I think this requires Pro because it also involves some scripting.

You can do it virtualdub, render it, and then import the de-shaked video in Vegas.

You can do it virtualdub, render it, and then import the de-shaked video in Vegas.

proDad will (most likely) come out with a plug-in for Sony Vegas of their stabilizing program Mercalli. There are two versions, Lite and Expert. I guess that this plug-in also can be used in Movie Studio. Take a look at Mercalli her:

http://www.prodad.de/gb/mercalli_std_details.html

Jøran Toresen

Here's the FAQ on it.

That would be cool it it could be made to work as a VST plug-in. Even better would be that when version 9 comes out (when ever that is), Sony includes in as part of the upgrade bundle. Wouldn't that be great!!

I had do to some stabilization just last night. It wasn't automatic, but it was pretty quick and easy to do.

Basically, I had footage of someone speaking at a podium and microphone, but the footage was shot with a hand-held camcorder, and very shaky.

I used the "Pan/Crop" tool, and put the center of the window on a stable, fixed corner of the podium. I slid the "scrubbing" indicator along the timeline until the corner of the podium and the frame were misaligned, and dragged the frame back into position relative to the podium, creating a new keyframe. Drag the scrubber some more, and re-align the frame again. Repeat, and I was able to manually stabilize about 10 minutes of video very quickly, and very easily.

Neat idea - I've done something similar for short events that move a little. My question for a long event (10 minutes) with a lot of shakiness, as you describe, is: How often did you have to insert a keyframe with correction, in order to be effective? And how long did that take (what do you mean by "very quickly" in terms of real time)?

Thanks!

"How often did you have to insert a keyframe?"
I didn't put in keyframes at regular intervals.
Instead, I put them in whenever the gap between the point in my source (the corner of the podium), and the indicator on the Pan/Crop tool became "large"
(I know that "large" is a subjective term).
Clearly, the more keyframes, the better the stabilization.
I'd estimate that overall I had about 15-20 keyframes for each minute, but sometimes bunched together very close, and sometimes spread out.

"How long did that take?"
I didn't time it, but I think it was close to real-time, maybe a little slower. Once I got the process set up, sliding the scrubber, adjusting the frame, and repeating was a very fast, relatively brainless process.

Now, I think my case was particularly easy because the podium provided a rock-solid reference point, and the overall scene was only shaking in two dimensions (no roll or yaw, virtually no pitch).
If you were trying to stabilize video shot from a moving car, or some other complicated setup, it might take longer and be harder.

Thanks for all the replies and assistance.

I downloaded Virtualdub/deshaker filter but don't know how to install it in my Movie Studio Platinum.

The instructions says to open a project select a video clip and launch the script... How do I launch the script?

Thanks!
-tR

If it requires Vegas scripting, as I said above, this only is supported on Vegas Pro. I was pretty sure that the deshaker stuff only worked on Pro.

You don't need Vegas.
1) Download the zip-file posted above.
2) Decompress to folder of your choice.
3) Find the folder and double-click VirtualDub.exe to run the program.

Open de to be deshaked avi file in VD, apply the deshake filter, render the avi file (give it a new name), and THEN you can open the deshaked file in Vegas.

With Vegas Pro you don't have to export in an intermediate format and re-import. You can do it from within the app itself, by using a script.

I can't see how scripting would be used for this at all. VirtualDub is a standalone application. Deshaker is a plugin for VirtualDub. You're going to have to create a new file from the original no matter what video editor you're using. No export is necessary at all. Create a new "deshaken" file from the original, then use this new file in Vegas. There's nothing a script could do to improve this process, or even facilitate it.

As far as using pan/crop, this method is certainly effective, but for real shakiness it can be extremely time consuming. The process abelenky describes can be used easily enough when the camera sways a bit. Someone who is very steady handholding a camera is going to drift as time goes by and this is easy to correct. On the other hand, i videotaped a baptism a while back with the camera locked down on a tripod up in the balcony of the church. Unfortunately as people moved around the balcony shook badly, with the image bouncing up and down every few frames. I was able to use the same method but it required between 5 and 20 keyframes every second. It took me about 5 hours to fix 5 minutes worth of video.

I tried deshaker and it was a lot faster, but also not as accurate.

Kelly (Chienworks),

There is a Vegas script that John Meyer created and unleashed upon the world that has been a *fantastic* help to guys like me that know virtually nothing about using VirtualDub and the deshaker plug-in for VDub.

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=535343

The original temporary download file has long ago expired, but I think there are a few people on the Vegas Pro message board that have it available on their sites for download.

The script lets you select an event in Vegas, then run the deshaker script on it, which renders that event out to a temporary file, invokes VirtualDub with the deshaker plug-in, has it do its thing with the analysis and render, closes VDub, then brings the "stabilized" file back into Vegas as a "take" for the original event, (including handling the 30-frame offset, etc.). Very, very easy.

Like I said, for guys like me, it has been wonderful -- putting that capability into my easy reach without having to find the time to learn how to operate VDub, etc.

(But I'd still love to have this capability directly in Vegas as a plug-in)

TIm L