Updated Transforming Shaky Footage Into Pro-Quality Video with After Effects

Updated Transforming Shaky Footage Into Pro-Quality Video with After Effects

Morgan Lv12

Transforming Shaky Footage Into Pro-Quality Video with 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!

Mastering Video Editing with Windows Movie Maker: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Edit Videos in Windows Live Movie Maker

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Microsoft has released Windows Live Movie Maker on August 19, 2009 as part of a refresh to their Windows Live Essentials download. Windows Live Movie Maker is the first application designed for Windows 7 and is built to make beautiful movies from your photos and videos. And the latest version is Windows Live Movie Maker 2011.

Update in 2017: Microsoft has stopped the Windows Essentials Suite support on January 10, 2017. It is claimed that it is no longer available for download. If you are looking for an alternative to windows essentials movie maker, or windows movie maker, try Filmora video editor, which is available on both Windows7, Windows8 and Windows 10.


Part 1: Best Alternative to Windows Movie Maker: Filmora [Windows7/8/10 & Mac]

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Windows Live Movie Maker is a little bit limiting for video editing. In most cases, you need to run Windows 7. Fortunately, you do have other options. There is plenty of software which will do the same thing but better than Windows Live Movie Maker for you to edit your videos and burn videos to DVD. Among many of them, we recommend one Wondershare Filmora. You may wonder what’s so special with this Video Editor. First of all, it supports almost all kinds of video formats, such as AVI, MP4, MPG, MPEG, 3GP, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, DAT, MOV, MKV and HD video formats: MTS, M2TS(AVCHD ), TS(MPEG-2), HD MKV(, MPEG-2 HD), HD WMV(VC-1), and HD MOV(, MPEG-4). Secondly, it provides powerful video editing function, such as crop, trim, adjust video effect, add watermark, etc. Also, there are various title and text templates, filter/transition and effects presets for you to choose from. Thirdly, Windows Live Movie Maker can only generate WMV files directly, but this video editor supports burn video to DVD disc, DVD Folder and ISO file or save the video to most of the popular formats.


Part 2: How to Edit Videos in Windows Live Movie Maker [Step by Step]

1.Add Videos and Photos

edit videos in windows live movie maker

While you are adding videos to Windows Live Movie Maker, you may encounter a problem like 3GP files can’t be added to Windows Live Movie Maker. Or it can’t be played in Window Live Movie Maker. And many other video files as well, such as RM, RMVB, DAT and HD video formats: MTS, TS, HD MKV, HD WMV, and HD MOV, etc. It’s quite necessary to get familiar with what all those files that could be imported to Windows Live Movie Maker.

 edit video using windows live movie maker

Notes

  • Video and music files that are protected with digital rights management (DRM) can’t be used in Windows Live Movie Maker.
  • Support for using MPEG-2 and Microsoft Recorded TV Show video files in your movie is available only if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows Vista or Windows 7: Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
  • AVCHD video files that contain Dolby Digital audio can be used in Windows Live Movie Maker if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows 7: Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
  • MPEG-4 video files that contain audio can be used if you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows 7.
  • Some MPEG-4 video files can be used when you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows Vista if the necessary audio and video codecs are installed.

After adding your photos or videos, you can also add audio or background music to your video clips by clicking the Add music option.

Learn details about How to Add and Edit Music in Windows Movie Maker

2. Video Editing

As we said before, Windows Live Movie Maker (later named Windows Movie Maker) is a simple and easy video editing software for Windows, it can complete some basic video editing and become a good choice for novices. Here, I will share with you about the basic video editing tutorial in the Movie Maker.

Windows Movie Maker Edit

Cut & Trim & Split video in Windows Movie Maker

After adding videos and photos to the storyboard, you can now keep the useful sections and remove unwanted parts. To trim video, just place the playhead to the target position and right click the clip to select the Trim Set Start Point and move the playhead again to then end point and right click to select Set End Point. You can also go to the Edit tab and click the Split menu to split the video into parts. You can then delete and cut out unwanted sections or move it to the proper position.

Add Audio to Video: Record and add voiceover or Music

Windows Movie Maker also allows you to add narrations and background music to video footage. Just click the Add Music option and you can add music from online music libraries such as AudioMicro, Free Music Archive, and Vimeo or add music from the computer.

Windows Movie Maker Edit Add music

Add auto movie themes to Video

There is a built-in AutoMovie themes library in Movie Maker. You can use some popular themes such as Contemporary, Cinematic, Fade, Pan and Zoom, Black and White and Sepia.

Add texts &titles to Video

You can add titles, captions, and credits to video with windows movie maker, but it seems hard to add subtitles and customize its position. For more details about the text and title editing, check

Learn more details about How to Add Text to Video with Windows Movie Maker

Apply transitions & animations to video

The Movie Maker features lots of transitions under Animations tab. You can choose from wipes, cinematics, shatters, sweeps and curls, patterns and shapes, reveals, diagonals and dissolves.

Note: if you use the default themes, you won’t see all these transitions. Check the detailed steps about How to Add Transitions in Windows Movie Maker

Apply visual effects to video

We’ve introduced some of the best visual effects software before, but in Windows Movie Maker, you can also add effects such as 3D Ripple, Black and White, Blur, pixelate, mirrors, motions and fade effects.

Change video speed of video

The Movie Maker Edit tab allows you to adjust video volume, add fade in and fade out effects to video, or change video speed.

Learn more details about How to Speed Up Video in Windows Movie Maker

3. Save Video

After finish editing, you can upload your video clips to Facebook, YouTube, and other social media, or burn your videos to DVD with Windows DVD maker. You can also save your video clips on your computer.

Windows Movie Maker Save Video

You may also like: Windows Movie Maker VS Windows Live Movie Maker: What’s the Difference

While, if you find the windows movie maker editing features are limited based on your editing skills, you can try Wondershare Filmora. Below is a video tutorial about how to edit videos with Filmora.

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

Microsoft has released Windows Live Movie Maker on August 19, 2009 as part of a refresh to their Windows Live Essentials download. Windows Live Movie Maker is the first application designed for Windows 7 and is built to make beautiful movies from your photos and videos. And the latest version is Windows Live Movie Maker 2011.

Update in 2017: Microsoft has stopped the Windows Essentials Suite support on January 10, 2017. It is claimed that it is no longer available for download. If you are looking for an alternative to windows essentials movie maker, or windows movie maker, try Filmora video editor, which is available on both Windows7, Windows8 and Windows 10.


Part 1: Best Alternative to Windows Movie Maker: Filmora [Windows7/8/10 & Mac]

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Windows Live Movie Maker is a little bit limiting for video editing. In most cases, you need to run Windows 7. Fortunately, you do have other options. There is plenty of software which will do the same thing but better than Windows Live Movie Maker for you to edit your videos and burn videos to DVD. Among many of them, we recommend one Wondershare Filmora. You may wonder what’s so special with this Video Editor. First of all, it supports almost all kinds of video formats, such as AVI, MP4, MPG, MPEG, 3GP, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, DAT, MOV, MKV and HD video formats: MTS, M2TS(AVCHD ), TS(MPEG-2), HD MKV(, MPEG-2 HD), HD WMV(VC-1), and HD MOV(, MPEG-4). Secondly, it provides powerful video editing function, such as crop, trim, adjust video effect, add watermark, etc. Also, there are various title and text templates, filter/transition and effects presets for you to choose from. Thirdly, Windows Live Movie Maker can only generate WMV files directly, but this video editor supports burn video to DVD disc, DVD Folder and ISO file or save the video to most of the popular formats.


Part 2: How to Edit Videos in Windows Live Movie Maker [Step by Step]

1.Add Videos and Photos

edit videos in windows live movie maker

While you are adding videos to Windows Live Movie Maker, you may encounter a problem like 3GP files can’t be added to Windows Live Movie Maker. Or it can’t be played in Window Live Movie Maker. And many other video files as well, such as RM, RMVB, DAT and HD video formats: MTS, TS, HD MKV, HD WMV, and HD MOV, etc. It’s quite necessary to get familiar with what all those files that could be imported to Windows Live Movie Maker.

 edit video using windows live movie maker

Notes

  • Video and music files that are protected with digital rights management (DRM) can’t be used in Windows Live Movie Maker.
  • Support for using MPEG-2 and Microsoft Recorded TV Show video files in your movie is available only if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows Vista or Windows 7: Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
  • AVCHD video files that contain Dolby Digital audio can be used in Windows Live Movie Maker if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows 7: Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
  • MPEG-4 video files that contain audio can be used if you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows 7.
  • Some MPEG-4 video files can be used when you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows Vista if the necessary audio and video codecs are installed.

After adding your photos or videos, you can also add audio or background music to your video clips by clicking the Add music option.

Learn details about How to Add and Edit Music in Windows Movie Maker

2. Video Editing

As we said before, Windows Live Movie Maker (later named Windows Movie Maker) is a simple and easy video editing software for Windows, it can complete some basic video editing and become a good choice for novices. Here, I will share with you about the basic video editing tutorial in the Movie Maker.

Windows Movie Maker Edit

Cut & Trim & Split video in Windows Movie Maker

After adding videos and photos to the storyboard, you can now keep the useful sections and remove unwanted parts. To trim video, just place the playhead to the target position and right click the clip to select the Trim Set Start Point and move the playhead again to then end point and right click to select Set End Point. You can also go to the Edit tab and click the Split menu to split the video into parts. You can then delete and cut out unwanted sections or move it to the proper position.

Add Audio to Video: Record and add voiceover or Music

Windows Movie Maker also allows you to add narrations and background music to video footage. Just click the Add Music option and you can add music from online music libraries such as AudioMicro, Free Music Archive, and Vimeo or add music from the computer.

Windows Movie Maker Edit Add music

Add auto movie themes to Video

There is a built-in AutoMovie themes library in Movie Maker. You can use some popular themes such as Contemporary, Cinematic, Fade, Pan and Zoom, Black and White and Sepia.

Add texts &titles to Video

You can add titles, captions, and credits to video with windows movie maker, but it seems hard to add subtitles and customize its position. For more details about the text and title editing, check

Learn more details about How to Add Text to Video with Windows Movie Maker

Apply transitions & animations to video

The Movie Maker features lots of transitions under Animations tab. You can choose from wipes, cinematics, shatters, sweeps and curls, patterns and shapes, reveals, diagonals and dissolves.

Note: if you use the default themes, you won’t see all these transitions. Check the detailed steps about How to Add Transitions in Windows Movie Maker

Apply visual effects to video

We’ve introduced some of the best visual effects software before, but in Windows Movie Maker, you can also add effects such as 3D Ripple, Black and White, Blur, pixelate, mirrors, motions and fade effects.

Change video speed of video

The Movie Maker Edit tab allows you to adjust video volume, add fade in and fade out effects to video, or change video speed.

Learn more details about How to Speed Up Video in Windows Movie Maker

3. Save Video

After finish editing, you can upload your video clips to Facebook, YouTube, and other social media, or burn your videos to DVD with Windows DVD maker. You can also save your video clips on your computer.

Windows Movie Maker Save Video

You may also like: Windows Movie Maker VS Windows Live Movie Maker: What’s the Difference

While, if you find the windows movie maker editing features are limited based on your editing skills, you can try Wondershare Filmora. Below is a video tutorial about how to edit videos with Filmora.

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

Microsoft has released Windows Live Movie Maker on August 19, 2009 as part of a refresh to their Windows Live Essentials download. Windows Live Movie Maker is the first application designed for Windows 7 and is built to make beautiful movies from your photos and videos. And the latest version is Windows Live Movie Maker 2011.

Update in 2017: Microsoft has stopped the Windows Essentials Suite support on January 10, 2017. It is claimed that it is no longer available for download. If you are looking for an alternative to windows essentials movie maker, or windows movie maker, try Filmora video editor, which is available on both Windows7, Windows8 and Windows 10.


Part 1: Best Alternative to Windows Movie Maker: Filmora [Windows7/8/10 & Mac]

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Windows Live Movie Maker is a little bit limiting for video editing. In most cases, you need to run Windows 7. Fortunately, you do have other options. There is plenty of software which will do the same thing but better than Windows Live Movie Maker for you to edit your videos and burn videos to DVD. Among many of them, we recommend one Wondershare Filmora. You may wonder what’s so special with this Video Editor. First of all, it supports almost all kinds of video formats, such as AVI, MP4, MPG, MPEG, 3GP, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, DAT, MOV, MKV and HD video formats: MTS, M2TS(AVCHD ), TS(MPEG-2), HD MKV(, MPEG-2 HD), HD WMV(VC-1), and HD MOV(, MPEG-4). Secondly, it provides powerful video editing function, such as crop, trim, adjust video effect, add watermark, etc. Also, there are various title and text templates, filter/transition and effects presets for you to choose from. Thirdly, Windows Live Movie Maker can only generate WMV files directly, but this video editor supports burn video to DVD disc, DVD Folder and ISO file or save the video to most of the popular formats.


Part 2: How to Edit Videos in Windows Live Movie Maker [Step by Step]

1.Add Videos and Photos

edit videos in windows live movie maker

While you are adding videos to Windows Live Movie Maker, you may encounter a problem like 3GP files can’t be added to Windows Live Movie Maker. Or it can’t be played in Window Live Movie Maker. And many other video files as well, such as RM, RMVB, DAT and HD video formats: MTS, TS, HD MKV, HD WMV, and HD MOV, etc. It’s quite necessary to get familiar with what all those files that could be imported to Windows Live Movie Maker.

 edit video using windows live movie maker

Notes

  • Video and music files that are protected with digital rights management (DRM) can’t be used in Windows Live Movie Maker.
  • Support for using MPEG-2 and Microsoft Recorded TV Show video files in your movie is available only if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows Vista or Windows 7: Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
  • AVCHD video files that contain Dolby Digital audio can be used in Windows Live Movie Maker if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows 7: Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
  • MPEG-4 video files that contain audio can be used if you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows 7.
  • Some MPEG-4 video files can be used when you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows Vista if the necessary audio and video codecs are installed.

After adding your photos or videos, you can also add audio or background music to your video clips by clicking the Add music option.

Learn details about How to Add and Edit Music in Windows Movie Maker

2. Video Editing

As we said before, Windows Live Movie Maker (later named Windows Movie Maker) is a simple and easy video editing software for Windows, it can complete some basic video editing and become a good choice for novices. Here, I will share with you about the basic video editing tutorial in the Movie Maker.

Windows Movie Maker Edit

Cut & Trim & Split video in Windows Movie Maker

After adding videos and photos to the storyboard, you can now keep the useful sections and remove unwanted parts. To trim video, just place the playhead to the target position and right click the clip to select the Trim Set Start Point and move the playhead again to then end point and right click to select Set End Point. You can also go to the Edit tab and click the Split menu to split the video into parts. You can then delete and cut out unwanted sections or move it to the proper position.

Add Audio to Video: Record and add voiceover or Music

Windows Movie Maker also allows you to add narrations and background music to video footage. Just click the Add Music option and you can add music from online music libraries such as AudioMicro, Free Music Archive, and Vimeo or add music from the computer.

Windows Movie Maker Edit Add music

Add auto movie themes to Video

There is a built-in AutoMovie themes library in Movie Maker. You can use some popular themes such as Contemporary, Cinematic, Fade, Pan and Zoom, Black and White and Sepia.

Add texts &titles to Video

You can add titles, captions, and credits to video with windows movie maker, but it seems hard to add subtitles and customize its position. For more details about the text and title editing, check

Learn more details about How to Add Text to Video with Windows Movie Maker

Apply transitions & animations to video

The Movie Maker features lots of transitions under Animations tab. You can choose from wipes, cinematics, shatters, sweeps and curls, patterns and shapes, reveals, diagonals and dissolves.

Note: if you use the default themes, you won’t see all these transitions. Check the detailed steps about How to Add Transitions in Windows Movie Maker

Apply visual effects to video

We’ve introduced some of the best visual effects software before, but in Windows Movie Maker, you can also add effects such as 3D Ripple, Black and White, Blur, pixelate, mirrors, motions and fade effects.

Change video speed of video

The Movie Maker Edit tab allows you to adjust video volume, add fade in and fade out effects to video, or change video speed.

Learn more details about How to Speed Up Video in Windows Movie Maker

3. Save Video

After finish editing, you can upload your video clips to Facebook, YouTube, and other social media, or burn your videos to DVD with Windows DVD maker. You can also save your video clips on your computer.

Windows Movie Maker Save Video

You may also like: Windows Movie Maker VS Windows Live Movie Maker: What’s the Difference

While, if you find the windows movie maker editing features are limited based on your editing skills, you can try Wondershare Filmora. Below is a video tutorial about how to edit videos with Filmora.

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

Microsoft has released Windows Live Movie Maker on August 19, 2009 as part of a refresh to their Windows Live Essentials download. Windows Live Movie Maker is the first application designed for Windows 7 and is built to make beautiful movies from your photos and videos. And the latest version is Windows Live Movie Maker 2011.

Update in 2017: Microsoft has stopped the Windows Essentials Suite support on January 10, 2017. It is claimed that it is no longer available for download. If you are looking for an alternative to windows essentials movie maker, or windows movie maker, try Filmora video editor, which is available on both Windows7, Windows8 and Windows 10.


Part 1: Best Alternative to Windows Movie Maker: Filmora [Windows7/8/10 & Mac]

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Windows Live Movie Maker is a little bit limiting for video editing. In most cases, you need to run Windows 7. Fortunately, you do have other options. There is plenty of software which will do the same thing but better than Windows Live Movie Maker for you to edit your videos and burn videos to DVD. Among many of them, we recommend one Wondershare Filmora. You may wonder what’s so special with this Video Editor. First of all, it supports almost all kinds of video formats, such as AVI, MP4, MPG, MPEG, 3GP, WMV, ASF, RM, RMVB, DAT, MOV, MKV and HD video formats: MTS, M2TS(AVCHD ), TS(MPEG-2), HD MKV(, MPEG-2 HD), HD WMV(VC-1), and HD MOV(, MPEG-4). Secondly, it provides powerful video editing function, such as crop, trim, adjust video effect, add watermark, etc. Also, there are various title and text templates, filter/transition and effects presets for you to choose from. Thirdly, Windows Live Movie Maker can only generate WMV files directly, but this video editor supports burn video to DVD disc, DVD Folder and ISO file or save the video to most of the popular formats.


Part 2: How to Edit Videos in Windows Live Movie Maker [Step by Step]

1.Add Videos and Photos

edit videos in windows live movie maker

While you are adding videos to Windows Live Movie Maker, you may encounter a problem like 3GP files can’t be added to Windows Live Movie Maker. Or it can’t be played in Window Live Movie Maker. And many other video files as well, such as RM, RMVB, DAT and HD video formats: MTS, TS, HD MKV, HD WMV, and HD MOV, etc. It’s quite necessary to get familiar with what all those files that could be imported to Windows Live Movie Maker.

 edit video using windows live movie maker

Notes

  • Video and music files that are protected with digital rights management (DRM) can’t be used in Windows Live Movie Maker.
  • Support for using MPEG-2 and Microsoft Recorded TV Show video files in your movie is available only if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows Vista or Windows 7: Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
  • AVCHD video files that contain Dolby Digital audio can be used in Windows Live Movie Maker if your computer is running one of the following editions of Windows 7: Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Ultimate.
  • MPEG-4 video files that contain audio can be used if you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows 7.
  • Some MPEG-4 video files can be used when you’re using Movie Maker on a computer running Windows Vista if the necessary audio and video codecs are installed.

After adding your photos or videos, you can also add audio or background music to your video clips by clicking the Add music option.

Learn details about How to Add and Edit Music in Windows Movie Maker

2. Video Editing

As we said before, Windows Live Movie Maker (later named Windows Movie Maker) is a simple and easy video editing software for Windows, it can complete some basic video editing and become a good choice for novices. Here, I will share with you about the basic video editing tutorial in the Movie Maker.

Windows Movie Maker Edit

Cut & Trim & Split video in Windows Movie Maker

After adding videos and photos to the storyboard, you can now keep the useful sections and remove unwanted parts. To trim video, just place the playhead to the target position and right click the clip to select the Trim Set Start Point and move the playhead again to then end point and right click to select Set End Point. You can also go to the Edit tab and click the Split menu to split the video into parts. You can then delete and cut out unwanted sections or move it to the proper position.

Add Audio to Video: Record and add voiceover or Music

Windows Movie Maker also allows you to add narrations and background music to video footage. Just click the Add Music option and you can add music from online music libraries such as AudioMicro, Free Music Archive, and Vimeo or add music from the computer.

Windows Movie Maker Edit Add music

Add auto movie themes to Video

There is a built-in AutoMovie themes library in Movie Maker. You can use some popular themes such as Contemporary, Cinematic, Fade, Pan and Zoom, Black and White and Sepia.

Add texts &titles to Video

You can add titles, captions, and credits to video with windows movie maker, but it seems hard to add subtitles and customize its position. For more details about the text and title editing, check

Learn more details about How to Add Text to Video with Windows Movie Maker

Apply transitions & animations to video

The Movie Maker features lots of transitions under Animations tab. You can choose from wipes, cinematics, shatters, sweeps and curls, patterns and shapes, reveals, diagonals and dissolves.

Note: if you use the default themes, you won’t see all these transitions. Check the detailed steps about How to Add Transitions in Windows Movie Maker

Apply visual effects to video

We’ve introduced some of the best visual effects software before, but in Windows Movie Maker, you can also add effects such as 3D Ripple, Black and White, Blur, pixelate, mirrors, motions and fade effects.

Change video speed of video

The Movie Maker Edit tab allows you to adjust video volume, add fade in and fade out effects to video, or change video speed.

Learn more details about How to Speed Up Video in Windows Movie Maker

3. Save Video

After finish editing, you can upload your video clips to Facebook, YouTube, and other social media, or burn your videos to DVD with Windows DVD maker. You can also save your video clips on your computer.

Windows Movie Maker Save Video

You may also like: Windows Movie Maker VS Windows Live Movie Maker: What’s the Difference

While, if you find the windows movie maker editing features are limited based on your editing skills, you can try Wondershare Filmora. Below is a video tutorial about how to edit videos with Filmora.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

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

Follow @Ollie Mattison

10 Best Video Editing Apps for Kids [FREE & PAID]

10+ Best Video Editing Apps for Kids

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Every child is an artist, but parents often don’t support the creativity their children show. A simple thing like a video editing app can inspire your children to make short movies after shooting great footage with cameras .

The videos your children record with their tablets or Smartphones can reveal how talented they are, but if you want them to develop their talents you should ensure that they have a video editing app that enables them to polish videos effortlessly. Read on, if you would like to learn more about some best video editing apps for kids and decide which video editing app is the right choice for your children.

10+ Best Video Editing Apps for Kids – Including the Free Apps

The first thing that comes to mind when editing videos is mentioned is expensive professional video editing software products like Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro. However, most parents don’t know that there are scores of free or inexpensive video editors their children can use to manipulate the footage they recorded, before uploading it to YouTube or sharing it on some other social media network. Let’s take a look at the 10+ best video editing apps for kids.

1. Wondershare Filmora : Best Easy-to-use Video Editor for Kids to make YouTube videos

Price: Freemium, pricing plans start at $49.99/year

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Filmora secure download Secure Download

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

Filmora secure download Secure Download

Click here to get Filmora for PC by email
or Try Filmora App for mobile >>>

download filmora app for ios ](https://app.adjust.com/b0k9hf2%5F4bsu85t ) download filmora app for android ](https://app.adjust.com/b0k9hf2%5F4bsu85t )

Starting a new project in Filmora, cutting video clips or creating soundtracks for your videos requires a minimum amount of previous video editing experience. If your children are posting their videos to YouTube, then Wondershare Filmora video editor is one of the best options on the market, since this video editor for Mac and PC computers enables them to export videos directly to their channels.

Stabilizing shaky videos captured with GoPro cameras or Smartphones takes just a few clicks, which enables your kids to even use the footage they would otherwise be unwatchable. Filmora supports nearly all video file formats, and your children can import their footage into the Filmora video editor regardless of the device they used to record it. In addition, your kids will be able to export videos that are optimized to be played on a variety of video playback devices if they start editing their videos with Filmora.

Pros

  • Simple project setup
  • The music library offers a rich selection of royalty-free music
  • Powerful image stabilization features
  • Equipped with a versatile set of color correction tools

Cons

  • Requires at least basic video editing skills
  • All videos exported from the free version of Filmora are watermarked

3. The Photos App on Windows 10 : Best free video editor for kids on Windows 10

Price: Free

There is no need to spend money on monthly subscriptions or purchasing licenses to use video editing software, if your kids just want to just perform basic video editing tasks before sharing a video online. The Photos App doesn’t offer the tools that are necessary to edit a full feature film, but your children can utilize this Windows 10-native app to perform basic video editing actions.

Removing unwanted parts of a video, adding a text overlay or applying filters and effects are just a few among numerous options this video editor provides. In addition, the Photos App also enables your children to create slow-motion videos or to choose from a huge selection of 3D effects.

Pros

  • Available for free to all PC owners who have Windows 10 installed on their computers
  • Excellent as a learning tool for inexperienced video editors
  • Organizing photos and videos with the Photos App is easy
  • Simplifies the video editing process

Cons

  • Offers little room for development for children who want to continue developing their video editing skills
  • Supports only a limited number of video file formats

4. iMovie : Best free video editor for kids on Mac, iPhone & iPad

Price: Free

Each video your kids record with their iPhones and iPads can be edited with an iOS version of iMovie for free. Moreover, your children can utilize iMovie to edit videos from their Mac computers and upload them directly to their YouTube or Vimeo channels.

Besides the set of basic video editing tools, iMovie also features a rich selection of preset themes that simplify the video editing process, and enable your kids to create a new video in just a few clicks. Adjusting a video’s aspect ratio is yet another option iMovie provides that will enable your children to adjust their video editing projects to the demands of the social media platform to which they want to upload them.

Pros

  • An elegantly designed interface that is easy to get used to
  • Provides 4K video editing capabilities
  • A rich selection of audio and video effects
  • Fully customizable trailer presets

Cons

  • Exporting 4K videos requires you to have at least 4GB of RAM
  • A limited number of supported output video file formats

5. PowToon : Best Animation Software for Creating Presentation videos for kids

Price: Free, subscription plans start at $19, 00 per month

This web-based video editing platform is primarily aimed at businesses that want to edit their videos online and share them on popular social media platforms. Even so, using PowToon is so easy that even kids that have no video editing experience whatsoever can use this platform to make videos.

Furthermore, the platform’s selection of templates includes the EDU category that contains templates designed specifically for students, faculty members and teachers or and administrative staff. The maximum length of a video your children can export from PowToon depends on the subscription model. So, if your kids need to create videos that last for more than 3 minutes for their school assignments, you must choose a pricing plan that caters to their video editing needs.

Pros

  • Features hundreds of video templates
  • Powerful social media integration options
  • The music library contains royalty-free music
  • Great for high-school and university students

Cons

  • Offers a very limited scope of video and audio editing tools
  • The maximum duration of a video cannot exceed 30 minutes regardless of the subscription model you have

6. Stop Motion Studio

Price: $1, 99 for Windows , free for iOS and Android , $9,99 for macOS

Stop motion animations are famous for their unique visual style, however, creating a stop motion animation is a difficult task even for an experienced professional. The Stop Motion Studio makes creating this type of animation somewhat easier by enabling you to preview the images you’re taking with your Sony, Canon or Nikon DSLR cameras directly from the software.

Even a brief look at the list of this cross-platform app will leave you wondering if there is anything you cannot do. However, Stop Motion Studio is not aimed at children or users that don’t have a considerable amount of experience with this animation technique. Aspiring animation professionals can utilize the Stop Motion Studio to create animations for children.

Pros

  • Compatible with a broad range of devices
  • Provides powerful stop-animation tools
  • Grants users full control over camera settings
  • Exports videos in 4K

Cons

  • Stop motion tools these app offers are too advanced for children
  • The output files can be too large to share on social media

7. The Lego - Movie 2 - Movie Maker App

Price: Free foriOS and Android devices

All children like playing with Lego toys, but if your kids are fans of the Lego Movie and its sequel, then this movie maker app can be a great choice for your kids. The app is designed for children younger than 8 years old, and it enables them to build their own movie scenes, record them and then edit them before showing them to their friends or families.

Kids cannot install this app on their Smartphones without permission from their parents. So, if you want your child to create their own virtual Lego world you will have to provide the information that includes the country you live in, your date of birth and your email address.

Pros

  • Free and easy to use
  • Nurtures a child’s creativity
  • Easily recreates scenes from the Lego Movie 2
  • No in-app purchases

Cons

  • Limited audio editing options
  • Offers only a basic set of video editing tools

8. Filmora : Solution for making videos on iPhone and Android

Price: Free but offers in-app purchases on both iOS and Android devices

Anyone can create a video with Filmora, even if they never created a video before. The app lets you import pictures or videos from your phone or social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Each theme Filmora offers is fully customizable which enables kids to apply filters or add transitions between two shots.

In addition, this video editing app allows all of its users to slow down or speed up their footage, animate text or add pre-animated elements to the footage they are editing. Filmora’s file-sharing capabilities are impressive as the video editing app enables children to share all of their creations on WhatsApp, YouTube or Facebook.

Pros

  • Offers a broad spectrum of templates
  • The short and simple video editing process
  • Decent video editing tools
  • Excellent video sharing capabilities

Cons

  • Offers in-app purchases
  • Equipped with only basic color correction tools

10. Kapwing Online

Price: Free

This is a content creation platform that is can be used for free by anyone who has access to an Internet connection. Making memes, GIFs or editing photos and videos with Kapwing Studio is a straightforward process, which makes this online app a perfect choice for kids who want to create new videos quickly.

The maximum size of the video file you can upload to Kapwing is limited to 500 MB, which can make editing videos captured in high-resolution complicated. However, adding audio, text overlays or subtitles to the videos you’re editing with Kapwing still enables kids to make captivating videos they can share on their social media accounts.

Pros

  • Free and available to all Internet users
  • Quick upload times
  • Provides audio editing options
  • Equipped with photo editing tools

Cons

  • The maximum size of videos you can edit with Kawing is limited
  • Offers only basic video editing options

11. OpenShot : Free & Easy Open Source Video Editor for Kids on Chromebook

Price: Free

OpenShot is a free open-source cross-platform video editor that is equipped with advanced video editing features. Besides enabling its users to trim or cut their footage, OpenShot also provides all the tools your children are going to need to create 3D animations, opening titles and end credits or slow-motion videos.

The video editor’s intuitive interface makes it suitable for children who are just learning the basics of the video editing craft and if you are searching for an app your kid can use to create their first videos, OpenShot can be an inexpensive and yet powerful solution. Furthermore, this cross-platform contains a huge library of visual effects that can make any video look cooler.

Pros

  • Free and compatible with Linux, Windows or macOS
  • Excellent animation features
  • Powerful Title Editor
  • Offers an unlimited number of audio and video tracks

Cons

  • The video editing tools OpenShot provides exceed the demands of most children
  • A limited selection of video output file formats

12. VideoScribe : Best 2D whiteboard Animation Software for Kids

Price: Free, pricing plans start at $28,00

This web-based platform enables anyone to create whiteboard animations that can be used in both professional and academic contexts. In fact, anyone can create a compelling white animation with VideoScribe in just three simple steps.

After selecting the images from the platform’s library or uploading your own material and adding text, voiceovers, and music, VideoScribe will generate a whiteboard animation for you. This online platform offers an easy way to introduce your children to the world of animation and enables them to create animations from the images they create. Each whiteboard animation your child makes with VideoScribe can be shared to YouTube or Vimeo, but you should keep in mind that all animations created with the free version of this app are going to be watermarked.

Pros

  • The image library contains more than 6000 royalty-free images
  • VideoScribe lets its users record voiceovers
  • Equipped with a broad range of hand, pens and other pre-animated elements
  • Excellent file-sharing capabilities

Cons

  • VideoScribe doesn’t offer any video editing tools
  • Removing watermark requires you to update to the pro version of the app

Conclusion

Encouraging your children to express their creativity can be beneficial for a variety of reasons. A video editing software like Filmora is one of your best choices if your child wants to create YouTube videos, while iOS and Android-based apps like Filmora or The Lego Movie 2 Movie Maker are well-suited for all children who would like to create videos from their Smartphones. Which of the best video editing apps for kids are you going to get for your child? Leave a comment and let us know.

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

Every child is an artist, but parents often don’t support the creativity their children show. A simple thing like a video editing app can inspire your children to make short movies after shooting great footage with cameras .

The videos your children record with their tablets or Smartphones can reveal how talented they are, but if you want them to develop their talents you should ensure that they have a video editing app that enables them to polish videos effortlessly. Read on, if you would like to learn more about some best video editing apps for kids and decide which video editing app is the right choice for your children.

10+ Best Video Editing Apps for Kids – Including the Free Apps

The first thing that comes to mind when editing videos is mentioned is expensive professional video editing software products like Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro. However, most parents don’t know that there are scores of free or inexpensive video editors their children can use to manipulate the footage they recorded, before uploading it to YouTube or sharing it on some other social media network. Let’s take a look at the 10+ best video editing apps for kids.

1. Wondershare Filmora : Best Easy-to-use Video Editor for Kids to make YouTube videos

Price: Freemium, pricing plans start at $49.99/year

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Filmora secure download Secure Download

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

Filmora secure download Secure Download

Click here to get Filmora for PC by email
or Try Filmora App for mobile >>>

download filmora app for ios ](https://app.adjust.com/b0k9hf2%5F4bsu85t ) download filmora app for android ](https://app.adjust.com/b0k9hf2%5F4bsu85t )

Starting a new project in Filmora, cutting video clips or creating soundtracks for your videos requires a minimum amount of previous video editing experience. If your children are posting their videos to YouTube, then Wondershare Filmora video editor is one of the best options on the market, since this video editor for Mac and PC computers enables them to export videos directly to their channels.

Stabilizing shaky videos captured with GoPro cameras or Smartphones takes just a few clicks, which enables your kids to even use the footage they would otherwise be unwatchable. Filmora supports nearly all video file formats, and your children can import their footage into the Filmora video editor regardless of the device they used to record it. In addition, your kids will be able to export videos that are optimized to be played on a variety of video playback devices if they start editing their videos with Filmora.

Pros

  • Simple project setup
  • The music library offers a rich selection of royalty-free music
  • Powerful image stabilization features
  • Equipped with a versatile set of color correction tools

Cons

  • Requires at least basic video editing skills
  • All videos exported from the free version of Filmora are watermarked

3. The Photos App on Windows 10 : Best free video editor for kids on Windows 10

Price: Free

There is no need to spend money on monthly subscriptions or purchasing licenses to use video editing software, if your kids just want to just perform basic video editing tasks before sharing a video online. The Photos App doesn’t offer the tools that are necessary to edit a full feature film, but your children can utilize this Windows 10-native app to perform basic video editing actions.

Removing unwanted parts of a video, adding a text overlay or applying filters and effects are just a few among numerous options this video editor provides. In addition, the Photos App also enables your children to create slow-motion videos or to choose from a huge selection of 3D effects.

Pros

  • Available for free to all PC owners who have Windows 10 installed on their computers
  • Excellent as a learning tool for inexperienced video editors
  • Organizing photos and videos with the Photos App is easy
  • Simplifies the video editing process

Cons

  • Offers little room for development for children who want to continue developing their video editing skills
  • Supports only a limited number of video file formats

4. iMovie : Best free video editor for kids on Mac, iPhone & iPad

Price: Free

Each video your kids record with their iPhones and iPads can be edited with an iOS version of iMovie for free. Moreover, your children can utilize iMovie to edit videos from their Mac computers and upload them directly to their YouTube or Vimeo channels.

Besides the set of basic video editing tools, iMovie also features a rich selection of preset themes that simplify the video editing process, and enable your kids to create a new video in just a few clicks. Adjusting a video’s aspect ratio is yet another option iMovie provides that will enable your children to adjust their video editing projects to the demands of the social media platform to which they want to upload them.

Pros

  • An elegantly designed interface that is easy to get used to
  • Provides 4K video editing capabilities
  • A rich selection of audio and video effects
  • Fully customizable trailer presets

Cons

  • Exporting 4K videos requires you to have at least 4GB of RAM
  • A limited number of supported output video file formats

5. PowToon : Best Animation Software for Creating Presentation videos for kids

Price: Free, subscription plans start at $19, 00 per month

This web-based video editing platform is primarily aimed at businesses that want to edit their videos online and share them on popular social media platforms. Even so, using PowToon is so easy that even kids that have no video editing experience whatsoever can use this platform to make videos.

Furthermore, the platform’s selection of templates includes the EDU category that contains templates designed specifically for students, faculty members and teachers or and administrative staff. The maximum length of a video your children can export from PowToon depends on the subscription model. So, if your kids need to create videos that last for more than 3 minutes for their school assignments, you must choose a pricing plan that caters to their video editing needs.

Pros

  • Features hundreds of video templates
  • Powerful social media integration options
  • The music library contains royalty-free music
  • Great for high-school and university students

Cons

  • Offers a very limited scope of video and audio editing tools
  • The maximum duration of a video cannot exceed 30 minutes regardless of the subscription model you have

6. Stop Motion Studio

Price: $1, 99 for Windows , free for iOS and Android , $9,99 for macOS

Stop motion animations are famous for their unique visual style, however, creating a stop motion animation is a difficult task even for an experienced professional. The Stop Motion Studio makes creating this type of animation somewhat easier by enabling you to preview the images you’re taking with your Sony, Canon or Nikon DSLR cameras directly from the software.

Even a brief look at the list of this cross-platform app will leave you wondering if there is anything you cannot do. However, Stop Motion Studio is not aimed at children or users that don’t have a considerable amount of experience with this animation technique. Aspiring animation professionals can utilize the Stop Motion Studio to create animations for children.

Pros

  • Compatible with a broad range of devices
  • Provides powerful stop-animation tools
  • Grants users full control over camera settings
  • Exports videos in 4K

Cons

  • Stop motion tools these app offers are too advanced for children
  • The output files can be too large to share on social media

7. The Lego - Movie 2 - Movie Maker App

Price: Free foriOS and Android devices

All children like playing with Lego toys, but if your kids are fans of the Lego Movie and its sequel, then this movie maker app can be a great choice for your kids. The app is designed for children younger than 8 years old, and it enables them to build their own movie scenes, record them and then edit them before showing them to their friends or families.

Kids cannot install this app on their Smartphones without permission from their parents. So, if you want your child to create their own virtual Lego world you will have to provide the information that includes the country you live in, your date of birth and your email address.

Pros

  • Free and easy to use
  • Nurtures a child’s creativity
  • Easily recreates scenes from the Lego Movie 2
  • No in-app purchases

Cons

  • Limited audio editing options
  • Offers only a basic set of video editing tools

8. Filmora : Solution for making videos on iPhone and Android

Price: Free but offers in-app purchases on both iOS and Android devices

Anyone can create a video with Filmora, even if they never created a video before. The app lets you import pictures or videos from your phone or social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Each theme Filmora offers is fully customizable which enables kids to apply filters or add transitions between two shots.

In addition, this video editing app allows all of its users to slow down or speed up their footage, animate text or add pre-animated elements to the footage they are editing. Filmora’s file-sharing capabilities are impressive as the video editing app enables children to share all of their creations on WhatsApp, YouTube or Facebook.

Pros

  • Offers a broad spectrum of templates
  • The short and simple video editing process
  • Decent video editing tools
  • Excellent video sharing capabilities

Cons

  • Offers in-app purchases
  • Equipped with only basic color correction tools

10. Kapwing Online

Price: Free

This is a content creation platform that is can be used for free by anyone who has access to an Internet connection. Making memes, GIFs or editing photos and videos with Kapwing Studio is a straightforward process, which makes this online app a perfect choice for kids who want to create new videos quickly.

The maximum size of the video file you can upload to Kapwing is limited to 500 MB, which can make editing videos captured in high-resolution complicated. However, adding audio, text overlays or subtitles to the videos you’re editing with Kapwing still enables kids to make captivating videos they can share on their social media accounts.

Pros

  • Free and available to all Internet users
  • Quick upload times
  • Provides audio editing options
  • Equipped with photo editing tools

Cons

  • The maximum size of videos you can edit with Kawing is limited
  • Offers only basic video editing options

11. OpenShot : Free & Easy Open Source Video Editor for Kids on Chromebook

Price: Free

OpenShot is a free open-source cross-platform video editor that is equipped with advanced video editing features. Besides enabling its users to trim or cut their footage, OpenShot also provides all the tools your children are going to need to create 3D animations, opening titles and end credits or slow-motion videos.

The video editor’s intuitive interface makes it suitable for children who are just learning the basics of the video editing craft and if you are searching for an app your kid can use to create their first videos, OpenShot can be an inexpensive and yet powerful solution. Furthermore, this cross-platform contains a huge library of visual effects that can make any video look cooler.

Pros

  • Free and compatible with Linux, Windows or macOS
  • Excellent animation features
  • Powerful Title Editor
  • Offers an unlimited number of audio and video tracks

Cons

  • The video editing tools OpenShot provides exceed the demands of most children
  • A limited selection of video output file formats

12. VideoScribe : Best 2D whiteboard Animation Software for Kids

Price: Free, pricing plans start at $28,00

This web-based platform enables anyone to create whiteboard animations that can be used in both professional and academic contexts. In fact, anyone can create a compelling white animation with VideoScribe in just three simple steps.

After selecting the images from the platform’s library or uploading your own material and adding text, voiceovers, and music, VideoScribe will generate a whiteboard animation for you. This online platform offers an easy way to introduce your children to the world of animation and enables them to create animations from the images they create. Each whiteboard animation your child makes with VideoScribe can be shared to YouTube or Vimeo, but you should keep in mind that all animations created with the free version of this app are going to be watermarked.

Pros

  • The image library contains more than 6000 royalty-free images
  • VideoScribe lets its users record voiceovers
  • Equipped with a broad range of hand, pens and other pre-animated elements
  • Excellent file-sharing capabilities

Cons

  • VideoScribe doesn’t offer any video editing tools
  • Removing watermark requires you to update to the pro version of the app

Conclusion

Encouraging your children to express their creativity can be beneficial for a variety of reasons. A video editing software like Filmora is one of your best choices if your child wants to create YouTube videos, while iOS and Android-based apps like Filmora or The Lego Movie 2 Movie Maker are well-suited for all children who would like to create videos from their Smartphones. Which of the best video editing apps for kids are you going to get for your child? Leave a comment and let us know.

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

Every child is an artist, but parents often don’t support the creativity their children show. A simple thing like a video editing app can inspire your children to make short movies after shooting great footage with cameras .

The videos your children record with their tablets or Smartphones can reveal how talented they are, but if you want them to develop their talents you should ensure that they have a video editing app that enables them to polish videos effortlessly. Read on, if you would like to learn more about some best video editing apps for kids and decide which video editing app is the right choice for your children.

10+ Best Video Editing Apps for Kids – Including the Free Apps

The first thing that comes to mind when editing videos is mentioned is expensive professional video editing software products like Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro. However, most parents don’t know that there are scores of free or inexpensive video editors their children can use to manipulate the footage they recorded, before uploading it to YouTube or sharing it on some other social media network. Let’s take a look at the 10+ best video editing apps for kids.

1. Wondershare Filmora : Best Easy-to-use Video Editor for Kids to make YouTube videos

Price: Freemium, pricing plans start at $49.99/year

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Filmora secure download Secure Download

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

Filmora secure download Secure Download

Click here to get Filmora for PC by email
or Try Filmora App for mobile >>>

download filmora app for ios ](https://app.adjust.com/b0k9hf2%5F4bsu85t ) download filmora app for android ](https://app.adjust.com/b0k9hf2%5F4bsu85t )

Starting a new project in Filmora, cutting video clips or creating soundtracks for your videos requires a minimum amount of previous video editing experience. If your children are posting their videos to YouTube, then Wondershare Filmora video editor is one of the best options on the market, since this video editor for Mac and PC computers enables them to export videos directly to their channels.

Stabilizing shaky videos captured with GoPro cameras or Smartphones takes just a few clicks, which enables your kids to even use the footage they would otherwise be unwatchable. Filmora supports nearly all video file formats, and your children can import their footage into the Filmora video editor regardless of the device they used to record it. In addition, your kids will be able to export videos that are optimized to be played on a variety of video playback devices if they start editing their videos with Filmora.

Pros

  • Simple project setup
  • The music library offers a rich selection of royalty-free music
  • Powerful image stabilization features
  • Equipped with a versatile set of color correction tools

Cons

  • Requires at least basic video editing skills
  • All videos exported from the free version of Filmora are watermarked

3. The Photos App on Windows 10 : Best free video editor for kids on Windows 10

Price: Free

There is no need to spend money on monthly subscriptions or purchasing licenses to use video editing software, if your kids just want to just perform basic video editing tasks before sharing a video online. The Photos App doesn’t offer the tools that are necessary to edit a full feature film, but your children can utilize this Windows 10-native app to perform basic video editing actions.

Removing unwanted parts of a video, adding a text overlay or applying filters and effects are just a few among numerous options this video editor provides. In addition, the Photos App also enables your children to create slow-motion videos or to choose from a huge selection of 3D effects.

Pros

  • Available for free to all PC owners who have Windows 10 installed on their computers
  • Excellent as a learning tool for inexperienced video editors
  • Organizing photos and videos with the Photos App is easy
  • Simplifies the video editing process

Cons

  • Offers little room for development for children who want to continue developing their video editing skills
  • Supports only a limited number of video file formats

4. iMovie : Best free video editor for kids on Mac, iPhone & iPad

Price: Free

Each video your kids record with their iPhones and iPads can be edited with an iOS version of iMovie for free. Moreover, your children can utilize iMovie to edit videos from their Mac computers and upload them directly to their YouTube or Vimeo channels.

Besides the set of basic video editing tools, iMovie also features a rich selection of preset themes that simplify the video editing process, and enable your kids to create a new video in just a few clicks. Adjusting a video’s aspect ratio is yet another option iMovie provides that will enable your children to adjust their video editing projects to the demands of the social media platform to which they want to upload them.

Pros

  • An elegantly designed interface that is easy to get used to
  • Provides 4K video editing capabilities
  • A rich selection of audio and video effects
  • Fully customizable trailer presets

Cons

  • Exporting 4K videos requires you to have at least 4GB of RAM
  • A limited number of supported output video file formats

5. PowToon : Best Animation Software for Creating Presentation videos for kids

Price: Free, subscription plans start at $19, 00 per month

This web-based video editing platform is primarily aimed at businesses that want to edit their videos online and share them on popular social media platforms. Even so, using PowToon is so easy that even kids that have no video editing experience whatsoever can use this platform to make videos.

Furthermore, the platform’s selection of templates includes the EDU category that contains templates designed specifically for students, faculty members and teachers or and administrative staff. The maximum length of a video your children can export from PowToon depends on the subscription model. So, if your kids need to create videos that last for more than 3 minutes for their school assignments, you must choose a pricing plan that caters to their video editing needs.

Pros

  • Features hundreds of video templates
  • Powerful social media integration options
  • The music library contains royalty-free music
  • Great for high-school and university students

Cons

  • Offers a very limited scope of video and audio editing tools
  • The maximum duration of a video cannot exceed 30 minutes regardless of the subscription model you have

6. Stop Motion Studio

Price: $1, 99 for Windows , free for iOS and Android , $9,99 for macOS

Stop motion animations are famous for their unique visual style, however, creating a stop motion animation is a difficult task even for an experienced professional. The Stop Motion Studio makes creating this type of animation somewhat easier by enabling you to preview the images you’re taking with your Sony, Canon or Nikon DSLR cameras directly from the software.

Even a brief look at the list of this cross-platform app will leave you wondering if there is anything you cannot do. However, Stop Motion Studio is not aimed at children or users that don’t have a considerable amount of experience with this animation technique. Aspiring animation professionals can utilize the Stop Motion Studio to create animations for children.

Pros

  • Compatible with a broad range of devices
  • Provides powerful stop-animation tools
  • Grants users full control over camera settings
  • Exports videos in 4K

Cons

  • Stop motion tools these app offers are too advanced for children
  • The output files can be too large to share on social media

7. The Lego - Movie 2 - Movie Maker App

Price: Free foriOS and Android devices

All children like playing with Lego toys, but if your kids are fans of the Lego Movie and its sequel, then this movie maker app can be a great choice for your kids. The app is designed for children younger than 8 years old, and it enables them to build their own movie scenes, record them and then edit them before showing them to their friends or families.

Kids cannot install this app on their Smartphones without permission from their parents. So, if you want your child to create their own virtual Lego world you will have to provide the information that includes the country you live in, your date of birth and your email address.

Pros

  • Free and easy to use
  • Nurtures a child’s creativity
  • Easily recreates scenes from the Lego Movie 2
  • No in-app purchases

Cons

  • Limited audio editing options
  • Offers only a basic set of video editing tools

8. Filmora : Solution for making videos on iPhone and Android

Price: Free but offers in-app purchases on both iOS and Android devices

Anyone can create a video with Filmora, even if they never created a video before. The app lets you import pictures or videos from your phone or social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Each theme Filmora offers is fully customizable which enables kids to apply filters or add transitions between two shots.

In addition, this video editing app allows all of its users to slow down or speed up their footage, animate text or add pre-animated elements to the footage they are editing. Filmora’s file-sharing capabilities are impressive as the video editing app enables children to share all of their creations on WhatsApp, YouTube or Facebook.

Pros

  • Offers a broad spectrum of templates
  • The short and simple video editing process
  • Decent video editing tools
  • Excellent video sharing capabilities

Cons

  • Offers in-app purchases
  • Equipped with only basic color correction tools

10. Kapwing Online

Price: Free

This is a content creation platform that is can be used for free by anyone who has access to an Internet connection. Making memes, GIFs or editing photos and videos with Kapwing Studio is a straightforward process, which makes this online app a perfect choice for kids who want to create new videos quickly.

The maximum size of the video file you can upload to Kapwing is limited to 500 MB, which can make editing videos captured in high-resolution complicated. However, adding audio, text overlays or subtitles to the videos you’re editing with Kapwing still enables kids to make captivating videos they can share on their social media accounts.

Pros

  • Free and available to all Internet users
  • Quick upload times
  • Provides audio editing options
  • Equipped with photo editing tools

Cons

  • The maximum size of videos you can edit with Kawing is limited
  • Offers only basic video editing options

11. OpenShot : Free & Easy Open Source Video Editor for Kids on Chromebook

Price: Free

OpenShot is a free open-source cross-platform video editor that is equipped with advanced video editing features. Besides enabling its users to trim or cut their footage, OpenShot also provides all the tools your children are going to need to create 3D animations, opening titles and end credits or slow-motion videos.

The video editor’s intuitive interface makes it suitable for children who are just learning the basics of the video editing craft and if you are searching for an app your kid can use to create their first videos, OpenShot can be an inexpensive and yet powerful solution. Furthermore, this cross-platform contains a huge library of visual effects that can make any video look cooler.

Pros

  • Free and compatible with Linux, Windows or macOS
  • Excellent animation features
  • Powerful Title Editor
  • Offers an unlimited number of audio and video tracks

Cons

  • The video editing tools OpenShot provides exceed the demands of most children
  • A limited selection of video output file formats

12. VideoScribe : Best 2D whiteboard Animation Software for Kids

Price: Free, pricing plans start at $28,00

This web-based platform enables anyone to create whiteboard animations that can be used in both professional and academic contexts. In fact, anyone can create a compelling white animation with VideoScribe in just three simple steps.

After selecting the images from the platform’s library or uploading your own material and adding text, voiceovers, and music, VideoScribe will generate a whiteboard animation for you. This online platform offers an easy way to introduce your children to the world of animation and enables them to create animations from the images they create. Each whiteboard animation your child makes with VideoScribe can be shared to YouTube or Vimeo, but you should keep in mind that all animations created with the free version of this app are going to be watermarked.

Pros

  • The image library contains more than 6000 royalty-free images
  • VideoScribe lets its users record voiceovers
  • Equipped with a broad range of hand, pens and other pre-animated elements
  • Excellent file-sharing capabilities

Cons

  • VideoScribe doesn’t offer any video editing tools
  • Removing watermark requires you to update to the pro version of the app

Conclusion

Encouraging your children to express their creativity can be beneficial for a variety of reasons. A video editing software like Filmora is one of your best choices if your child wants to create YouTube videos, while iOS and Android-based apps like Filmora or The Lego Movie 2 Movie Maker are well-suited for all children who would like to create videos from their Smartphones. Which of the best video editing apps for kids are you going to get for your child? Leave a comment and let us know.

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

Every child is an artist, but parents often don’t support the creativity their children show. A simple thing like a video editing app can inspire your children to make short movies after shooting great footage with cameras .

The videos your children record with their tablets or Smartphones can reveal how talented they are, but if you want them to develop their talents you should ensure that they have a video editing app that enables them to polish videos effortlessly. Read on, if you would like to learn more about some best video editing apps for kids and decide which video editing app is the right choice for your children.

10+ Best Video Editing Apps for Kids – Including the Free Apps

The first thing that comes to mind when editing videos is mentioned is expensive professional video editing software products like Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro. However, most parents don’t know that there are scores of free or inexpensive video editors their children can use to manipulate the footage they recorded, before uploading it to YouTube or sharing it on some other social media network. Let’s take a look at the 10+ best video editing apps for kids.

1. Wondershare Filmora : Best Easy-to-use Video Editor for Kids to make YouTube videos

Price: Freemium, pricing plans start at $49.99/year

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Filmora secure download Secure Download

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

Filmora secure download Secure Download

Click here to get Filmora for PC by email
or Try Filmora App for mobile >>>

download filmora app for ios ](https://app.adjust.com/b0k9hf2%5F4bsu85t ) download filmora app for android ](https://app.adjust.com/b0k9hf2%5F4bsu85t )

Starting a new project in Filmora, cutting video clips or creating soundtracks for your videos requires a minimum amount of previous video editing experience. If your children are posting their videos to YouTube, then Wondershare Filmora video editor is one of the best options on the market, since this video editor for Mac and PC computers enables them to export videos directly to their channels.

Stabilizing shaky videos captured with GoPro cameras or Smartphones takes just a few clicks, which enables your kids to even use the footage they would otherwise be unwatchable. Filmora supports nearly all video file formats, and your children can import their footage into the Filmora video editor regardless of the device they used to record it. In addition, your kids will be able to export videos that are optimized to be played on a variety of video playback devices if they start editing their videos with Filmora.

Pros

  • Simple project setup
  • The music library offers a rich selection of royalty-free music
  • Powerful image stabilization features
  • Equipped with a versatile set of color correction tools

Cons

  • Requires at least basic video editing skills
  • All videos exported from the free version of Filmora are watermarked

3. The Photos App on Windows 10 : Best free video editor for kids on Windows 10

Price: Free

There is no need to spend money on monthly subscriptions or purchasing licenses to use video editing software, if your kids just want to just perform basic video editing tasks before sharing a video online. The Photos App doesn’t offer the tools that are necessary to edit a full feature film, but your children can utilize this Windows 10-native app to perform basic video editing actions.

Removing unwanted parts of a video, adding a text overlay or applying filters and effects are just a few among numerous options this video editor provides. In addition, the Photos App also enables your children to create slow-motion videos or to choose from a huge selection of 3D effects.

Pros

  • Available for free to all PC owners who have Windows 10 installed on their computers
  • Excellent as a learning tool for inexperienced video editors
  • Organizing photos and videos with the Photos App is easy
  • Simplifies the video editing process

Cons

  • Offers little room for development for children who want to continue developing their video editing skills
  • Supports only a limited number of video file formats

4. iMovie : Best free video editor for kids on Mac, iPhone & iPad

Price: Free

Each video your kids record with their iPhones and iPads can be edited with an iOS version of iMovie for free. Moreover, your children can utilize iMovie to edit videos from their Mac computers and upload them directly to their YouTube or Vimeo channels.

Besides the set of basic video editing tools, iMovie also features a rich selection of preset themes that simplify the video editing process, and enable your kids to create a new video in just a few clicks. Adjusting a video’s aspect ratio is yet another option iMovie provides that will enable your children to adjust their video editing projects to the demands of the social media platform to which they want to upload them.

Pros

  • An elegantly designed interface that is easy to get used to
  • Provides 4K video editing capabilities
  • A rich selection of audio and video effects
  • Fully customizable trailer presets

Cons

  • Exporting 4K videos requires you to have at least 4GB of RAM
  • A limited number of supported output video file formats

5. PowToon : Best Animation Software for Creating Presentation videos for kids

Price: Free, subscription plans start at $19, 00 per month

This web-based video editing platform is primarily aimed at businesses that want to edit their videos online and share them on popular social media platforms. Even so, using PowToon is so easy that even kids that have no video editing experience whatsoever can use this platform to make videos.

Furthermore, the platform’s selection of templates includes the EDU category that contains templates designed specifically for students, faculty members and teachers or and administrative staff. The maximum length of a video your children can export from PowToon depends on the subscription model. So, if your kids need to create videos that last for more than 3 minutes for their school assignments, you must choose a pricing plan that caters to their video editing needs.

Pros

  • Features hundreds of video templates
  • Powerful social media integration options
  • The music library contains royalty-free music
  • Great for high-school and university students

Cons

  • Offers a very limited scope of video and audio editing tools
  • The maximum duration of a video cannot exceed 30 minutes regardless of the subscription model you have

6. Stop Motion Studio

Price: $1, 99 for Windows , free for iOS and Android , $9,99 for macOS

Stop motion animations are famous for their unique visual style, however, creating a stop motion animation is a difficult task even for an experienced professional. The Stop Motion Studio makes creating this type of animation somewhat easier by enabling you to preview the images you’re taking with your Sony, Canon or Nikon DSLR cameras directly from the software.

Even a brief look at the list of this cross-platform app will leave you wondering if there is anything you cannot do. However, Stop Motion Studio is not aimed at children or users that don’t have a considerable amount of experience with this animation technique. Aspiring animation professionals can utilize the Stop Motion Studio to create animations for children.

Pros

  • Compatible with a broad range of devices
  • Provides powerful stop-animation tools
  • Grants users full control over camera settings
  • Exports videos in 4K

Cons

  • Stop motion tools these app offers are too advanced for children
  • The output files can be too large to share on social media

7. The Lego - Movie 2 - Movie Maker App

Price: Free foriOS and Android devices

All children like playing with Lego toys, but if your kids are fans of the Lego Movie and its sequel, then this movie maker app can be a great choice for your kids. The app is designed for children younger than 8 years old, and it enables them to build their own movie scenes, record them and then edit them before showing them to their friends or families.

Kids cannot install this app on their Smartphones without permission from their parents. So, if you want your child to create their own virtual Lego world you will have to provide the information that includes the country you live in, your date of birth and your email address.

Pros

  • Free and easy to use
  • Nurtures a child’s creativity
  • Easily recreates scenes from the Lego Movie 2
  • No in-app purchases

Cons

  • Limited audio editing options
  • Offers only a basic set of video editing tools

8. Filmora : Solution for making videos on iPhone and Android

Price: Free but offers in-app purchases on both iOS and Android devices

Anyone can create a video with Filmora, even if they never created a video before. The app lets you import pictures or videos from your phone or social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Each theme Filmora offers is fully customizable which enables kids to apply filters or add transitions between two shots.

In addition, this video editing app allows all of its users to slow down or speed up their footage, animate text or add pre-animated elements to the footage they are editing. Filmora’s file-sharing capabilities are impressive as the video editing app enables children to share all of their creations on WhatsApp, YouTube or Facebook.

Pros

  • Offers a broad spectrum of templates
  • The short and simple video editing process
  • Decent video editing tools
  • Excellent video sharing capabilities

Cons

  • Offers in-app purchases
  • Equipped with only basic color correction tools

10. Kapwing Online

Price: Free

This is a content creation platform that is can be used for free by anyone who has access to an Internet connection. Making memes, GIFs or editing photos and videos with Kapwing Studio is a straightforward process, which makes this online app a perfect choice for kids who want to create new videos quickly.

The maximum size of the video file you can upload to Kapwing is limited to 500 MB, which can make editing videos captured in high-resolution complicated. However, adding audio, text overlays or subtitles to the videos you’re editing with Kapwing still enables kids to make captivating videos they can share on their social media accounts.

Pros

  • Free and available to all Internet users
  • Quick upload times
  • Provides audio editing options
  • Equipped with photo editing tools

Cons

  • The maximum size of videos you can edit with Kawing is limited
  • Offers only basic video editing options

11. OpenShot : Free & Easy Open Source Video Editor for Kids on Chromebook

Price: Free

OpenShot is a free open-source cross-platform video editor that is equipped with advanced video editing features. Besides enabling its users to trim or cut their footage, OpenShot also provides all the tools your children are going to need to create 3D animations, opening titles and end credits or slow-motion videos.

The video editor’s intuitive interface makes it suitable for children who are just learning the basics of the video editing craft and if you are searching for an app your kid can use to create their first videos, OpenShot can be an inexpensive and yet powerful solution. Furthermore, this cross-platform contains a huge library of visual effects that can make any video look cooler.

Pros

  • Free and compatible with Linux, Windows or macOS
  • Excellent animation features
  • Powerful Title Editor
  • Offers an unlimited number of audio and video tracks

Cons

  • The video editing tools OpenShot provides exceed the demands of most children
  • A limited selection of video output file formats

12. VideoScribe : Best 2D whiteboard Animation Software for Kids

Price: Free, pricing plans start at $28,00

This web-based platform enables anyone to create whiteboard animations that can be used in both professional and academic contexts. In fact, anyone can create a compelling white animation with VideoScribe in just three simple steps.

After selecting the images from the platform’s library or uploading your own material and adding text, voiceovers, and music, VideoScribe will generate a whiteboard animation for you. This online platform offers an easy way to introduce your children to the world of animation and enables them to create animations from the images they create. Each whiteboard animation your child makes with VideoScribe can be shared to YouTube or Vimeo, but you should keep in mind that all animations created with the free version of this app are going to be watermarked.

Pros

  • The image library contains more than 6000 royalty-free images
  • VideoScribe lets its users record voiceovers
  • Equipped with a broad range of hand, pens and other pre-animated elements
  • Excellent file-sharing capabilities

Cons

  • VideoScribe doesn’t offer any video editing tools
  • Removing watermark requires you to update to the pro version of the app

Conclusion

Encouraging your children to express their creativity can be beneficial for a variety of reasons. A video editing software like Filmora is one of your best choices if your child wants to create YouTube videos, while iOS and Android-based apps like Filmora or The Lego Movie 2 Movie Maker are well-suited for all children who would like to create videos from their Smartphones. Which of the best video editing apps for kids are you going to get for your child? Leave a comment and let us know.

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

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

Follow @Ollie Mattison

The Ultimate Guide to Text Tracking Software

Best Text Motion Tracking Software

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Have you ever been mesmerized by a video with text or emoji’s moving together with objects? That effect is produced using motion tracking and isn’t very complicated. Today, we will introduce some text motion tracking software (free & paid) tools that allow you to pin text to video with minimum effort. There will also be detailed tutorials on how to utilize each tool. Let’s get started.

Best Text Motion Tracking Software [+Howtos]

Note: The list below is in no particular order.

1. Filmora

Pricing: Free (watermark) /starts at $49.99/year

Operating System: Windows & Mac

The newly released Wondershare Filmora X version has added the motion tracking features, which allows you to track moving objects in a video clip, and attach images, texts, elements and videos to follow the movement path.

Download Filmora  Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

How to Use Filmora Video Editor To Do Text Motion Tracking?

  • Import the video footage to the timeline and then click the Motion Track icon in the tool bar to enable the Motion Tracking option.

 Filmora Motion Tracking  icon

  • In the preview window, drag and adjust the tracking box to select a moving object as the target.

 Filmora Motion Tracking  Box

  • Click the Start Tracking menu to start the moton tracking render, and Filmora video editor will compute the moving path automatically
  • Now, go to the Titles tab and drag a subtitle, titles, lower 3rd, or callout to the track just above the motion-tracked video. Customize your texts, adjust its size, position, etc. in the preview window.

 Filmora Motion Tracking  - Text

  • Next, double click the video footage to enter the Motion Track option. Select the title as a follower. Playback the video, and you will see the text will move accordingly.

Below is a step by step video tutorial about how to use the motion tracking feature in Filmora. Keep watching.

Download Filmora  Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

2. Premiere Pro CC

Pricing: 14-day trial, minimum $20.99/month

Operating System: Windows, Mac

Adobe Premiere Pro is an industry-leading video editor. Premiere Pro CC has all the editing tools a pro video editor needs.

There is no automatic tracking feature in Premiere Pro to pin text to video. Therefore, you need to manually position your text and add keyframes frame by frame. But the overall effort required and the final result isn’t much different from traditional editors.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In Premiere Pro CC? [Main Steps]

  • Import your video to the timeline
  • Add text by Pressing ‘T’ on your keyboard and clicking on the preview window (your footage)
  • Change the position & duration of the text layer on the timeline according to the position & duration of motion tracking
  • Make sure you’re on the frame you want to start tracking from
  • Click on your text layer → then go to effects controls
  • Change the position of the text to the point you want to track → click on the stopwatch icon to add a keyframe
  • Move a few frames forward → adjust the position again → add another keyframe
  • Don’t put the keyframes too close or too farther apart
  • Play through to check it out → adjust the position and number of keyframes if any issues arise

The whole process is relatively easy, although tedious. But the process becomes very complicated when you have more dynamic motion in your clip

3. After Effects

Pricing: 7-day trial, $20.99/month (individual)

Operating System: Windows & Mac

Adobe After Effects is an editor that focuses on animation & creative composition. This app has been developed as a companion to Premiere Pro for creating short & flashy motion graphics and visual effects for projects.

Motion tracking in After Effects can be done using the Point Tracker, which has one-point and up to four-point tracking. Other tracking options include the built-in 3D Camera Tracker that lets you reverse engineer a scene and the spline tracker that enables you to track masks on an object. There is also Mocha AE, a planar tracker from BorisFX. The Point Tracker is the most flexible and versatile in After Effects. We’ll use it to pin text to video.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In After Effects? [Main Steps]

  • Create a new composition/open an old one and make sure your clip is imported
  • Create a null object by right-clicking on the window (screenshot below)
  • Select your clip → click on tracker → click on track motion
  • Two square boxes will appear
  • Move the squares to the point you want to track (make sure to select an object with relatively high contrast for easier tracking)
  • Position the smaller square on the object you want to track
  • Make the second box is big enough (not too big) so that the tracked object stays within this square in the next frame
  • Click on the analyze forward button (screenshot above)
  • If the square box fails to track the object at any frame, reposition it and move on
  • Make sure motion target is set to null object (e.g., Null 1)
  • Now add the text
  • While clicking on the pick whip tool of the text layer, drag it to the null object
  • Play through to check the result
  • You can manually change the position of the text in any frame by adjusting its position and adding a keyframe

We’re done. As we stated above, other types of trackers are also available for you to experiment with. The overall tracking functionality is much better than Premiere Pro.

4. Sony Vegas Pro

Pricing: 30-day trial, minimum $19.99/month

Operating System: Windows

Sony Vegas Pro is a non-linear video editor with the so-called “power of Artificial Intelligence.” It is one of the few editors out there that has acquired popularity among professionals and amateurs alike.

Text motion tracking in Vegas Pro is done using Bézier Masking FX (new update introduces a separate tab for motion tracking). The tracking process is automatic. Keyframes are created automatically frame by frame. It isn’t perfect, but it gets the job done in most cases. When it fails to track objects correctly, you can manually edit the keyframes.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In Sony Vegas Pro? [Main Steps]

  • Import your video
  • Click on your video → go to the starting point of text motion tracking
  • Click on Bézier Masking → drag the default one to your video
  • A new options tab will appear & a square box with a circle (tracking box) will appear in the preview window
  • Go to General options → set blend to 1,000
  • Go to Mask 1 → Tracking → options → set the precision to high → set keyframe interval between 1 & 5
  • Position the black dot of the tracking box to the point you want to track
  • Click on start below the keyframe interval option
  • After processing is complete → go to tools → extensions → add text to motion track → click on ok in the text position tab
  • Enter your text, edit it if you want
  • Play through to check the result

Conclusion:

As we’ve seen above, all the editors have some kind of automatic tracking feature, Premiere Pro being the only manual exception. All of them do a reasonably good job when it comes to pinning text to video. Professionals would be more satisfied with the added versatility and control in After Effects. Filmora, Filmora, Vegas Pro and Premiere Pro, on the other hand, are better suited for amateurs.

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

Have you ever been mesmerized by a video with text or emoji’s moving together with objects? That effect is produced using motion tracking and isn’t very complicated. Today, we will introduce some text motion tracking software (free & paid) tools that allow you to pin text to video with minimum effort. There will also be detailed tutorials on how to utilize each tool. Let’s get started.

Best Text Motion Tracking Software [+Howtos]

Note: The list below is in no particular order.

1. Filmora

Pricing: Free (watermark) /starts at $49.99/year

Operating System: Windows & Mac

The newly released Wondershare Filmora X version has added the motion tracking features, which allows you to track moving objects in a video clip, and attach images, texts, elements and videos to follow the movement path.

Download Filmora  Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

How to Use Filmora Video Editor To Do Text Motion Tracking?

  • Import the video footage to the timeline and then click the Motion Track icon in the tool bar to enable the Motion Tracking option.

 Filmora Motion Tracking  icon

  • In the preview window, drag and adjust the tracking box to select a moving object as the target.

 Filmora Motion Tracking  Box

  • Click the Start Tracking menu to start the moton tracking render, and Filmora video editor will compute the moving path automatically
  • Now, go to the Titles tab and drag a subtitle, titles, lower 3rd, or callout to the track just above the motion-tracked video. Customize your texts, adjust its size, position, etc. in the preview window.

 Filmora Motion Tracking  - Text

  • Next, double click the video footage to enter the Motion Track option. Select the title as a follower. Playback the video, and you will see the text will move accordingly.

Below is a step by step video tutorial about how to use the motion tracking feature in Filmora. Keep watching.

Download Filmora  Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

2. Premiere Pro CC

Pricing: 14-day trial, minimum $20.99/month

Operating System: Windows, Mac

Adobe Premiere Pro is an industry-leading video editor. Premiere Pro CC has all the editing tools a pro video editor needs.

There is no automatic tracking feature in Premiere Pro to pin text to video. Therefore, you need to manually position your text and add keyframes frame by frame. But the overall effort required and the final result isn’t much different from traditional editors.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In Premiere Pro CC? [Main Steps]

  • Import your video to the timeline
  • Add text by Pressing ‘T’ on your keyboard and clicking on the preview window (your footage)
  • Change the position & duration of the text layer on the timeline according to the position & duration of motion tracking
  • Make sure you’re on the frame you want to start tracking from
  • Click on your text layer → then go to effects controls
  • Change the position of the text to the point you want to track → click on the stopwatch icon to add a keyframe
  • Move a few frames forward → adjust the position again → add another keyframe
  • Don’t put the keyframes too close or too farther apart
  • Play through to check it out → adjust the position and number of keyframes if any issues arise

The whole process is relatively easy, although tedious. But the process becomes very complicated when you have more dynamic motion in your clip

3. After Effects

Pricing: 7-day trial, $20.99/month (individual)

Operating System: Windows & Mac

Adobe After Effects is an editor that focuses on animation & creative composition. This app has been developed as a companion to Premiere Pro for creating short & flashy motion graphics and visual effects for projects.

Motion tracking in After Effects can be done using the Point Tracker, which has one-point and up to four-point tracking. Other tracking options include the built-in 3D Camera Tracker that lets you reverse engineer a scene and the spline tracker that enables you to track masks on an object. There is also Mocha AE, a planar tracker from BorisFX. The Point Tracker is the most flexible and versatile in After Effects. We’ll use it to pin text to video.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In After Effects? [Main Steps]

  • Create a new composition/open an old one and make sure your clip is imported
  • Create a null object by right-clicking on the window (screenshot below)
  • Select your clip → click on tracker → click on track motion
  • Two square boxes will appear
  • Move the squares to the point you want to track (make sure to select an object with relatively high contrast for easier tracking)
  • Position the smaller square on the object you want to track
  • Make the second box is big enough (not too big) so that the tracked object stays within this square in the next frame
  • Click on the analyze forward button (screenshot above)
  • If the square box fails to track the object at any frame, reposition it and move on
  • Make sure motion target is set to null object (e.g., Null 1)
  • Now add the text
  • While clicking on the pick whip tool of the text layer, drag it to the null object
  • Play through to check the result
  • You can manually change the position of the text in any frame by adjusting its position and adding a keyframe

We’re done. As we stated above, other types of trackers are also available for you to experiment with. The overall tracking functionality is much better than Premiere Pro.

4. Sony Vegas Pro

Pricing: 30-day trial, minimum $19.99/month

Operating System: Windows

Sony Vegas Pro is a non-linear video editor with the so-called “power of Artificial Intelligence.” It is one of the few editors out there that has acquired popularity among professionals and amateurs alike.

Text motion tracking in Vegas Pro is done using Bézier Masking FX (new update introduces a separate tab for motion tracking). The tracking process is automatic. Keyframes are created automatically frame by frame. It isn’t perfect, but it gets the job done in most cases. When it fails to track objects correctly, you can manually edit the keyframes.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In Sony Vegas Pro? [Main Steps]

  • Import your video
  • Click on your video → go to the starting point of text motion tracking
  • Click on Bézier Masking → drag the default one to your video
  • A new options tab will appear & a square box with a circle (tracking box) will appear in the preview window
  • Go to General options → set blend to 1,000
  • Go to Mask 1 → Tracking → options → set the precision to high → set keyframe interval between 1 & 5
  • Position the black dot of the tracking box to the point you want to track
  • Click on start below the keyframe interval option
  • After processing is complete → go to tools → extensions → add text to motion track → click on ok in the text position tab
  • Enter your text, edit it if you want
  • Play through to check the result

Conclusion:

As we’ve seen above, all the editors have some kind of automatic tracking feature, Premiere Pro being the only manual exception. All of them do a reasonably good job when it comes to pinning text to video. Professionals would be more satisfied with the added versatility and control in After Effects. Filmora, Filmora, Vegas Pro and Premiere Pro, on the other hand, are better suited for amateurs.

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

Have you ever been mesmerized by a video with text or emoji’s moving together with objects? That effect is produced using motion tracking and isn’t very complicated. Today, we will introduce some text motion tracking software (free & paid) tools that allow you to pin text to video with minimum effort. There will also be detailed tutorials on how to utilize each tool. Let’s get started.

Best Text Motion Tracking Software [+Howtos]

Note: The list below is in no particular order.

1. Filmora

Pricing: Free (watermark) /starts at $49.99/year

Operating System: Windows & Mac

The newly released Wondershare Filmora X version has added the motion tracking features, which allows you to track moving objects in a video clip, and attach images, texts, elements and videos to follow the movement path.

Download Filmora  Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

How to Use Filmora Video Editor To Do Text Motion Tracking?

  • Import the video footage to the timeline and then click the Motion Track icon in the tool bar to enable the Motion Tracking option.

 Filmora Motion Tracking  icon

  • In the preview window, drag and adjust the tracking box to select a moving object as the target.

 Filmora Motion Tracking  Box

  • Click the Start Tracking menu to start the moton tracking render, and Filmora video editor will compute the moving path automatically
  • Now, go to the Titles tab and drag a subtitle, titles, lower 3rd, or callout to the track just above the motion-tracked video. Customize your texts, adjust its size, position, etc. in the preview window.

 Filmora Motion Tracking  - Text

  • Next, double click the video footage to enter the Motion Track option. Select the title as a follower. Playback the video, and you will see the text will move accordingly.

Below is a step by step video tutorial about how to use the motion tracking feature in Filmora. Keep watching.

Download Filmora  Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

2. Premiere Pro CC

Pricing: 14-day trial, minimum $20.99/month

Operating System: Windows, Mac

Adobe Premiere Pro is an industry-leading video editor. Premiere Pro CC has all the editing tools a pro video editor needs.

There is no automatic tracking feature in Premiere Pro to pin text to video. Therefore, you need to manually position your text and add keyframes frame by frame. But the overall effort required and the final result isn’t much different from traditional editors.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In Premiere Pro CC? [Main Steps]

  • Import your video to the timeline
  • Add text by Pressing ‘T’ on your keyboard and clicking on the preview window (your footage)
  • Change the position & duration of the text layer on the timeline according to the position & duration of motion tracking
  • Make sure you’re on the frame you want to start tracking from
  • Click on your text layer → then go to effects controls
  • Change the position of the text to the point you want to track → click on the stopwatch icon to add a keyframe
  • Move a few frames forward → adjust the position again → add another keyframe
  • Don’t put the keyframes too close or too farther apart
  • Play through to check it out → adjust the position and number of keyframes if any issues arise

The whole process is relatively easy, although tedious. But the process becomes very complicated when you have more dynamic motion in your clip

3. After Effects

Pricing: 7-day trial, $20.99/month (individual)

Operating System: Windows & Mac

Adobe After Effects is an editor that focuses on animation & creative composition. This app has been developed as a companion to Premiere Pro for creating short & flashy motion graphics and visual effects for projects.

Motion tracking in After Effects can be done using the Point Tracker, which has one-point and up to four-point tracking. Other tracking options include the built-in 3D Camera Tracker that lets you reverse engineer a scene and the spline tracker that enables you to track masks on an object. There is also Mocha AE, a planar tracker from BorisFX. The Point Tracker is the most flexible and versatile in After Effects. We’ll use it to pin text to video.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In After Effects? [Main Steps]

  • Create a new composition/open an old one and make sure your clip is imported
  • Create a null object by right-clicking on the window (screenshot below)
  • Select your clip → click on tracker → click on track motion
  • Two square boxes will appear
  • Move the squares to the point you want to track (make sure to select an object with relatively high contrast for easier tracking)
  • Position the smaller square on the object you want to track
  • Make the second box is big enough (not too big) so that the tracked object stays within this square in the next frame
  • Click on the analyze forward button (screenshot above)
  • If the square box fails to track the object at any frame, reposition it and move on
  • Make sure motion target is set to null object (e.g., Null 1)
  • Now add the text
  • While clicking on the pick whip tool of the text layer, drag it to the null object
  • Play through to check the result
  • You can manually change the position of the text in any frame by adjusting its position and adding a keyframe

We’re done. As we stated above, other types of trackers are also available for you to experiment with. The overall tracking functionality is much better than Premiere Pro.

4. Sony Vegas Pro

Pricing: 30-day trial, minimum $19.99/month

Operating System: Windows

Sony Vegas Pro is a non-linear video editor with the so-called “power of Artificial Intelligence.” It is one of the few editors out there that has acquired popularity among professionals and amateurs alike.

Text motion tracking in Vegas Pro is done using Bézier Masking FX (new update introduces a separate tab for motion tracking). The tracking process is automatic. Keyframes are created automatically frame by frame. It isn’t perfect, but it gets the job done in most cases. When it fails to track objects correctly, you can manually edit the keyframes.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In Sony Vegas Pro? [Main Steps]

  • Import your video
  • Click on your video → go to the starting point of text motion tracking
  • Click on Bézier Masking → drag the default one to your video
  • A new options tab will appear & a square box with a circle (tracking box) will appear in the preview window
  • Go to General options → set blend to 1,000
  • Go to Mask 1 → Tracking → options → set the precision to high → set keyframe interval between 1 & 5
  • Position the black dot of the tracking box to the point you want to track
  • Click on start below the keyframe interval option
  • After processing is complete → go to tools → extensions → add text to motion track → click on ok in the text position tab
  • Enter your text, edit it if you want
  • Play through to check the result

Conclusion:

As we’ve seen above, all the editors have some kind of automatic tracking feature, Premiere Pro being the only manual exception. All of them do a reasonably good job when it comes to pinning text to video. Professionals would be more satisfied with the added versatility and control in After Effects. Filmora, Filmora, Vegas Pro and Premiere Pro, on the other hand, are better suited for amateurs.

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

Have you ever been mesmerized by a video with text or emoji’s moving together with objects? That effect is produced using motion tracking and isn’t very complicated. Today, we will introduce some text motion tracking software (free & paid) tools that allow you to pin text to video with minimum effort. There will also be detailed tutorials on how to utilize each tool. Let’s get started.

Best Text Motion Tracking Software [+Howtos]

Note: The list below is in no particular order.

1. Filmora

Pricing: Free (watermark) /starts at $49.99/year

Operating System: Windows & Mac

The newly released Wondershare Filmora X version has added the motion tracking features, which allows you to track moving objects in a video clip, and attach images, texts, elements and videos to follow the movement path.

Download Filmora  Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

How to Use Filmora Video Editor To Do Text Motion Tracking?

  • Import the video footage to the timeline and then click the Motion Track icon in the tool bar to enable the Motion Tracking option.

 Filmora Motion Tracking  icon

  • In the preview window, drag and adjust the tracking box to select a moving object as the target.

 Filmora Motion Tracking  Box

  • Click the Start Tracking menu to start the moton tracking render, and Filmora video editor will compute the moving path automatically
  • Now, go to the Titles tab and drag a subtitle, titles, lower 3rd, or callout to the track just above the motion-tracked video. Customize your texts, adjust its size, position, etc. in the preview window.

 Filmora Motion Tracking  - Text

  • Next, double click the video footage to enter the Motion Track option. Select the title as a follower. Playback the video, and you will see the text will move accordingly.

Below is a step by step video tutorial about how to use the motion tracking feature in Filmora. Keep watching.

Download Filmora  Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

2. Premiere Pro CC

Pricing: 14-day trial, minimum $20.99/month

Operating System: Windows, Mac

Adobe Premiere Pro is an industry-leading video editor. Premiere Pro CC has all the editing tools a pro video editor needs.

There is no automatic tracking feature in Premiere Pro to pin text to video. Therefore, you need to manually position your text and add keyframes frame by frame. But the overall effort required and the final result isn’t much different from traditional editors.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In Premiere Pro CC? [Main Steps]

  • Import your video to the timeline
  • Add text by Pressing ‘T’ on your keyboard and clicking on the preview window (your footage)
  • Change the position & duration of the text layer on the timeline according to the position & duration of motion tracking
  • Make sure you’re on the frame you want to start tracking from
  • Click on your text layer → then go to effects controls
  • Change the position of the text to the point you want to track → click on the stopwatch icon to add a keyframe
  • Move a few frames forward → adjust the position again → add another keyframe
  • Don’t put the keyframes too close or too farther apart
  • Play through to check it out → adjust the position and number of keyframes if any issues arise

The whole process is relatively easy, although tedious. But the process becomes very complicated when you have more dynamic motion in your clip

3. After Effects

Pricing: 7-day trial, $20.99/month (individual)

Operating System: Windows & Mac

Adobe After Effects is an editor that focuses on animation & creative composition. This app has been developed as a companion to Premiere Pro for creating short & flashy motion graphics and visual effects for projects.

Motion tracking in After Effects can be done using the Point Tracker, which has one-point and up to four-point tracking. Other tracking options include the built-in 3D Camera Tracker that lets you reverse engineer a scene and the spline tracker that enables you to track masks on an object. There is also Mocha AE, a planar tracker from BorisFX. The Point Tracker is the most flexible and versatile in After Effects. We’ll use it to pin text to video.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In After Effects? [Main Steps]

  • Create a new composition/open an old one and make sure your clip is imported
  • Create a null object by right-clicking on the window (screenshot below)
  • Select your clip → click on tracker → click on track motion
  • Two square boxes will appear
  • Move the squares to the point you want to track (make sure to select an object with relatively high contrast for easier tracking)
  • Position the smaller square on the object you want to track
  • Make the second box is big enough (not too big) so that the tracked object stays within this square in the next frame
  • Click on the analyze forward button (screenshot above)
  • If the square box fails to track the object at any frame, reposition it and move on
  • Make sure motion target is set to null object (e.g., Null 1)
  • Now add the text
  • While clicking on the pick whip tool of the text layer, drag it to the null object
  • Play through to check the result
  • You can manually change the position of the text in any frame by adjusting its position and adding a keyframe

We’re done. As we stated above, other types of trackers are also available for you to experiment with. The overall tracking functionality is much better than Premiere Pro.

4. Sony Vegas Pro

Pricing: 30-day trial, minimum $19.99/month

Operating System: Windows

Sony Vegas Pro is a non-linear video editor with the so-called “power of Artificial Intelligence.” It is one of the few editors out there that has acquired popularity among professionals and amateurs alike.

Text motion tracking in Vegas Pro is done using Bézier Masking FX (new update introduces a separate tab for motion tracking). The tracking process is automatic. Keyframes are created automatically frame by frame. It isn’t perfect, but it gets the job done in most cases. When it fails to track objects correctly, you can manually edit the keyframes.

How To Do Text Motion Tracking In Sony Vegas Pro? [Main Steps]

  • Import your video
  • Click on your video → go to the starting point of text motion tracking
  • Click on Bézier Masking → drag the default one to your video
  • A new options tab will appear & a square box with a circle (tracking box) will appear in the preview window
  • Go to General options → set blend to 1,000
  • Go to Mask 1 → Tracking → options → set the precision to high → set keyframe interval between 1 & 5
  • Position the black dot of the tracking box to the point you want to track
  • Click on start below the keyframe interval option
  • After processing is complete → go to tools → extensions → add text to motion track → click on ok in the text position tab
  • Enter your text, edit it if you want
  • Play through to check the result

Conclusion:

As we’ve seen above, all the editors have some kind of automatic tracking feature, Premiere Pro being the only manual exception. All of them do a reasonably good job when it comes to pinning text to video. Professionals would be more satisfied with the added versatility and control in After Effects. Filmora, Filmora, Vegas Pro and Premiere Pro, on the other hand, are better suited for amateurs.

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

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

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Also read:

  • Title: Updated Transforming Shaky Footage Into Pro-Quality Video with After Effects
  • Author: Morgan
  • Created at : 2024-05-19 16:00:59
  • Updated at : 2024-05-20 16:00:59
  • Link: https://ai-video-tools.techidaily.com/updated-transforming-shaky-footage-into-pro-quality-video-with-after-effects/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
On this page
Updated Transforming Shaky Footage Into Pro-Quality Video with After Effects