🚀 How to Add Realistic Camera Shake to Your VFX Shots (Without Making Viewers Dizzy)

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Welcome back to the Brain Planet Studios Blog, where we break down filmmaking and VFX tricks for indie creators like you!

How to add realistic camera shake


Today’s topic: Camera shake effects.

We’ve all seen them—those action-packed shots where the camera jolts and vibrates during an explosion or a fight scene. When done right, camera shake can add realism and energy to your VFX. When done wrong… it just makes people feel like they’re watching bad handheld phone footage.

✅ Why Add Camera Shake?

Adding camera shake in post-production helps when:

  • Your footage was shot on a tripod but you want it to feel handheld
  • You’re adding an explosion or impact that needs extra punch
  • You want to simulate panic, chaos, or action

✅ Tools You Can Use:

Tool Why Use It
Adobe After Effects Great for manual keyframed shakes or using built-in shake presets
DaVinci Resolve Has Fusion tools and adjustment clips for shake
HitFilm Express Free and beginner-friendly
Blender (Compositor) Good for 3D camera shake effects

✅ Types of Camera Shake Effects:

Shake Type Best For
Subtle Handheld Drift Dialogue scenes, making static shots feel natural
Impact Shake (Sudden Jolt) Explosions, gunfire, crash effects
Continuous Action Shake Fight sequences, chase scenes
Zoom Shake / Crash Zoom Dramatic reveals or fast cuts

✅ Quick After Effects Workflow (Simple Tutorial):

  1. Pre-compose your VFX shot
    Put all your elements (background, VFX, foreground) into one composition.
  2. Apply Motion Tile Effect
    This prevents ugly black borders when the footage shakes.
  3. Add Position Wiggle Expression:
    On the Position property, hold Alt (Option on Mac) and click the stopwatch. Then paste this: wiggle(5,20)

This means: 5 times per second, move the frame by 20 pixels randomly.

  1. Adjust to Taste
    If it’s too strong, reduce the second number. If it’s too jittery, reduce the first number.
  2. Add Motion Blur
    Turn on motion blur for extra realism.

✅ Pro Tips from Brain Planet Studios:

  • Don’t Overdo It: Too much shake makes your audience dizzy.
  • Match the Action: Use bigger shakes for big impacts… smaller shakes for subtle tension.
  • Consider Adding Sound FX: Even a small camera shake feels more powerful when paired with a good impact sound.
  • Use Real Camera Shake Presets: If you can, record real handheld camera movements and apply them as motion tracking data!

✅ Want Free Camera Shake Presets?

If you want, we’re planning to release a free downloadable pack of After Effects camera shake presets made here at Brain Planet Studios.

👉 Should we drop the download link?
Let us know in the comments!


#BrainPlanetStudios #CameraShake #VFXTips #AfterEffectsTricks #IndieFilmmaking

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