How do you add track points to warp stabilizer?

[Pastajeff]

I am trying to stabilise some interview footage, with an interviewee sat in a chair. I'm going through erasing the track points on the interviewee every 10 frames or so.

The results are good except in one corner of the shot, the wall moves. There's no automatic track points in this corner.

Is it possible to add track points to this corner?

[Szalam]

You can use the legacy stabilizer for that section.

[Dave_LaRonde]

Warp Stabilizer doesn't use track points.  Are you using AE's older stabilizer?

[Pastajeff]

I'm using Warp Stabilizer VFX in AE CC 2017. There's the option to 'Show Track Points' and then I've been removing the ones on the interviewee so that it stabilises the background.

[Dave_LaRonde]

I don't know if I'd do that.  Warp Stabilizer works mainly by mostly warping the edges of the shot anyways.

You know, so the center part of the shot, presumably containing the subject, remains stable & warp free.

[Pastajeff]

Without doing that, it thinks I want to focus on the interviewee, and warps the background based on his movements, so the wall behind him distorts when he moves his head.

I'm doing it like in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxZj6EC0j84

The difference is mine was filmed on a wobbly, stationary tripod, whereas his was handheld.

[Dave_LaRonde]

You'll also notice that in that tutorial, the camera isn't 100% stabilized after the AE guy's done, too.

I'd just try re-stabilizing the shot.  I hope you're not trying to do something ludicrous like a 30-minute interview.

I'm not sold on using Warp Stabilizer, but if you DO decide to use it, I'd try this:

Use AE to blur out the subject's face, and play with Levels to bring out background details.  Export, re-import, stabilize THAT shot and use the Replace Footage command to swap out the real shot for the processed one.  It might work.

[Pastajeff]

Here is the footage, then the footage warp stabilised regularly, and then with some of the track points erased: Interview raw - warp - warp points - YouTube

[Dave_LaRonde]

Ugh.  That stinks.  Give up on Warp Stabilizer.  Use AE's point tracker.  Or just live with the shot as-is knowing that you can't stabilize EVERYTHING.

[Szalam]

I would definitely recommend using the point tracker for stabilization vs. the Warp Stabilizer. Resources here on doing that.