Element 3D plugin, and it employs a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s outstanding Element 3D plugin.

You would believe that making planets in 3D is simple —create a circle, add textures, and you’re done! Getting a world to ‘look’ properly, on the other hand, might be more complicated than it appears.

For example, how can the line between night and day be altered in a model of a populated planet such that cities may be visible at night but not during the day?

Although Orb doesn’t work for every planetary picture, this would function for 90% of them and is a helpful previs tool. This is particularly true when used in conjunction with other After Effects plugins or paired with a 3D lens from a 3D program, which may be brought into After Effects with background plates for things like spacecraft.

2. Depth of Field Generator PRO (DOF PRO)

Richard Rosenman’s renowned Photoshop depth of field generator plugin, DOF PRO (Depth of Field Generator PRO), is now downloadable for After Effects. DOF PRO has become the industry’s professional option for an unprecedented and complex depth of field effects rapidly and effectively as a post-process.

This is thanks to almost a decade of discovery and application since the first launch in 2005. DOF PRO’s cutting-edge characteristics offer new and advanced technologies not found anywhere else, resulting in one of the industry’s most potent and sophisticated depth of field processors.

Capability for chromatic and achromatic aberration, focal plane bokeh distinction, astigmatism and vignetting effects, bespoke aperture maps, and noise recovery are among the advanced features.

There will also be compatibility with the alpha channel and transparency, 32-bit floating-point color, correct aperture displays, and an iris array display. A feature comparison between the plugin and After Effects’ Camera Lens Blur effect can be found here.

3. ReelSteady

ReelSteady for After Effects is a recent addition to the stabilization marketplace. ReelSteady is similar to After Effects’ warp stabilizer plugin. However, the stabilization in ReelSteady is far superior.

ReelSteady also has several other features that make it ideal for creating next-level tunes. Users may design filters to block off specific sections of your frame. This is useful for removing a subject that travels around the frame a lot.

In terms of performance, the After Effects plugin is pretty similar to the warp stabilizer but with a few more features. To begin with, ReelSteady includes a built-in rolling shutter repair tool that operates in tandem with its built-in stabilizer.

The ReelSteady effect is a two-pass effect. For instance, after the effect has been executed for the first time, you will likely wish to level out certain places. You’ll successfully isolate specific parts in the effect to “iron out” sections of the footage.

You would like to record your film at a more excellent resolution than your expected outcome to get the most out of ReelSteady. If you wish to output your video in 4K, you might capture it in 4.6K or 5K. You’ll have some leeway for ReelSteady to work its magic.

ReelSteady’s sole flaw is its high price ($399). ReelSteady is not available in After Effects, unlike some of the other choices on this list. ReelSteady, on the other hand, is the way to go if you would like the smoothest footage imaginable.

Conclusion

Shaky video footage would be the last thing any video creator wants unless it’s done intentionally for artistic or creative reasons. As a result, they employ methods and equipment to keep the camera safe from any undesired movement.

However, occasionally those tools aren’t available, and the outcome is questionable. That is why we decided to compile this article to add to the knowledge of our readers how they can use After Effects to stabilize videos to enhance their video content!

Try It Free Try It Free

Video content is becoming increasingly popular; with the proliferation of online content, practically every product now needs its mini-documentary or video clip. Experienced filmmakers and VFX artists used to be the only ones who could get smooth footage. Those days, however, are over.

Adobe After Effects is an excellent tool for smoothing out video footage, in addition to being a great blending and motion animation software; although it’s usually preferable to maintain your film as seamless as possible on location, it’s not the end of the world if you take a seat to edit your video and decide it’s too shaky. In truth, there are several options available to you. In After Effects, there are three options for stabilizing footage. What are they – and how to use After Effects to stabilize footage? Let’s find out!

In this article

01 Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

02 Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

03 Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

Part 1: Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

The Warp Stabilizer effect is a new technique to cope with unsteady video. In this part, I will show you how to apply Warp Stabilizer to a layer, adjust the effect’s essential parameters, and demonstrate how they work briefly.

Step 1: The Warp Stabilizer is the most excellent built-in choice for After Effects. This may be found under the Distort tools section of the Effects & Presets panel. You may also go to the effects tab and look for “Warp“ in the search box.

after effects effects presets pane

Step 2: When you’ve identified Warp Stabilizer, you’ll have to add it to the layer you want to stabilize. You may accomplish this in one of three different ways. You may either drag and drop the filter into the chosen layer in the composing window, place it on the desired layer in the timeline, or double-tap on the effect while selecting your choice footage layer.

after effects warp stabilizer vfx

Step 3: Once you apply the warp stabilizer, it will start immediately. So now, all you have to do is lay back and let the stabilizer do its job.

(Note: The procedure should take no more than a few minutes, and a blue bar will appear across your composition window, indicating that the warp stabilizer is evaluating the film. The composition panel would then display an orange bar, indicating that the effect is applied).

Step 4: After stabilization, use the spacebar to begin a RAM peek. Choose the layer you added to and click to display the drop-down menu or go to the Effects Control panel whenever you need to tweak the stabilizing effect.

Part 2: Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

Using Stabilize Motion feature to stabilize video is an old-school heritage function from the era of the Creative Suite, it will still be there in After Effects presently and performs admirably.

Step 1: The tracker panel is most likely open by default in your edition of After Effects, but if it isn’t, go to Window in the top menu to open it. Once you’ve arrived here, scroll to the bottom until you locate Tracker and double-check that it has a checkbox beside it.

after effects tracker pane

Step 2: Select Stabilize Motion from the drop-down menu whenever the tracker panel is open. You’ll see that a tracker box appears in your Layer Panel once you’ve done this.

(Note: You’ll need to identify a proper location in your film for the tracker to operate at this stage. We’re monitoring a vehicle using a camera operator’s drone in the instance below).

after effects tracker track motion

Step 3: Let’s press the Play button on the tracker panel once we’ve set up the tracker box. The tracker box should adhere to the location or item you chose when you do this.

(Note: When your tracking points start to go astray, use the Pause button, personally modify the tracking point, and then push play to resume the journey).

adobe effects track motion effects

Step 4: When the tracker is done and satisfied with the results, click Edit target to verify that the tracking data is transferred to the correct layer. Then proceed to the bottom of the page and click the Apply option.

(Note A dialogue window with choices for applying them. Usually, you’ll want to choose X and Y here).

edit target track motion feature

Hit the spacebar to evaluate how well the stabilize motion tracker performed now when you’re back in the composition window. When you’re not pleased with the outcomes, you might have to go back to try again. Although this approach is best used for photos with a clear point of focus that doesn’t go out of frame, it could still be helpful in some situations.

Part 3: Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

As a graphic and motion designer, animator, or 3D artist, After Effects plugins may completely change the way you operate. Since it can handle so much right out of the box, Adobe After Effects CC is already a go-to motion graphic and compositing program for many artists.

However, as with any good program, third-party plugins could only help you take your work to the next level by adding new features or streamlining your process.

It should be unsurprising that After Effects has many plugins for a program that is over 30 years old. Here are the best stabilization plugins for smoother video in AE:

1. Orb

Orb is focused on generating realistic planets and includes a range of unique features to make planetary creation easy. It utilizes a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s great Element 3D plugin, and it employs a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s outstanding Element 3D plugin.

You would believe that making planets in 3D is simple —create a circle, add textures, and you’re done! Getting a world to ‘look’ properly, on the other hand, might be more complicated than it appears.

For example, how can the line between night and day be altered in a model of a populated planet such that cities may be visible at night but not during the day?

Although Orb doesn’t work for every planetary picture, this would function for 90% of them and is a helpful previs tool. This is particularly true when used in conjunction with other After Effects plugins or paired with a 3D lens from a 3D program, which may be brought into After Effects with background plates for things like spacecraft.

2. Depth of Field Generator PRO (DOF PRO)

Richard Rosenman’s renowned Photoshop depth of field generator plugin, DOF PRO (Depth of Field Generator PRO), is now downloadable for After Effects. DOF PRO has become the industry’s professional option for an unprecedented and complex depth of field effects rapidly and effectively as a post-process.

This is thanks to almost a decade of discovery and application since the first launch in 2005. DOF PRO’s cutting-edge characteristics offer new and advanced technologies not found anywhere else, resulting in one of the industry’s most potent and sophisticated depth of field processors.

Capability for chromatic and achromatic aberration, focal plane bokeh distinction, astigmatism and vignetting effects, bespoke aperture maps, and noise recovery are among the advanced features.

There will also be compatibility with the alpha channel and transparency, 32-bit floating-point color, correct aperture displays, and an iris array display. A feature comparison between the plugin and After Effects’ Camera Lens Blur effect can be found here.

3. ReelSteady

ReelSteady for After Effects is a recent addition to the stabilization marketplace. ReelSteady is similar to After Effects’ warp stabilizer plugin. However, the stabilization in ReelSteady is far superior.

ReelSteady also has several other features that make it ideal for creating next-level tunes. Users may design filters to block off specific sections of your frame. This is useful for removing a subject that travels around the frame a lot.

In terms of performance, the After Effects plugin is pretty similar to the warp stabilizer but with a few more features. To begin with, ReelSteady includes a built-in rolling shutter repair tool that operates in tandem with its built-in stabilizer.

The ReelSteady effect is a two-pass effect. For instance, after the effect has been executed for the first time, you will likely wish to level out certain places. You’ll successfully isolate specific parts in the effect to “iron out” sections of the footage.

You would like to record your film at a more excellent resolution than your expected outcome to get the most out of ReelSteady. If you wish to output your video in 4K, you might capture it in 4.6K or 5K. You’ll have some leeway for ReelSteady to work its magic.

ReelSteady’s sole flaw is its high price ($399). ReelSteady is not available in After Effects, unlike some of the other choices on this list. ReelSteady, on the other hand, is the way to go if you would like the smoothest footage imaginable.

Conclusion

Shaky video footage would be the last thing any video creator wants unless it’s done intentionally for artistic or creative reasons. As a result, they employ methods and equipment to keep the camera safe from any undesired movement.

However, occasionally those tools aren’t available, and the outcome is questionable. That is why we decided to compile this article to add to the knowledge of our readers how they can use After Effects to stabilize videos to enhance their video content!

Transform Your Clips: Best Highlight Video Makers for Desktop, Mobile, and Online

Best Highlight Video Makers

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

No one wants to see all the video clips and pictures of your vacation at an exotic destination, wedding ceremony, or birthday party. Making a quick video and snapping pictures of the important moments is a great way to preserve the memories for yourself. However, these videos and photos add up quickly, and showing them all off is cumbersome. Rest assured, everyone wants to see a highlight reel. Moreover, with the growing popularity of short-form video sharing platforms like Tik Tok and IGTV, people want to extract highlights from videos to share on their profiles.

Part 1: What is Highlight Reel Video?

A highlight reel is the collection of the best parts of a video where you can combine video clips and pictures to make it. But how do you make a highlight reel? Well, there are many highlight video makers available that one can use to create a highlight reel easily.

So, here are some of the best highlight video makers that you can use on Windows and Mac and on iOS or Android devices.

Part 2: Best Highlight Video Makers on Windows and Mac

1. Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

Wondershare’s Filmora Video Editor is a simple yet powerful video highlight reel maker available for Mac and Windows. It offers the standard trimming, transitions, overlays, and effects that are great for editing your videos to make highlight videos to share on social media and show your friends. It has an intuitive interface and has a huge range of features. The interface has a drag and drop option enabling you to quickly arrange, trim, and edit various media elements making it a breeze to create highlight videos.

Download Filmora X Win Version Download Filmora X Mac Version

Filmora supports all the modern video formats as well as HD and 4K video editing and output as well as includes several different free video effect presets. The version 10.4 and higher of this highlight video maker (for Windows) have some new features like auto highlight helping you automatically create a highlight video. Audio normalization that automatically normalizes the audio volume in your videos, and the scene detection features that allow you to separate video into clips. Try Filmora for free by downloading the latest version and experience these new features.

 Filmora X Auto Highlight Feature

Pros

Simple and intuitive interface

Auto highlight feature to create highlighted video automatically

Layer multiple video clips

Scene detection for cutting large video quickly

Cons

Add-on feature pack is expensive

Slightly slow AMD processor

2. Windows 10 Photos App

The Photos App is in-built into Windows 10 which makes it fun and easy to enhance your videos and images. This free photo viewer and editor works with OneDrive that allows you to access all the photos and videos from any device.

The Photo App has competent editing and photo enhancements tools along with tools for organizing and editing videos to create highlight videos easily.

Windows 10 Auto Creation Feature

It has a story remix which makes it super easy to combine pictures and videos to create enticing highlight video with text, motion, duration, 3D effects, filters, and background music.

Story Remix works on Microsoft’s deep learning technology and AI to find relevant content and automatically create videos to edit and share. The choose a star feature allows you to create a movie focused on a person. You can also easily edit your video to highlight the best content with the trim feature. Once you are done with editing, your video is saved automatically, but you will need to export it to share on social media.

Pros

Simple interface

Integrates with OneDrive

Video highlight with soundtrack, text, and transitions

Cons

Lacks geometry correction

3. Hudl Premium Highlights

If you are a high school athlete looking to get a scholarship for higher education, the best way to pitch to application boards and professional coaches is to send them a video that highlights your skills. You can easily create highlight videos with Hudle Premium Highlights. It is one of the best paid highlight video makers for sports and is compatible with Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices.

Just log in to Hudle.com and click your highlights and choose create highlights. Give the name to your highlight video and add the video, photos, music, and title slides. You can easily filter the highlights by team and season and select the highlights adding them to your reel.

The Hudle Premium Highlight has a trim feature that allows you to easily edit the highlight reel. You can add spot shadow, text, or music and preview the reel. It also helps you flag sections of the videos by inserting notes or audio. Once you are done with creating a highlight reel, publish to save your work and post on social media or get a URL to share with the coaches.

Pros

Easy to use

Various features to make highlight videos.

Cons

Not enough customization available

4. Vibby

Vibby is a free lightweight web-based highlight video maker that allows you to easily highlight and show only parts of the video you want audiences to see. With this tool you can also add notes and comments on the selection portions, making the video more engaging.

Vibby has a simple user-friendly interface that helps you to highlight the most relevant parts of the video in just three steps. Just choose the YouTube, GoogleDrive, Dropbox, Twitch, and Vimeo videos you like, highlight the sections relevant to your topic and add notes, or questions for students to read. You can set specific timeframes for each highlight and tag people as well.

 Create Highlight Video with Vibby

Pros

Simple and easy user interface

Create highlight videos in three steps

Free to use

Cons

No cons found

5. Magisto

Magisto is one of the best video highlight reel makers allowing marketers, business professionals, and individuals to create enticing videos. Available for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices, it includes a licensed music library from independent artists. Magisto offers a free seven-day trial, but it requires you to enter the credit card details. In the trial, you get access to all the features. One of the best features is the video highlight where you can convert your memorable videos and pictures into an unforgettable video highlighting the special moments.

What makes Magisto unique is its AI-powered solution that analyzes and edits your videos. You can also control the video speed so that your highlight reel can consist of various photos or video clips. You can add graphics, effects, and background music as well to add a layer of emotion to your videos.

Pros

Automatically build video highlight with AI technology

Compatible with mobile and web devices

7 days free trial

Cons

No phone support offered

No feature to edit photos

Best Highlight Video Maker App for iPhone and Android

If you are looking for the best video highlight reel maker for iPhone and Android devices, then Quik from GoPro is the one. The previous editions of Quik were free, but the new version requires payment to unlock all the features. However, you get a free trial as well to know about the features. This highlight video maker can pull out any media stored on your phone or tablet as well as from your GoPro cloud storage and automatically highlight the video in seconds, complete with royalty-free music and filters.

If you want to take control, you can do that easily. Select a theme, add the video and pictures you want to create the highlight with, trim your videos, pick a music track, add filters, and set a target length for the highlighted video. With Quik, you can filter by media type as well, so if you just need photos or just videos, you can select them easily that are grouped by date. Once you have created your highlighted video, transfer it wirelessly to your phone for easy sharing.

Part 3: Tips for Creating Highlight Video

There are many times you want to create an epic highlight reel. Here are few tips to help you create exciting and entertaining highlight reels.

Learn the event timeline

When you want to create a highlight video for any event, whether official or personal, study the event schedule beforehand. For instance, when filming a wedding, know when the bride will arrive when the couple exchanges rings and vows. If your highlight video is about a conference, it is essential to know when speakers will deliver the speech, etc.

Make a list of shots

Next, have a list of parts that you wish to capture so that you are more organized at the event. You can’t predict each moment but being ready will help you capture memorable moments.

Use the right equipment

You need to use proper equipment for the events to ensure the footage looks great in low light. Gather all your equipment before the event and make sure it is fully charged and functional. Carry the extra batteries and other tools as well.

You may also like: Download Instagram Highlights

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

No one wants to see all the video clips and pictures of your vacation at an exotic destination, wedding ceremony, or birthday party. Making a quick video and snapping pictures of the important moments is a great way to preserve the memories for yourself. However, these videos and photos add up quickly, and showing them all off is cumbersome. Rest assured, everyone wants to see a highlight reel. Moreover, with the growing popularity of short-form video sharing platforms like Tik Tok and IGTV, people want to extract highlights from videos to share on their profiles.

Part 1: What is Highlight Reel Video?

A highlight reel is the collection of the best parts of a video where you can combine video clips and pictures to make it. But how do you make a highlight reel? Well, there are many highlight video makers available that one can use to create a highlight reel easily.

So, here are some of the best highlight video makers that you can use on Windows and Mac and on iOS or Android devices.

Part 2: Best Highlight Video Makers on Windows and Mac

1. Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

Wondershare’s Filmora Video Editor is a simple yet powerful video highlight reel maker available for Mac and Windows. It offers the standard trimming, transitions, overlays, and effects that are great for editing your videos to make highlight videos to share on social media and show your friends. It has an intuitive interface and has a huge range of features. The interface has a drag and drop option enabling you to quickly arrange, trim, and edit various media elements making it a breeze to create highlight videos.

Download Filmora X Win Version Download Filmora X Mac Version

Filmora supports all the modern video formats as well as HD and 4K video editing and output as well as includes several different free video effect presets. The version 10.4 and higher of this highlight video maker (for Windows) have some new features like auto highlight helping you automatically create a highlight video. Audio normalization that automatically normalizes the audio volume in your videos, and the scene detection features that allow you to separate video into clips. Try Filmora for free by downloading the latest version and experience these new features.

 Filmora X Auto Highlight Feature

Pros

Simple and intuitive interface

Auto highlight feature to create highlighted video automatically

Layer multiple video clips

Scene detection for cutting large video quickly

Cons

Add-on feature pack is expensive

Slightly slow AMD processor

2. Windows 10 Photos App

The Photos App is in-built into Windows 10 which makes it fun and easy to enhance your videos and images. This free photo viewer and editor works with OneDrive that allows you to access all the photos and videos from any device.

The Photo App has competent editing and photo enhancements tools along with tools for organizing and editing videos to create highlight videos easily.

Windows 10 Auto Creation Feature

It has a story remix which makes it super easy to combine pictures and videos to create enticing highlight video with text, motion, duration, 3D effects, filters, and background music.

Story Remix works on Microsoft’s deep learning technology and AI to find relevant content and automatically create videos to edit and share. The choose a star feature allows you to create a movie focused on a person. You can also easily edit your video to highlight the best content with the trim feature. Once you are done with editing, your video is saved automatically, but you will need to export it to share on social media.

Pros

Simple interface

Integrates with OneDrive

Video highlight with soundtrack, text, and transitions

Cons

Lacks geometry correction

3. Hudl Premium Highlights

If you are a high school athlete looking to get a scholarship for higher education, the best way to pitch to application boards and professional coaches is to send them a video that highlights your skills. You can easily create highlight videos with Hudle Premium Highlights. It is one of the best paid highlight video makers for sports and is compatible with Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices.

Just log in to Hudle.com and click your highlights and choose create highlights. Give the name to your highlight video and add the video, photos, music, and title slides. You can easily filter the highlights by team and season and select the highlights adding them to your reel.

The Hudle Premium Highlight has a trim feature that allows you to easily edit the highlight reel. You can add spot shadow, text, or music and preview the reel. It also helps you flag sections of the videos by inserting notes or audio. Once you are done with creating a highlight reel, publish to save your work and post on social media or get a URL to share with the coaches.

Pros

Easy to use

Various features to make highlight videos.

Cons

Not enough customization available

4. Vibby

Vibby is a free lightweight web-based highlight video maker that allows you to easily highlight and show only parts of the video you want audiences to see. With this tool you can also add notes and comments on the selection portions, making the video more engaging.

Vibby has a simple user-friendly interface that helps you to highlight the most relevant parts of the video in just three steps. Just choose the YouTube, GoogleDrive, Dropbox, Twitch, and Vimeo videos you like, highlight the sections relevant to your topic and add notes, or questions for students to read. You can set specific timeframes for each highlight and tag people as well.

 Create Highlight Video with Vibby

Pros

Simple and easy user interface

Create highlight videos in three steps

Free to use

Cons

No cons found

5. Magisto

Magisto is one of the best video highlight reel makers allowing marketers, business professionals, and individuals to create enticing videos. Available for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices, it includes a licensed music library from independent artists. Magisto offers a free seven-day trial, but it requires you to enter the credit card details. In the trial, you get access to all the features. One of the best features is the video highlight where you can convert your memorable videos and pictures into an unforgettable video highlighting the special moments.

What makes Magisto unique is its AI-powered solution that analyzes and edits your videos. You can also control the video speed so that your highlight reel can consist of various photos or video clips. You can add graphics, effects, and background music as well to add a layer of emotion to your videos.

Pros

Automatically build video highlight with AI technology

Compatible with mobile and web devices

7 days free trial

Cons

No phone support offered

No feature to edit photos

Best Highlight Video Maker App for iPhone and Android

If you are looking for the best video highlight reel maker for iPhone and Android devices, then Quik from GoPro is the one. The previous editions of Quik were free, but the new version requires payment to unlock all the features. However, you get a free trial as well to know about the features. This highlight video maker can pull out any media stored on your phone or tablet as well as from your GoPro cloud storage and automatically highlight the video in seconds, complete with royalty-free music and filters.

If you want to take control, you can do that easily. Select a theme, add the video and pictures you want to create the highlight with, trim your videos, pick a music track, add filters, and set a target length for the highlighted video. With Quik, you can filter by media type as well, so if you just need photos or just videos, you can select them easily that are grouped by date. Once you have created your highlighted video, transfer it wirelessly to your phone for easy sharing.

Part 3: Tips for Creating Highlight Video

There are many times you want to create an epic highlight reel. Here are few tips to help you create exciting and entertaining highlight reels.

Learn the event timeline

When you want to create a highlight video for any event, whether official or personal, study the event schedule beforehand. For instance, when filming a wedding, know when the bride will arrive when the couple exchanges rings and vows. If your highlight video is about a conference, it is essential to know when speakers will deliver the speech, etc.

Make a list of shots

Next, have a list of parts that you wish to capture so that you are more organized at the event. You can’t predict each moment but being ready will help you capture memorable moments.

Use the right equipment

You need to use proper equipment for the events to ensure the footage looks great in low light. Gather all your equipment before the event and make sure it is fully charged and functional. Carry the extra batteries and other tools as well.

You may also like: Download Instagram Highlights

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

No one wants to see all the video clips and pictures of your vacation at an exotic destination, wedding ceremony, or birthday party. Making a quick video and snapping pictures of the important moments is a great way to preserve the memories for yourself. However, these videos and photos add up quickly, and showing them all off is cumbersome. Rest assured, everyone wants to see a highlight reel. Moreover, with the growing popularity of short-form video sharing platforms like Tik Tok and IGTV, people want to extract highlights from videos to share on their profiles.

Part 1: What is Highlight Reel Video?

A highlight reel is the collection of the best parts of a video where you can combine video clips and pictures to make it. But how do you make a highlight reel? Well, there are many highlight video makers available that one can use to create a highlight reel easily.

So, here are some of the best highlight video makers that you can use on Windows and Mac and on iOS or Android devices.

Part 2: Best Highlight Video Makers on Windows and Mac

1. Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

Wondershare’s Filmora Video Editor is a simple yet powerful video highlight reel maker available for Mac and Windows. It offers the standard trimming, transitions, overlays, and effects that are great for editing your videos to make highlight videos to share on social media and show your friends. It has an intuitive interface and has a huge range of features. The interface has a drag and drop option enabling you to quickly arrange, trim, and edit various media elements making it a breeze to create highlight videos.

Download Filmora X Win Version Download Filmora X Mac Version

Filmora supports all the modern video formats as well as HD and 4K video editing and output as well as includes several different free video effect presets. The version 10.4 and higher of this highlight video maker (for Windows) have some new features like auto highlight helping you automatically create a highlight video. Audio normalization that automatically normalizes the audio volume in your videos, and the scene detection features that allow you to separate video into clips. Try Filmora for free by downloading the latest version and experience these new features.

 Filmora X Auto Highlight Feature

Pros

Simple and intuitive interface

Auto highlight feature to create highlighted video automatically

Layer multiple video clips

Scene detection for cutting large video quickly

Cons

Add-on feature pack is expensive

Slightly slow AMD processor

2. Windows 10 Photos App

The Photos App is in-built into Windows 10 which makes it fun and easy to enhance your videos and images. This free photo viewer and editor works with OneDrive that allows you to access all the photos and videos from any device.

The Photo App has competent editing and photo enhancements tools along with tools for organizing and editing videos to create highlight videos easily.

Windows 10 Auto Creation Feature

It has a story remix which makes it super easy to combine pictures and videos to create enticing highlight video with text, motion, duration, 3D effects, filters, and background music.

Story Remix works on Microsoft’s deep learning technology and AI to find relevant content and automatically create videos to edit and share. The choose a star feature allows you to create a movie focused on a person. You can also easily edit your video to highlight the best content with the trim feature. Once you are done with editing, your video is saved automatically, but you will need to export it to share on social media.

Pros

Simple interface

Integrates with OneDrive

Video highlight with soundtrack, text, and transitions

Cons

Lacks geometry correction

3. Hudl Premium Highlights

If you are a high school athlete looking to get a scholarship for higher education, the best way to pitch to application boards and professional coaches is to send them a video that highlights your skills. You can easily create highlight videos with Hudle Premium Highlights. It is one of the best paid highlight video makers for sports and is compatible with Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices.

Just log in to Hudle.com and click your highlights and choose create highlights. Give the name to your highlight video and add the video, photos, music, and title slides. You can easily filter the highlights by team and season and select the highlights adding them to your reel.

The Hudle Premium Highlight has a trim feature that allows you to easily edit the highlight reel. You can add spot shadow, text, or music and preview the reel. It also helps you flag sections of the videos by inserting notes or audio. Once you are done with creating a highlight reel, publish to save your work and post on social media or get a URL to share with the coaches.

Pros

Easy to use

Various features to make highlight videos.

Cons

Not enough customization available

4. Vibby

Vibby is a free lightweight web-based highlight video maker that allows you to easily highlight and show only parts of the video you want audiences to see. With this tool you can also add notes and comments on the selection portions, making the video more engaging.

Vibby has a simple user-friendly interface that helps you to highlight the most relevant parts of the video in just three steps. Just choose the YouTube, GoogleDrive, Dropbox, Twitch, and Vimeo videos you like, highlight the sections relevant to your topic and add notes, or questions for students to read. You can set specific timeframes for each highlight and tag people as well.

 Create Highlight Video with Vibby

Pros

Simple and easy user interface

Create highlight videos in three steps

Free to use

Cons

No cons found

5. Magisto

Magisto is one of the best video highlight reel makers allowing marketers, business professionals, and individuals to create enticing videos. Available for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices, it includes a licensed music library from independent artists. Magisto offers a free seven-day trial, but it requires you to enter the credit card details. In the trial, you get access to all the features. One of the best features is the video highlight where you can convert your memorable videos and pictures into an unforgettable video highlighting the special moments.

What makes Magisto unique is its AI-powered solution that analyzes and edits your videos. You can also control the video speed so that your highlight reel can consist of various photos or video clips. You can add graphics, effects, and background music as well to add a layer of emotion to your videos.

Pros

Automatically build video highlight with AI technology

Compatible with mobile and web devices

7 days free trial

Cons

No phone support offered

No feature to edit photos

Best Highlight Video Maker App for iPhone and Android

If you are looking for the best video highlight reel maker for iPhone and Android devices, then Quik from GoPro is the one. The previous editions of Quik were free, but the new version requires payment to unlock all the features. However, you get a free trial as well to know about the features. This highlight video maker can pull out any media stored on your phone or tablet as well as from your GoPro cloud storage and automatically highlight the video in seconds, complete with royalty-free music and filters.

If you want to take control, you can do that easily. Select a theme, add the video and pictures you want to create the highlight with, trim your videos, pick a music track, add filters, and set a target length for the highlighted video. With Quik, you can filter by media type as well, so if you just need photos or just videos, you can select them easily that are grouped by date. Once you have created your highlighted video, transfer it wirelessly to your phone for easy sharing.

Part 3: Tips for Creating Highlight Video

There are many times you want to create an epic highlight reel. Here are few tips to help you create exciting and entertaining highlight reels.

Learn the event timeline

When you want to create a highlight video for any event, whether official or personal, study the event schedule beforehand. For instance, when filming a wedding, know when the bride will arrive when the couple exchanges rings and vows. If your highlight video is about a conference, it is essential to know when speakers will deliver the speech, etc.

Make a list of shots

Next, have a list of parts that you wish to capture so that you are more organized at the event. You can’t predict each moment but being ready will help you capture memorable moments.

Use the right equipment

You need to use proper equipment for the events to ensure the footage looks great in low light. Gather all your equipment before the event and make sure it is fully charged and functional. Carry the extra batteries and other tools as well.

You may also like: Download Instagram Highlights

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

No one wants to see all the video clips and pictures of your vacation at an exotic destination, wedding ceremony, or birthday party. Making a quick video and snapping pictures of the important moments is a great way to preserve the memories for yourself. However, these videos and photos add up quickly, and showing them all off is cumbersome. Rest assured, everyone wants to see a highlight reel. Moreover, with the growing popularity of short-form video sharing platforms like Tik Tok and IGTV, people want to extract highlights from videos to share on their profiles.

Part 1: What is Highlight Reel Video?

A highlight reel is the collection of the best parts of a video where you can combine video clips and pictures to make it. But how do you make a highlight reel? Well, there are many highlight video makers available that one can use to create a highlight reel easily.

So, here are some of the best highlight video makers that you can use on Windows and Mac and on iOS or Android devices.

Part 2: Best Highlight Video Makers on Windows and Mac

1. Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

Wondershare’s Filmora Video Editor is a simple yet powerful video highlight reel maker available for Mac and Windows. It offers the standard trimming, transitions, overlays, and effects that are great for editing your videos to make highlight videos to share on social media and show your friends. It has an intuitive interface and has a huge range of features. The interface has a drag and drop option enabling you to quickly arrange, trim, and edit various media elements making it a breeze to create highlight videos.

Download Filmora X Win Version Download Filmora X Mac Version

Filmora supports all the modern video formats as well as HD and 4K video editing and output as well as includes several different free video effect presets. The version 10.4 and higher of this highlight video maker (for Windows) have some new features like auto highlight helping you automatically create a highlight video. Audio normalization that automatically normalizes the audio volume in your videos, and the scene detection features that allow you to separate video into clips. Try Filmora for free by downloading the latest version and experience these new features.

 Filmora X Auto Highlight Feature

Pros

Simple and intuitive interface

Auto highlight feature to create highlighted video automatically

Layer multiple video clips

Scene detection for cutting large video quickly

Cons

Add-on feature pack is expensive

Slightly slow AMD processor

2. Windows 10 Photos App

The Photos App is in-built into Windows 10 which makes it fun and easy to enhance your videos and images. This free photo viewer and editor works with OneDrive that allows you to access all the photos and videos from any device.

The Photo App has competent editing and photo enhancements tools along with tools for organizing and editing videos to create highlight videos easily.

Windows 10 Auto Creation Feature

It has a story remix which makes it super easy to combine pictures and videos to create enticing highlight video with text, motion, duration, 3D effects, filters, and background music.

Story Remix works on Microsoft’s deep learning technology and AI to find relevant content and automatically create videos to edit and share. The choose a star feature allows you to create a movie focused on a person. You can also easily edit your video to highlight the best content with the trim feature. Once you are done with editing, your video is saved automatically, but you will need to export it to share on social media.

Pros

Simple interface

Integrates with OneDrive

Video highlight with soundtrack, text, and transitions

Cons

Lacks geometry correction

3. Hudl Premium Highlights

If you are a high school athlete looking to get a scholarship for higher education, the best way to pitch to application boards and professional coaches is to send them a video that highlights your skills. You can easily create highlight videos with Hudle Premium Highlights. It is one of the best paid highlight video makers for sports and is compatible with Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices.

Just log in to Hudle.com and click your highlights and choose create highlights. Give the name to your highlight video and add the video, photos, music, and title slides. You can easily filter the highlights by team and season and select the highlights adding them to your reel.

The Hudle Premium Highlight has a trim feature that allows you to easily edit the highlight reel. You can add spot shadow, text, or music and preview the reel. It also helps you flag sections of the videos by inserting notes or audio. Once you are done with creating a highlight reel, publish to save your work and post on social media or get a URL to share with the coaches.

Pros

Easy to use

Various features to make highlight videos.

Cons

Not enough customization available

4. Vibby

Vibby is a free lightweight web-based highlight video maker that allows you to easily highlight and show only parts of the video you want audiences to see. With this tool you can also add notes and comments on the selection portions, making the video more engaging.

Vibby has a simple user-friendly interface that helps you to highlight the most relevant parts of the video in just three steps. Just choose the YouTube, GoogleDrive, Dropbox, Twitch, and Vimeo videos you like, highlight the sections relevant to your topic and add notes, or questions for students to read. You can set specific timeframes for each highlight and tag people as well.

 Create Highlight Video with Vibby

Pros

Simple and easy user interface

Create highlight videos in three steps

Free to use

Cons

No cons found

5. Magisto

Magisto is one of the best video highlight reel makers allowing marketers, business professionals, and individuals to create enticing videos. Available for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices, it includes a licensed music library from independent artists. Magisto offers a free seven-day trial, but it requires you to enter the credit card details. In the trial, you get access to all the features. One of the best features is the video highlight where you can convert your memorable videos and pictures into an unforgettable video highlighting the special moments.

What makes Magisto unique is its AI-powered solution that analyzes and edits your videos. You can also control the video speed so that your highlight reel can consist of various photos or video clips. You can add graphics, effects, and background music as well to add a layer of emotion to your videos.

Pros

Automatically build video highlight with AI technology

Compatible with mobile and web devices

7 days free trial

Cons

No phone support offered

No feature to edit photos

Best Highlight Video Maker App for iPhone and Android

If you are looking for the best video highlight reel maker for iPhone and Android devices, then Quik from GoPro is the one. The previous editions of Quik were free, but the new version requires payment to unlock all the features. However, you get a free trial as well to know about the features. This highlight video maker can pull out any media stored on your phone or tablet as well as from your GoPro cloud storage and automatically highlight the video in seconds, complete with royalty-free music and filters.

If you want to take control, you can do that easily. Select a theme, add the video and pictures you want to create the highlight with, trim your videos, pick a music track, add filters, and set a target length for the highlighted video. With Quik, you can filter by media type as well, so if you just need photos or just videos, you can select them easily that are grouped by date. Once you have created your highlighted video, transfer it wirelessly to your phone for easy sharing.

Part 3: Tips for Creating Highlight Video

There are many times you want to create an epic highlight reel. Here are few tips to help you create exciting and entertaining highlight reels.

Learn the event timeline

When you want to create a highlight video for any event, whether official or personal, study the event schedule beforehand. For instance, when filming a wedding, know when the bride will arrive when the couple exchanges rings and vows. If your highlight video is about a conference, it is essential to know when speakers will deliver the speech, etc.

Make a list of shots

Next, have a list of parts that you wish to capture so that you are more organized at the event. You can’t predict each moment but being ready will help you capture memorable moments.

Use the right equipment

You need to use proper equipment for the events to ensure the footage looks great in low light. Gather all your equipment before the event and make sure it is fully charged and functional. Carry the extra batteries and other tools as well.

You may also like: Download Instagram Highlights

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Transform Your Videos: A Step-by-Step MP4 Video Editing Guide for Mac and Windows

How to Edit MP4 Video in Mac/Windows (Windows 8 included)

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

MP4 is a very common media format that can keep the high image and sound quality. Many downloaded movies, streaming music videos, or recorded video clips are with .MP4 file extension. Confused about different kinds of formats? Check out this video to learn what video format is and the differences between video formats.

If you have many such files, chances are that you need to edit MP4 videos.

Although various MP4 editors are available on the market, they are a little space-consuming in order to ensure good performance. Here I’d like to share a powerful and efficient MP4 editor that designed for beginners and hobbyists.

It’s Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor). With it, you’re able to trim, rotate, crop, merge MP4 files, as well as personalize your MP4 videos with rich text, filter and transitions. Moreover, after you finish MP4 video editing, you can directly share your creation on YouTube, Facebook, or save to any format you want.


All-in-one MP4 Editor to Edit MP4 File [Free to Download]

Wondershare MP4 Video Editor

  • Supports almost all kinds of MP4 files, including AVC, XVID, MPEG-4 and more.
  • Crop, trim, cut, split and combine - edit MP4 videos in a few clicks.
  • Easily edit MP4 videos with 300+ styles and audio/visual effects.
  • Provides advanced MP4 video editing tools like Tilt Shift, Face off, Mosaic, Jump Cut, etc.
  • Burn to DVD or convert to any popular video format.
  • Convert video to formats compatible on various mobile devices or upload to YouTube and Facebook instantly.

How to Easily Edit MP4 Video?

Before we proceed to illustrate every detail on how to edit the MP4 video, you can download the MP4 editor first so you can follow the below steps one by one.

It’s free to download now.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

1. Cut MP4 Video

To cut your MP4 video into certain parts, drag and drop the video on the Timeline and highlight it. Then place the red Time Indicator to where you want to cut the video, and click the Scissor button above the timeline.

After that, move the red marker to the end of the scene, and repeat this again to cut the video into several fragments. If you want to cut off the unwanted parts, right click the video and choose “Delete”.

export edited MP4 by cutting

2. Join MP4 Video

To join several MP4 video files into one, you just need to place all the video files on the timeline, adjust the order and hit “Create” to export it.

If you want to make the joined videos look like a really intact movie, just add transitions between clips for smooth change from one to next. To do this, click “Transition” tab on the main screen. Then drag the effect you like to the timeline to apply.

If you don’t want to choose the transition one by one, let the software choose the transition randomly by right clicking and selecting “Random to All” option.

edit MP4 files

3. Edit the audio of MP4 Video

Sometimes you may need to adjust the settings of audio. To do it, double click the video on the Timeline. Then a editing panel will pop up. Switch to the Audio column and you can easily change the Speed, Volume, Pitch of the audio file or add the Fade in/out effect to it.

Want to change the original audio track of your MP4 video?

No problem.

Just highlight your MP4 video, right click and choose “Audio Detach”. The audio file of your video will immediately be separated and appear on the music timeline. Since it is separated from the video, you can easily delete the audio track or replace it with your own music.

edit MP4 audio

4. Add 300+ Effects to Touch Up MP4 Video

Besides the basic video editing functions, Video Editor also provides various stunning scene effects to take your MP4 (MPEG-4) video to a higher level:

  • Different transitions & motion effects are provided to make your video animated.
  • Pre-made Intro/Credit makes your video like a real movie.
  • 100+ funny cliparts to adorn your MP4 video with much more fun.
  • More special effects like PIP, Jump Cut, Face Off, Tilt-shift for you to try!

edit MP4 video adding effects

5. Save or Share the Edited Video

When all the editing is done, hit “Create” to save or share your videos in different ways:

  • Export as standard or high-quality MP4 format or MOV, AVI and more formats.
  • Premiere your video on iPhone, iPad, Galaxy, HTC and more mobile devices.
  • Burn to DVD to preserve or share, super fast.
  • Directly upload your video to Facebook and YouTube.

export edited MP4

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

MP4 is a very common media format that can keep the high image and sound quality. Many downloaded movies, streaming music videos, or recorded video clips are with .MP4 file extension. Confused about different kinds of formats? Check out this video to learn what video format is and the differences between video formats.

If you have many such files, chances are that you need to edit MP4 videos.

Although various MP4 editors are available on the market, they are a little space-consuming in order to ensure good performance. Here I’d like to share a powerful and efficient MP4 editor that designed for beginners and hobbyists.

It’s Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor). With it, you’re able to trim, rotate, crop, merge MP4 files, as well as personalize your MP4 videos with rich text, filter and transitions. Moreover, after you finish MP4 video editing, you can directly share your creation on YouTube, Facebook, or save to any format you want.


All-in-one MP4 Editor to Edit MP4 File [Free to Download]

Wondershare MP4 Video Editor

  • Supports almost all kinds of MP4 files, including AVC, XVID, MPEG-4 and more.
  • Crop, trim, cut, split and combine - edit MP4 videos in a few clicks.
  • Easily edit MP4 videos with 300+ styles and audio/visual effects.
  • Provides advanced MP4 video editing tools like Tilt Shift, Face off, Mosaic, Jump Cut, etc.
  • Burn to DVD or convert to any popular video format.
  • Convert video to formats compatible on various mobile devices or upload to YouTube and Facebook instantly.

How to Easily Edit MP4 Video?

Before we proceed to illustrate every detail on how to edit the MP4 video, you can download the MP4 editor first so you can follow the below steps one by one.

It’s free to download now.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

1. Cut MP4 Video

To cut your MP4 video into certain parts, drag and drop the video on the Timeline and highlight it. Then place the red Time Indicator to where you want to cut the video, and click the Scissor button above the timeline.

After that, move the red marker to the end of the scene, and repeat this again to cut the video into several fragments. If you want to cut off the unwanted parts, right click the video and choose “Delete”.

export edited MP4 by cutting

2. Join MP4 Video

To join several MP4 video files into one, you just need to place all the video files on the timeline, adjust the order and hit “Create” to export it.

If you want to make the joined videos look like a really intact movie, just add transitions between clips for smooth change from one to next. To do this, click “Transition” tab on the main screen. Then drag the effect you like to the timeline to apply.

If you don’t want to choose the transition one by one, let the software choose the transition randomly by right clicking and selecting “Random to All” option.

edit MP4 files

3. Edit the audio of MP4 Video

Sometimes you may need to adjust the settings of audio. To do it, double click the video on the Timeline. Then a editing panel will pop up. Switch to the Audio column and you can easily change the Speed, Volume, Pitch of the audio file or add the Fade in/out effect to it.

Want to change the original audio track of your MP4 video?

No problem.

Just highlight your MP4 video, right click and choose “Audio Detach”. The audio file of your video will immediately be separated and appear on the music timeline. Since it is separated from the video, you can easily delete the audio track or replace it with your own music.

edit MP4 audio

4. Add 300+ Effects to Touch Up MP4 Video

Besides the basic video editing functions, Video Editor also provides various stunning scene effects to take your MP4 (MPEG-4) video to a higher level:

  • Different transitions & motion effects are provided to make your video animated.
  • Pre-made Intro/Credit makes your video like a real movie.
  • 100+ funny cliparts to adorn your MP4 video with much more fun.
  • More special effects like PIP, Jump Cut, Face Off, Tilt-shift for you to try!

edit MP4 video adding effects

5. Save or Share the Edited Video

When all the editing is done, hit “Create” to save or share your videos in different ways:

  • Export as standard or high-quality MP4 format or MOV, AVI and more formats.
  • Premiere your video on iPhone, iPad, Galaxy, HTC and more mobile devices.
  • Burn to DVD to preserve or share, super fast.
  • Directly upload your video to Facebook and YouTube.

export edited MP4

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

MP4 is a very common media format that can keep the high image and sound quality. Many downloaded movies, streaming music videos, or recorded video clips are with .MP4 file extension. Confused about different kinds of formats? Check out this video to learn what video format is and the differences between video formats.

If you have many such files, chances are that you need to edit MP4 videos.

Although various MP4 editors are available on the market, they are a little space-consuming in order to ensure good performance. Here I’d like to share a powerful and efficient MP4 editor that designed for beginners and hobbyists.

It’s Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor). With it, you’re able to trim, rotate, crop, merge MP4 files, as well as personalize your MP4 videos with rich text, filter and transitions. Moreover, after you finish MP4 video editing, you can directly share your creation on YouTube, Facebook, or save to any format you want.


All-in-one MP4 Editor to Edit MP4 File [Free to Download]

Wondershare MP4 Video Editor

  • Supports almost all kinds of MP4 files, including AVC, XVID, MPEG-4 and more.
  • Crop, trim, cut, split and combine - edit MP4 videos in a few clicks.
  • Easily edit MP4 videos with 300+ styles and audio/visual effects.
  • Provides advanced MP4 video editing tools like Tilt Shift, Face off, Mosaic, Jump Cut, etc.
  • Burn to DVD or convert to any popular video format.
  • Convert video to formats compatible on various mobile devices or upload to YouTube and Facebook instantly.

How to Easily Edit MP4 Video?

Before we proceed to illustrate every detail on how to edit the MP4 video, you can download the MP4 editor first so you can follow the below steps one by one.

It’s free to download now.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

1. Cut MP4 Video

To cut your MP4 video into certain parts, drag and drop the video on the Timeline and highlight it. Then place the red Time Indicator to where you want to cut the video, and click the Scissor button above the timeline.

After that, move the red marker to the end of the scene, and repeat this again to cut the video into several fragments. If you want to cut off the unwanted parts, right click the video and choose “Delete”.

export edited MP4 by cutting

2. Join MP4 Video

To join several MP4 video files into one, you just need to place all the video files on the timeline, adjust the order and hit “Create” to export it.

If you want to make the joined videos look like a really intact movie, just add transitions between clips for smooth change from one to next. To do this, click “Transition” tab on the main screen. Then drag the effect you like to the timeline to apply.

If you don’t want to choose the transition one by one, let the software choose the transition randomly by right clicking and selecting “Random to All” option.

edit MP4 files

3. Edit the audio of MP4 Video

Sometimes you may need to adjust the settings of audio. To do it, double click the video on the Timeline. Then a editing panel will pop up. Switch to the Audio column and you can easily change the Speed, Volume, Pitch of the audio file or add the Fade in/out effect to it.

Want to change the original audio track of your MP4 video?

No problem.

Just highlight your MP4 video, right click and choose “Audio Detach”. The audio file of your video will immediately be separated and appear on the music timeline. Since it is separated from the video, you can easily delete the audio track or replace it with your own music.

edit MP4 audio

4. Add 300+ Effects to Touch Up MP4 Video

Besides the basic video editing functions, Video Editor also provides various stunning scene effects to take your MP4 (MPEG-4) video to a higher level:

  • Different transitions & motion effects are provided to make your video animated.
  • Pre-made Intro/Credit makes your video like a real movie.
  • 100+ funny cliparts to adorn your MP4 video with much more fun.
  • More special effects like PIP, Jump Cut, Face Off, Tilt-shift for you to try!

edit MP4 video adding effects

5. Save or Share the Edited Video

When all the editing is done, hit “Create” to save or share your videos in different ways:

  • Export as standard or high-quality MP4 format or MOV, AVI and more formats.
  • Premiere your video on iPhone, iPad, Galaxy, HTC and more mobile devices.
  • Burn to DVD to preserve or share, super fast.
  • Directly upload your video to Facebook and YouTube.

export edited MP4

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

MP4 is a very common media format that can keep the high image and sound quality. Many downloaded movies, streaming music videos, or recorded video clips are with .MP4 file extension. Confused about different kinds of formats? Check out this video to learn what video format is and the differences between video formats.

If you have many such files, chances are that you need to edit MP4 videos.

Although various MP4 editors are available on the market, they are a little space-consuming in order to ensure good performance. Here I’d like to share a powerful and efficient MP4 editor that designed for beginners and hobbyists.

It’s Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor). With it, you’re able to trim, rotate, crop, merge MP4 files, as well as personalize your MP4 videos with rich text, filter and transitions. Moreover, after you finish MP4 video editing, you can directly share your creation on YouTube, Facebook, or save to any format you want.


All-in-one MP4 Editor to Edit MP4 File [Free to Download]

Wondershare MP4 Video Editor

  • Supports almost all kinds of MP4 files, including AVC, XVID, MPEG-4 and more.
  • Crop, trim, cut, split and combine - edit MP4 videos in a few clicks.
  • Easily edit MP4 videos with 300+ styles and audio/visual effects.
  • Provides advanced MP4 video editing tools like Tilt Shift, Face off, Mosaic, Jump Cut, etc.
  • Burn to DVD or convert to any popular video format.
  • Convert video to formats compatible on various mobile devices or upload to YouTube and Facebook instantly.

How to Easily Edit MP4 Video?

Before we proceed to illustrate every detail on how to edit the MP4 video, you can download the MP4 editor first so you can follow the below steps one by one.

It’s free to download now.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

1. Cut MP4 Video

To cut your MP4 video into certain parts, drag and drop the video on the Timeline and highlight it. Then place the red Time Indicator to where you want to cut the video, and click the Scissor button above the timeline.

After that, move the red marker to the end of the scene, and repeat this again to cut the video into several fragments. If you want to cut off the unwanted parts, right click the video and choose “Delete”.

export edited MP4 by cutting

2. Join MP4 Video

To join several MP4 video files into one, you just need to place all the video files on the timeline, adjust the order and hit “Create” to export it.

If you want to make the joined videos look like a really intact movie, just add transitions between clips for smooth change from one to next. To do this, click “Transition” tab on the main screen. Then drag the effect you like to the timeline to apply.

If you don’t want to choose the transition one by one, let the software choose the transition randomly by right clicking and selecting “Random to All” option.

edit MP4 files

3. Edit the audio of MP4 Video

Sometimes you may need to adjust the settings of audio. To do it, double click the video on the Timeline. Then a editing panel will pop up. Switch to the Audio column and you can easily change the Speed, Volume, Pitch of the audio file or add the Fade in/out effect to it.

Want to change the original audio track of your MP4 video?

No problem.

Just highlight your MP4 video, right click and choose “Audio Detach”. The audio file of your video will immediately be separated and appear on the music timeline. Since it is separated from the video, you can easily delete the audio track or replace it with your own music.

edit MP4 audio

4. Add 300+ Effects to Touch Up MP4 Video

Besides the basic video editing functions, Video Editor also provides various stunning scene effects to take your MP4 (MPEG-4) video to a higher level:

  • Different transitions & motion effects are provided to make your video animated.
  • Pre-made Intro/Credit makes your video like a real movie.
  • 100+ funny cliparts to adorn your MP4 video with much more fun.
  • More special effects like PIP, Jump Cut, Face Off, Tilt-shift for you to try!

edit MP4 video adding effects

5. Save or Share the Edited Video

When all the editing is done, hit “Create” to save or share your videos in different ways:

  • Export as standard or high-quality MP4 format or MOV, AVI and more formats.
  • Premiere your video on iPhone, iPad, Galaxy, HTC and more mobile devices.
  • Burn to DVD to preserve or share, super fast.
  • Directly upload your video to Facebook and YouTube.

export edited MP4

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

FCP X Post-Production: Mastering the Art of Chroma Keying

FCP X: Create a Chroma-Key (Green-screen) Effect

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Chroma-key (also called “green screen”) effects are a staple in video production. What FCP X effect does is allow you to make the background behind an actor transparent so you can place the actor into a different environment than a studio.


This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


Getting Started

First, the best thing you can do to improve the quality of your keys is to improve how you shoot them. Here are seven basic production rules:

  • Actors should be at least 10 feet in front of the green screen. This avoids light from the background “spilling” around their body or shoulders.
  • In general, don’t cast shadows on the green screen. Be very careful shooting feet.
  • The green background should be as smooth as possible. Paint is always better than fabric; avoid wrinkles and folds.
  • The green background should be lit smoothly, both from side to side and top to bottom. I try to have the green background display between 40-50% level on the waveform monitor.
  • There is NO relationship between how the background is lit and how your actors are lit. This article will illustrate that.
  • Light your background for smoothness. Light your actors for drama.
  • Don’t worry about having the green background fill the frame. It only needs to completely surround the edges of your actors. Garbage mattes are used to get rid of junk around the edges.

Setting up the Key

fx chroma 01

The green screen image is always placed above the background. You can place either the green screen or background image into the Primary Storyline. I find it easier to put the background in the Primary Storyline, because it makes editing the green screen image easier. But this is purely personal choice.

Step 1: Select the green screen clip

From the Effects Browser > Keying category, double-click the Keyer effect, which applies it to the selected clip. (You can also drag the effect on top of the clip, if you forgot to select the green-screen clip first.)

fx chroma 02

Don’t panic if your image looks weird – we will fix it.

fx chroma 03

Click the Sample Color icon. This allows fine-tuning the selection of the background color.

fx chroma 04

In the green-screen image, drag to select a representative section of the background. I try to get close to the face, but not so close that I accidentally select loose hair or skin.

Your key should look better immediately. Most of the time, you can probably stop here. But there are three other adjustments that can make your key look even better:

  • Cleaning up the matte
  • Edge adjustments
  • Light wrap

fx chroma 06

Click the Matte button to display your key as a white foreground on a black background.

fx chroma 07

Your goal is the make the foreground solid white, which means opaque, and the background solid black, which means transparent. Adjust the Fill Holes and Edge Distance sliders until your key looks solid. (For REALLY bad keys, you’ll need to also adjust Color Selection, mentioned below.)

fx chroma 05

If an edge is too pronounced, or needs help, click the Edges icon.

fx chroma 09

Step 2: Tweaks Video

Then, click and drag a line from the foreground to the background in the Canvas. Drag the midpoint slider (where my cursor is) until the edge looks the best it can. Different video formats make this easy (ProRes), while others (HDV, avchd) make this much harder. Perfection is impossible – do the best you can.

fx chroma 09a

Final Cut provides four additional tweaks at the bottom of the keyer filter:

  • Color Selection
  • Matte Tools
  • Spill Suppression
  • Light Wrap

The first three are designed to clean up poorly shot keys – read the FCP X Help files to learn how these work. (I used the Color Selection tools to clean up the very dark key I use an example later in this article.)

Light wrap, though, is aesthetic. What it does is blend colors from the background into the edges of the foreground, to make the entire key look more “organic,” as if the foreground and background were actually in the same space.

This is a subtle effect, but very cool.

fx chroma 10

Twirl down Light Wrap and adjust the Amount slider and watch what happens. Drag the other sliders around and see what happens. The nice thing about this setting is that when it looks good to you, it is good. The amount of the effect is totally up to you. Remember, Light Wrap only affects the edges of the foreground and should be used subtly.

fx chroma 11

When you are done, you have a great looking key!

Clean up the Image with a Garbage Mask

fx chroma 12

Sometimes, however, you don’t have, ah, perhaps, the best green-screen image to work with. Here, for example, there are lighting instruments in the foreground, with a very inadequately lit green screen in the background. (Sigh… this is just pitiful.)

Once you pull the key – which is film-speak for creating a green-screen shot, as I described above – and get it looking as good as possible, there’s one more step: adding a garbage matte to get rid of all the garbage surrounding your actors.

fx chroma 13

Once you get your key looking as good as you can – which in this case isn’t all that good – drag the Mask effect (Effects > Keying > Mask) on top of the green-screen clip.

NOTE: The Mask effect should always be added after the Keying effect, so that the Mask is below the Keyer in the Inspector.

fx chroma 14

Then, drag each of the four circles to create a shape such that your foreground image is contained inside it, and everything you want to exclude is outside. Here, for instance, we removed the light stand, the edge of the green background and the tearing at the top of the image. I’ve found this Mask effect works best when applied to a connected clip.

However, the big limitation of the Mask effect is that you only have four points to work with. That’s where a free effect comes in, which allows you to create far more flexible shapes with it. It’s written by Alex Gollner and is available on his website – alex4d.wordpress.com/fcpx/ – I recommend his effects highly.

How to Create a Chroma-Key in easier ways?

Chroma-key, or green screen, is an essential part of every editor to make all kinds of effects. Is there any way to make this sophisticated procedure easier way? Yes, try Filmora.

In version 10.5 for Mac, Filmora added a new feature: AI portrait. It allows you to do a green screen effect with just one click.

By adopting AI portrait, you can add those stunning effects in simple steps: How to Remove or Change Video Background in One Step?

Or: How to Add a Shake Effect to your Videos?

Conclusion

The chroma-key filter in FCP X allows us to create some amazing effects. If you want to use green screen effects more easily, here is Filmora for you. You can appaly Chroma-Key effects with just a few click. Have fun playing with it.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Chroma-key (also called “green screen”) effects are a staple in video production. What FCP X effect does is allow you to make the background behind an actor transparent so you can place the actor into a different environment than a studio.


This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


Getting Started

First, the best thing you can do to improve the quality of your keys is to improve how you shoot them. Here are seven basic production rules:

  • Actors should be at least 10 feet in front of the green screen. This avoids light from the background “spilling” around their body or shoulders.
  • In general, don’t cast shadows on the green screen. Be very careful shooting feet.
  • The green background should be as smooth as possible. Paint is always better than fabric; avoid wrinkles and folds.
  • The green background should be lit smoothly, both from side to side and top to bottom. I try to have the green background display between 40-50% level on the waveform monitor.
  • There is NO relationship between how the background is lit and how your actors are lit. This article will illustrate that.
  • Light your background for smoothness. Light your actors for drama.
  • Don’t worry about having the green background fill the frame. It only needs to completely surround the edges of your actors. Garbage mattes are used to get rid of junk around the edges.

Setting up the Key

fx chroma 01

The green screen image is always placed above the background. You can place either the green screen or background image into the Primary Storyline. I find it easier to put the background in the Primary Storyline, because it makes editing the green screen image easier. But this is purely personal choice.

Step 1: Select the green screen clip

From the Effects Browser > Keying category, double-click the Keyer effect, which applies it to the selected clip. (You can also drag the effect on top of the clip, if you forgot to select the green-screen clip first.)

fx chroma 02

Don’t panic if your image looks weird – we will fix it.

fx chroma 03

Click the Sample Color icon. This allows fine-tuning the selection of the background color.

fx chroma 04

In the green-screen image, drag to select a representative section of the background. I try to get close to the face, but not so close that I accidentally select loose hair or skin.

Your key should look better immediately. Most of the time, you can probably stop here. But there are three other adjustments that can make your key look even better:

  • Cleaning up the matte
  • Edge adjustments
  • Light wrap

fx chroma 06

Click the Matte button to display your key as a white foreground on a black background.

fx chroma 07

Your goal is the make the foreground solid white, which means opaque, and the background solid black, which means transparent. Adjust the Fill Holes and Edge Distance sliders until your key looks solid. (For REALLY bad keys, you’ll need to also adjust Color Selection, mentioned below.)

fx chroma 05

If an edge is too pronounced, or needs help, click the Edges icon.

fx chroma 09

Step 2: Tweaks Video

Then, click and drag a line from the foreground to the background in the Canvas. Drag the midpoint slider (where my cursor is) until the edge looks the best it can. Different video formats make this easy (ProRes), while others (HDV, avchd) make this much harder. Perfection is impossible – do the best you can.

fx chroma 09a

Final Cut provides four additional tweaks at the bottom of the keyer filter:

  • Color Selection
  • Matte Tools
  • Spill Suppression
  • Light Wrap

The first three are designed to clean up poorly shot keys – read the FCP X Help files to learn how these work. (I used the Color Selection tools to clean up the very dark key I use an example later in this article.)

Light wrap, though, is aesthetic. What it does is blend colors from the background into the edges of the foreground, to make the entire key look more “organic,” as if the foreground and background were actually in the same space.

This is a subtle effect, but very cool.

fx chroma 10

Twirl down Light Wrap and adjust the Amount slider and watch what happens. Drag the other sliders around and see what happens. The nice thing about this setting is that when it looks good to you, it is good. The amount of the effect is totally up to you. Remember, Light Wrap only affects the edges of the foreground and should be used subtly.

fx chroma 11

When you are done, you have a great looking key!

Clean up the Image with a Garbage Mask

fx chroma 12

Sometimes, however, you don’t have, ah, perhaps, the best green-screen image to work with. Here, for example, there are lighting instruments in the foreground, with a very inadequately lit green screen in the background. (Sigh… this is just pitiful.)

Once you pull the key – which is film-speak for creating a green-screen shot, as I described above – and get it looking as good as possible, there’s one more step: adding a garbage matte to get rid of all the garbage surrounding your actors.

fx chroma 13

Once you get your key looking as good as you can – which in this case isn’t all that good – drag the Mask effect (Effects > Keying > Mask) on top of the green-screen clip.

NOTE: The Mask effect should always be added after the Keying effect, so that the Mask is below the Keyer in the Inspector.

fx chroma 14

Then, drag each of the four circles to create a shape such that your foreground image is contained inside it, and everything you want to exclude is outside. Here, for instance, we removed the light stand, the edge of the green background and the tearing at the top of the image. I’ve found this Mask effect works best when applied to a connected clip.

However, the big limitation of the Mask effect is that you only have four points to work with. That’s where a free effect comes in, which allows you to create far more flexible shapes with it. It’s written by Alex Gollner and is available on his website – alex4d.wordpress.com/fcpx/ – I recommend his effects highly.

How to Create a Chroma-Key in easier ways?

Chroma-key, or green screen, is an essential part of every editor to make all kinds of effects. Is there any way to make this sophisticated procedure easier way? Yes, try Filmora.

In version 10.5 for Mac, Filmora added a new feature: AI portrait. It allows you to do a green screen effect with just one click.

By adopting AI portrait, you can add those stunning effects in simple steps: How to Remove or Change Video Background in One Step?

Or: How to Add a Shake Effect to your Videos?

Conclusion

The chroma-key filter in FCP X allows us to create some amazing effects. If you want to use green screen effects more easily, here is Filmora for you. You can appaly Chroma-Key effects with just a few click. Have fun playing with it.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Chroma-key (also called “green screen”) effects are a staple in video production. What FCP X effect does is allow you to make the background behind an actor transparent so you can place the actor into a different environment than a studio.


This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


Getting Started

First, the best thing you can do to improve the quality of your keys is to improve how you shoot them. Here are seven basic production rules:

  • Actors should be at least 10 feet in front of the green screen. This avoids light from the background “spilling” around their body or shoulders.
  • In general, don’t cast shadows on the green screen. Be very careful shooting feet.
  • The green background should be as smooth as possible. Paint is always better than fabric; avoid wrinkles and folds.
  • The green background should be lit smoothly, both from side to side and top to bottom. I try to have the green background display between 40-50% level on the waveform monitor.
  • There is NO relationship between how the background is lit and how your actors are lit. This article will illustrate that.
  • Light your background for smoothness. Light your actors for drama.
  • Don’t worry about having the green background fill the frame. It only needs to completely surround the edges of your actors. Garbage mattes are used to get rid of junk around the edges.

Setting up the Key

fx chroma 01

The green screen image is always placed above the background. You can place either the green screen or background image into the Primary Storyline. I find it easier to put the background in the Primary Storyline, because it makes editing the green screen image easier. But this is purely personal choice.

Step 1: Select the green screen clip

From the Effects Browser > Keying category, double-click the Keyer effect, which applies it to the selected clip. (You can also drag the effect on top of the clip, if you forgot to select the green-screen clip first.)

fx chroma 02

Don’t panic if your image looks weird – we will fix it.

fx chroma 03

Click the Sample Color icon. This allows fine-tuning the selection of the background color.

fx chroma 04

In the green-screen image, drag to select a representative section of the background. I try to get close to the face, but not so close that I accidentally select loose hair or skin.

Your key should look better immediately. Most of the time, you can probably stop here. But there are three other adjustments that can make your key look even better:

  • Cleaning up the matte
  • Edge adjustments
  • Light wrap

fx chroma 06

Click the Matte button to display your key as a white foreground on a black background.

fx chroma 07

Your goal is the make the foreground solid white, which means opaque, and the background solid black, which means transparent. Adjust the Fill Holes and Edge Distance sliders until your key looks solid. (For REALLY bad keys, you’ll need to also adjust Color Selection, mentioned below.)

fx chroma 05

If an edge is too pronounced, or needs help, click the Edges icon.

fx chroma 09

Step 2: Tweaks Video

Then, click and drag a line from the foreground to the background in the Canvas. Drag the midpoint slider (where my cursor is) until the edge looks the best it can. Different video formats make this easy (ProRes), while others (HDV, avchd) make this much harder. Perfection is impossible – do the best you can.

fx chroma 09a

Final Cut provides four additional tweaks at the bottom of the keyer filter:

  • Color Selection
  • Matte Tools
  • Spill Suppression
  • Light Wrap

The first three are designed to clean up poorly shot keys – read the FCP X Help files to learn how these work. (I used the Color Selection tools to clean up the very dark key I use an example later in this article.)

Light wrap, though, is aesthetic. What it does is blend colors from the background into the edges of the foreground, to make the entire key look more “organic,” as if the foreground and background were actually in the same space.

This is a subtle effect, but very cool.

fx chroma 10

Twirl down Light Wrap and adjust the Amount slider and watch what happens. Drag the other sliders around and see what happens. The nice thing about this setting is that when it looks good to you, it is good. The amount of the effect is totally up to you. Remember, Light Wrap only affects the edges of the foreground and should be used subtly.

fx chroma 11

When you are done, you have a great looking key!

Clean up the Image with a Garbage Mask

fx chroma 12

Sometimes, however, you don’t have, ah, perhaps, the best green-screen image to work with. Here, for example, there are lighting instruments in the foreground, with a very inadequately lit green screen in the background. (Sigh… this is just pitiful.)

Once you pull the key – which is film-speak for creating a green-screen shot, as I described above – and get it looking as good as possible, there’s one more step: adding a garbage matte to get rid of all the garbage surrounding your actors.

fx chroma 13

Once you get your key looking as good as you can – which in this case isn’t all that good – drag the Mask effect (Effects > Keying > Mask) on top of the green-screen clip.

NOTE: The Mask effect should always be added after the Keying effect, so that the Mask is below the Keyer in the Inspector.

fx chroma 14

Then, drag each of the four circles to create a shape such that your foreground image is contained inside it, and everything you want to exclude is outside. Here, for instance, we removed the light stand, the edge of the green background and the tearing at the top of the image. I’ve found this Mask effect works best when applied to a connected clip.

However, the big limitation of the Mask effect is that you only have four points to work with. That’s where a free effect comes in, which allows you to create far more flexible shapes with it. It’s written by Alex Gollner and is available on his website – alex4d.wordpress.com/fcpx/ – I recommend his effects highly.

How to Create a Chroma-Key in easier ways?

Chroma-key, or green screen, is an essential part of every editor to make all kinds of effects. Is there any way to make this sophisticated procedure easier way? Yes, try Filmora.

In version 10.5 for Mac, Filmora added a new feature: AI portrait. It allows you to do a green screen effect with just one click.

By adopting AI portrait, you can add those stunning effects in simple steps: How to Remove or Change Video Background in One Step?

Or: How to Add a Shake Effect to your Videos?

Conclusion

The chroma-key filter in FCP X allows us to create some amazing effects. If you want to use green screen effects more easily, here is Filmora for you. You can appaly Chroma-Key effects with just a few click. Have fun playing with it.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Chroma-key (also called “green screen”) effects are a staple in video production. What FCP X effect does is allow you to make the background behind an actor transparent so you can place the actor into a different environment than a studio.


This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


Getting Started

First, the best thing you can do to improve the quality of your keys is to improve how you shoot them. Here are seven basic production rules:

  • Actors should be at least 10 feet in front of the green screen. This avoids light from the background “spilling” around their body or shoulders.
  • In general, don’t cast shadows on the green screen. Be very careful shooting feet.
  • The green background should be as smooth as possible. Paint is always better than fabric; avoid wrinkles and folds.
  • The green background should be lit smoothly, both from side to side and top to bottom. I try to have the green background display between 40-50% level on the waveform monitor.
  • There is NO relationship between how the background is lit and how your actors are lit. This article will illustrate that.
  • Light your background for smoothness. Light your actors for drama.
  • Don’t worry about having the green background fill the frame. It only needs to completely surround the edges of your actors. Garbage mattes are used to get rid of junk around the edges.

Setting up the Key

fx chroma 01

The green screen image is always placed above the background. You can place either the green screen or background image into the Primary Storyline. I find it easier to put the background in the Primary Storyline, because it makes editing the green screen image easier. But this is purely personal choice.

Step 1: Select the green screen clip

From the Effects Browser > Keying category, double-click the Keyer effect, which applies it to the selected clip. (You can also drag the effect on top of the clip, if you forgot to select the green-screen clip first.)

fx chroma 02

Don’t panic if your image looks weird – we will fix it.

fx chroma 03

Click the Sample Color icon. This allows fine-tuning the selection of the background color.

fx chroma 04

In the green-screen image, drag to select a representative section of the background. I try to get close to the face, but not so close that I accidentally select loose hair or skin.

Your key should look better immediately. Most of the time, you can probably stop here. But there are three other adjustments that can make your key look even better:

  • Cleaning up the matte
  • Edge adjustments
  • Light wrap

fx chroma 06

Click the Matte button to display your key as a white foreground on a black background.

fx chroma 07

Your goal is the make the foreground solid white, which means opaque, and the background solid black, which means transparent. Adjust the Fill Holes and Edge Distance sliders until your key looks solid. (For REALLY bad keys, you’ll need to also adjust Color Selection, mentioned below.)

fx chroma 05

If an edge is too pronounced, or needs help, click the Edges icon.

fx chroma 09

Step 2: Tweaks Video

Then, click and drag a line from the foreground to the background in the Canvas. Drag the midpoint slider (where my cursor is) until the edge looks the best it can. Different video formats make this easy (ProRes), while others (HDV, avchd) make this much harder. Perfection is impossible – do the best you can.

fx chroma 09a

Final Cut provides four additional tweaks at the bottom of the keyer filter:

  • Color Selection
  • Matte Tools
  • Spill Suppression
  • Light Wrap

The first three are designed to clean up poorly shot keys – read the FCP X Help files to learn how these work. (I used the Color Selection tools to clean up the very dark key I use an example later in this article.)

Light wrap, though, is aesthetic. What it does is blend colors from the background into the edges of the foreground, to make the entire key look more “organic,” as if the foreground and background were actually in the same space.

This is a subtle effect, but very cool.

fx chroma 10

Twirl down Light Wrap and adjust the Amount slider and watch what happens. Drag the other sliders around and see what happens. The nice thing about this setting is that when it looks good to you, it is good. The amount of the effect is totally up to you. Remember, Light Wrap only affects the edges of the foreground and should be used subtly.

fx chroma 11

When you are done, you have a great looking key!

Clean up the Image with a Garbage Mask

fx chroma 12

Sometimes, however, you don’t have, ah, perhaps, the best green-screen image to work with. Here, for example, there are lighting instruments in the foreground, with a very inadequately lit green screen in the background. (Sigh… this is just pitiful.)

Once you pull the key – which is film-speak for creating a green-screen shot, as I described above – and get it looking as good as possible, there’s one more step: adding a garbage matte to get rid of all the garbage surrounding your actors.

fx chroma 13

Once you get your key looking as good as you can – which in this case isn’t all that good – drag the Mask effect (Effects > Keying > Mask) on top of the green-screen clip.

NOTE: The Mask effect should always be added after the Keying effect, so that the Mask is below the Keyer in the Inspector.

fx chroma 14

Then, drag each of the four circles to create a shape such that your foreground image is contained inside it, and everything you want to exclude is outside. Here, for instance, we removed the light stand, the edge of the green background and the tearing at the top of the image. I’ve found this Mask effect works best when applied to a connected clip.

However, the big limitation of the Mask effect is that you only have four points to work with. That’s where a free effect comes in, which allows you to create far more flexible shapes with it. It’s written by Alex Gollner and is available on his website – alex4d.wordpress.com/fcpx/ – I recommend his effects highly.

How to Create a Chroma-Key in easier ways?

Chroma-key, or green screen, is an essential part of every editor to make all kinds of effects. Is there any way to make this sophisticated procedure easier way? Yes, try Filmora.

In version 10.5 for Mac, Filmora added a new feature: AI portrait. It allows you to do a green screen effect with just one click.

By adopting AI portrait, you can add those stunning effects in simple steps: How to Remove or Change Video Background in One Step?

Or: How to Add a Shake Effect to your Videos?

Conclusion

The chroma-key filter in FCP X allows us to create some amazing effects. If you want to use green screen effects more easily, here is Filmora for you. You can appaly Chroma-Key effects with just a few click. Have fun playing with it.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Also read:

  • Title: Updated Steady as a Rock How to Stabilize Your Videos in After Effects
  • Author: Emma
  • Created at : 2024-05-19 05:48:02
  • Updated at : 2024-05-20 05:48:02
  • Link: https://video-ai-editor.techidaily.com/updated-steady-as-a-rock-how-to-stabilize-your-videos-in-after-effects/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
On this page
Updated Steady as a Rock How to Stabilize Your Videos in After Effects