ABSTRACT
Motion Stabilization and Motion Tracking sometimes seem like magic that one often cannot quite get to work. Some of the problems come from improper preparation of footage, some with how the tracker’s options have been set, and some with just a lack of practice and experience. To stabilize a footage item, the item needs to have some feature with an identifiable edge or shape with a strong contrast in color, brightness, or saturation from its immediate surroundings that can then be recognized and followed by the software. Dots are great; sharp corners also work well. Continuous edges or lines, or otherwise indistinct features, do not work for a “point” motion tracker like the one built into After Effects. Minimizing the size of both the Search and Feature Regions will speed up tracking, but going too small will make After Effects lose the track.
