{"id":3189,"date":"2020-03-30T05:55:41","date_gmt":"2020-03-30T05:55:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/motionfactory.io\/inside-motion\/?p=3189"},"modified":"2026-02-24T13:16:01","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T09:46:01","slug":"creating-handheld-camera-shake-after-effects-and-premiere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pixflow.net\/blog\/creating-handheld-camera-shake-after-effects-and-premiere\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating Handheld Camera Shake | After Effects and Premiere"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row content_width_row=”true” center_column_horizontally=”true”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ el_class=”general-blog-text”][vc_custom_heading use_theme_fonts=”yes” font_container=”tag:h6|text_align:left” el_class=”Pixflow-blog-text”]Today we are going to see how we can recreate the movements of a handheld shaky camera inside adobe premiere and adobe after effects. Creating a camera shake is possible both using built-in tools inside after effects and also with available plugins which we are going to use the one created by Red Giant.[\/vc_custom_heading][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_width_row=”true” center_column_horizontally=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1771310848682{margin-top: 50px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/tt-1iP1n3vg” css=”” title=”Fake Handheld Camera Movement in Premiere” el_id=”Fake Handheld Camera Movement in Premiere”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_width_row=”true” center_column_horizontally=”true”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ el_class=”general-blog-text”][vc_custom_heading use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”” font_container=”tag:h6|text_align:left” el_class=”Pixflow-blog-text”]<\/p>\n

Step-by-Step: Fake Handheld Camera Shake Using the Transform Effect<\/h3>\n

Premiere Pro doesn’t have a built-in wiggle expression like After Effects, but you can create convincing handheld camera shake using the Transform effect<\/strong> and manual keyframing. Here are two methods \u2014 one quick and direct, and one reusable across your entire timeline.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Method 1 \u2014 Transform Effect on Your Footage<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Select your clip and go to Effects panel > Video Effects > Distort > Transform<\/strong> (use the Transform effect, not<\/em> the built-in Motion controls \u2014 Transform has its own Shutter Angle)<\/li>\n
  2. In Effect Controls<\/strong>, click the stopwatch next to Position<\/strong> to enable keyframing<\/li>\n
  3. Move through your clip every 2\u20133 frames<\/strong> and nudge the Position values by small random amounts \u2014 shift X by \u00b110\u201320 pixels and Y by \u00b15\u201315 pixels each time. Vary the offsets irregularly so the motion feels organic, not robotic<\/li>\n
  4. Set Shutter Angle to 360<\/strong> (under the Transform effect) \u2014 this adds natural motion blur to each position shift, which is what makes the shake look like real handheld footage instead of a jittery slideshow<\/li>\n
  5. Increase Scale to 110\u2013120%<\/strong> to hide the black edges that appear when the frame shifts off-center<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Method 2 \u2014 Adjustment Layer for Reusable Shake<\/strong><\/p>\n

    If you need the same handheld feel across multiple clips, applying Transform to each one is tedious. Instead:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Go to Project panel > New Item > Adjustment Layer<\/strong> and drag it onto the track above your footage<\/li>\n
    2. Trim the Adjustment Layer to cover the clips you want to shake<\/li>\n
    3. Apply the Transform effect<\/strong> to the Adjustment Layer and keyframe Position with the same random offsets described above<\/li>\n
    4. Set Shutter Angle to 360 and Scale to 110\u2013120% on the Adjustment Layer<\/li>\n
    5. To reuse: simply copy the Adjustment Layer<\/strong> and drop it above any other sequence of clips \u2014 all your shake settings travel with it<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Pro Tip:<\/strong> Right-click your Position keyframes and select Bezier<\/strong> to smooth the transitions between offsets. This prevents harsh jumps and gives the shake a more natural, weighted feel \u2014 like a real camera operator shifting their grip rather than the frame snapping between positions.[\/vc_custom_heading][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_width_row=”true” center_column_horizontally=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1771318299263{margin-top: 50px !important;margin-bottom: 50px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ el_class=”general-blog-text”][vc_custom_heading use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”” font_container=”tag:h6|text_align:left” el_class=”Pixflow-blog-text” el_id=”Using Wiggle in After Effects”]<\/p>\n

      Using Wiggle in After Effects<\/h2>\n

      Ok, now let\u2019s see how it is done in after effects. First things first, click inside the project panel to import your footage to after effects. You can also drag and drop your video footage there if you prefer. Then right-click on the footage and choose \u201cnew comp from selection\u201d so that you can start working on the footage.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Next, click on the footage to choose it then you are going to hit \u201cP\u201d to bring up the position settings. Then hold down the \u201cAlt\u201d key, which is \u201cOptions\u201d on Mac, and click on the stopwatch. What you are about to do is adding some wiggle to the footage and then working with it till it feels right and natural right.<\/span><\/p>\n

      To do that you need to type in on the footage in the timeline \u201cWiggle\u201d, followed by parentheses and inside the parentheses, you will write 2,30. It will be \u201cwiggle (2,30)\u201d. This code will tell After Effects to wiggle the footage twice per second for thirty pixels. Remember that this number is not a fixed thing and you should try different combinations because every footage is different and in every video you may be looking for a different feel. <\/span>But in most cases, it seems like 2 wiggles per second and each one for 30 pixels seems to be working just fine.<\/span>[\/vc_custom_heading][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_width_row=”true”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1571400097628{padding-left: 0px !important;}”][px_single_image_box px_image_lightbox=”true” px_image_caption=”true” px_image_url=”3220″ px_image_lightbox_url=”3220″ px_image_caption_text=”Hit \u201cP\u201d to bring up the position settings”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1571400077562{padding-right: 0px !important;}”][px_single_image_box px_image_lightbox=”true” px_image_caption=”true” px_image_url=”3193″ px_image_lightbox_url=”3193″ px_image_caption_text=”On the Footage in Timeline Type \u201cwiggle (2,30)\u201d”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_width_row=”true” center_column_horizontally=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1573549966672{margin-top: 125px !important;margin-bottom: 95px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ el_class=”general-blog-text”][vc_custom_heading use_theme_fonts=”yes” font_container=”tag:h6|text_align:left” el_class=”Pixflow-blog-text”]Now what you may probably begin to see in your video is the dark edges that are moving inside and outside the frame. To eliminate that you need to choose the footage again, hit \u201cS\u201d for scale, and then change its value to something like 120%. Depending on the wiggle setting you have chosen, scaling can be done with different numbers.[\/vc_custom_heading][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_width_row=”true” center_column_horizontally=”true”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][px_single_image_box px_image_caption=”true” px_image_url=”3219″ px_image_caption_text=”Hit \u201cS\u201d for scale, and then change its value to something like 120%.”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_width_row=”true” center_column_horizontally=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1573549966672{margin-top: 125px !important;margin-bottom: 95px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ el_class=”general-blog-text”][vc_custom_heading use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”” font_container=”tag:h6|text_align:left” el_class=”Pixflow-blog-text” el_id=”Red Giant Universe Plugin”]<\/p>\n

      Red Giant Universe Plugin<\/h2>\n

      For creating the fake camera shake inside premiere pro you need to take a look at Red Giant\u2019s amazing plugin, named <\/span>Universe<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

      After installing the plugin, you can access it by going to Window, Extensions, RG Universe Dashboard. You will see that the dashboard is well organized with so many different effects and options ready to be used in your video projects. But the one you are looking for is under \u201cUtilities\u201d and it is named, rather obviously, \u201cCamera Shake\u201d. Opening the category will reveal some great templates useable for different scenarios like Handheld and Shakycam. Either one you decide to use, just make sure your footage is selected in the timeline and then click on apply.<\/span>[\/vc_custom_heading][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_width_row=”true” center_column_horizontally=”true”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][px_single_image_box px_image_caption=”true” px_image_url=”3206″ px_image_caption_text=”In Red Giant Dashboard under \u201cUtilities\u201d find \u201cCamera Shake\u201d”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_width_row=”true” center_column_horizontally=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1573549966672{margin-top: 125px !important;margin-bottom: 95px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ el_class=”general-blog-text”][vc_custom_heading use_theme_fonts=”yes” font_container=”tag:h6|text_align:left” el_class=”Pixflow-blog-text”]The effect is already applied and in many cases, the job is done here but if you want to have more control over the style of your shakey camera, you can then go to Effect Controls panel and find all the settings under \u201cUniverse Camera Shake by Red Giant\u201d. Here you can change things like the frequency of shake and the amount you are ok with for the footage to be cropped in by scaling. Even more detailed settings are accessible by opening the \u201cShake Controls\u201d and \u201cCrop Settings\u201d. Working with the settings here is totally dependent on the style and feel you are seeking for your video, so working with them all and experiencing the resulting effects for yourself is something I can not suggest more! The same goes for all the methods suggested in this blog![\/vc_custom_heading][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_width_row=”true” center_column_horizontally=”true”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][px_single_image_box px_image_lightbox=”true” px_image_caption=”true” px_image_url=”3209″ px_image_lightbox_url=”3209″ px_image_caption_text=”In Effect Controls panel all the settings are under \u201cUniverse Camera Shake by Red Giant\u201d”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_width_row=”true” center_column_horizontally=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1573549966672{margin-top: 125px !important;margin-bottom: 95px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ el_class=”general-blog-text”][vc_custom_heading use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”” font_container=”tag:h6|text_align:left” el_class=”Pixflow-blog-text” el_id=”How to Apply Camera Shake to Specific Segments”]<\/p>\n

      How to Apply Camera Shake to Specific Segments<\/h2>\n

      The methods above apply shake to your entire composition \u2014 but what if you only want that handheld feel on certain shots or moments? Maybe an action sequence needs shake while a dialogue scene stays smooth. Here’s how to target specific parts of your timeline.<\/p>\n

      Selective Camera Shake \u2014 Two Approaches<\/h3>\n

      Method 1 \u2014 Time-Range Isolation<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Apply shake to only a specific segment while keeping the rest of your footage untouched:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Split your layer<\/strong> at the exact points where you want shake to begin and end (Edit > Split Layer, or Ctrl\/Cmd + Shift + D<\/strong>)<\/li>\n
      2. Apply your shake method (Wiggle expression or plugin) only to the isolated segment layer<\/strong><\/li>\n
      3. To smooth the transition, add a short crossfade<\/strong> (1\u20133 frames) between the split layers so the shake doesn’t start or stop abruptly<\/li>\n
      4. Scale up only the shake segment (~110\u2013120%) to cover edge gaps, leaving the clean segments at original scale<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Method 2 \u2014 Mask-Based Selective Application<\/strong><\/p>\n

        For more complex scenarios where shake should only affect certain areas<\/em> of the frame (not just time ranges):<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Precompose<\/strong> your footage layer<\/li>\n
        2. Apply your camera shake effect to the precomp<\/li>\n
        3. On the precomp layer, draw a mask<\/strong> around the area that should receive the shake<\/li>\n
        4. Feather the mask<\/strong> generously (50\u2013100px) so the shaky and stable zones blend naturally<\/li>\n
        5. Duplicate the original footage beneath as a clean plate for the unmasked areas<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Pro Tip:<\/strong> For the most realistic result, combine both methods \u2014 split your timeline into segments, then use masks within shaky segments to protect UI overlays, lower thirds, or text that should remain stable even during handheld moments.[\/vc_custom_heading][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_width_row=”true” center_column_horizontally=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1573549966672{margin-top: 125px !important;margin-bottom: 95px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ el_class=”general-blog-text”][vc_custom_heading use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”” font_container=”tag:h6|text_align:left” el_class=”Pixflow-blog-text” el_id=”Pro Tips for Realistic Camera Shake”]<\/p>\n

          Pro Tips for Realistic Camera Shake<\/h2>\n

          Adding position jitter alone won’t fool anyone \u2014 real handheld footage has subtle optical characteristics that pure wiggle expressions miss. Here’s how to sell the illusion.<\/p>\n

          Simulate Focus Breathing for Authentic Handheld Feel<\/h3>\n

          When you hold a camera by hand, tiny movements cause the lens to shift focus slightly \u2014 a natural phenomenon called focus breathing<\/em>. Without it, fake shake looks mechanical and “digital.” Adding subtle depth of field shifts synced to your shake makes a huge difference.<\/p>\n

          How to set it up:<\/strong><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Create a Camera layer<\/strong> (Layer > New > Camera) \u2014 choose a 35mm or 50mm<\/strong> preset for a realistic focal length<\/li>\n
          2. In the Camera Settings, enable Depth of Field<\/strong> and set the Aperture to a moderately shallow value (e.g., F2.8\u2013F4<\/strong>)<\/li>\n
          3. Set your Focus Distance<\/strong> to match your subject’s Z-position<\/li>\n
          4. Alt\/Option-click<\/strong> the Focus Distance stopwatch and add a subtle wiggle expression:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            wiggle(1.5, 8)<\/code><\/p>\n

            This shifts focus ~8 pixels at 1.5 times per second \u2014 just enough to simulate natural micro-focus drift without looking blurry<\/p>\n

              \n
            1. Sync the rhythm<\/strong> with your position shake \u2014 if your position wiggle is wiggle(2, 30)<\/code>, keep the focus wiggle slightly slower and smaller so it feels like a secondary motion, not a competing one<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Additional realism layers:<\/strong><\/p>\n

                \n
              • Add subtle rotation wiggle<\/strong> \u2014 real handheld has slight roll, not just X\/Y movement. Apply wiggle(0.5, 0.3)<\/code> to the Z Rotation for gentle tilt<\/li>\n
              • Enable Motion Blur<\/strong> on your composition (the film strip icon in the timeline) to blur fast shake frames naturally<\/li>\n
              • Vary the shake over time<\/strong> \u2014 real hand fatigue causes shake to increase gradually. Use wiggle(2, 20 + time*2)<\/code> to slowly ramp up intensity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Pro Tip:<\/strong> The combination of position shake + focus breathing + slight rotation is what separates amateur fake shake from the kind that editors won’t even question. Each element is subtle on its own, but together they create a convincingly organic handheld look.<\/p>\n

                [\/vc_custom_heading][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                Handheld camera shakes can add some sort of realistic feel to the footage. let’s see how you can recreate that in After Effects and Premiere Pro<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[61,60,132],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","hentry","category-after-effects","category-premiere-pro","category-video-editing","post_format-post-format-video"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pixflow.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pixflow.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pixflow.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pixflow.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pixflow.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3189"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/pixflow.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3189\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91047,"href":"https:\/\/pixflow.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3189\/revisions\/91047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pixflow.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pixflow.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pixflow.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}