Noise in videos, often referred to as "graininess", is a common issue that everyone encounters. This visual noise can appear as random speckles of color or brightness, especially in low-light conditions, and can detract from the overall quality of the footage.
One of the effective ways to address this problem is using the denoise video feature in Adobe After Effects. But if you are new to video editing, you may not be sure where to start or how to do it effectively since After Effects can be quite complex.
Below, we will guide you on how to remove background noise from video using After Effects, provide another software alternative, and offer tips on how to prevent graininess in your footage.
In this article
Part 1. What Makes Video Look Noisy/Grainy?
When you take video footage but the results are not pleasing because it looks grainy and noisy, you might start wondering what the cause is. Understanding the cause can help you make necessary adjustments to avoid repeating the same issue in the future. Among possible reasons, some of the most common ones are:
High ISO settings: Increasing the ISO setting on a camera can make the sensor more sensitive to light, but it also amplifies noise. Use the lowest possible ISO setting to achieve the desired exposure.
Low-light conditions: Insufficient lighting can cause a camera to raise its ISO to get more light. This can introduce noise. Ensure proper lighting during recording, or use a camera with better low-light performance.
Camera quality: Cameras with lower-quality sensors and optics are more likely to produce noisy footage. Invest in a higher-quality camera if the budget allows.
Compression settings: Highly compressed video files can have noise. This is due to the loss of detail during compression. Use a higher bitrate or less intensive compression settings when encoding videos.
The reasons above are very likely why your video looks noisy. To have clear, high-quality video footage requires attention to several key factors, including appropriate camera settings, sufficient lighting conditions, and often, the use of a camera with a quality sensor.
If the footage you've captured already appears noisy, you can address this during post-production using tools like the Denoise video feature in Adobe After Effects. We'll discuss how to do this in the next section.
Part 2. How to Reduce Noise (Denoise) on Videos Using After Effects
As we have mentioned, you can use tools to reduce video noise. One of them is the denoise video tool in After Effects. In this section, we will give you a step-by-step guide and show you how to remove background noise from video using After Effects.
Step1Launch Adobe After Effects on your computer
Run Adobe After Effects on your computer, import your video, and drop it into the timeline section.
Step2Locate the feature
Select a clip in the timeline and head to Effect > Noise and Grain > Remove Grain.
Step3Enable the feature
Noise reduction and grain removal techniques will be automatically applied, and you will see a preview of how the effects look on the clip.
Step4Adjust the effect settings
If necessary, you can also adjust the effect settings manually in Effect Controls. But if you are satisfied with the result of the Remove Grain automatically effect, you don't need to adjust manually.
Part 3. After Effect Alternative: Easy Denoise Software to Remove Video Noise – Wondershare Filmora
Besides the Denoise video in After Effects, there is also an alternative software like Wonderhare Filmora with a more user-friendly interface that simplifies complicated editing tasks. If you are a beginner this software will be perfect for you. Filmora is known for its ease of use and extensive video editing features. One of them is the video denoise feature that was introduced in Filmora.The video denoise feature enhances clarity and visual quality, restoring the sharpness of old videos with poor resolution. It is particularly useful for footage shot in low-light conditions, such as at night or indoors.
Here’s a step-by-step on how to use it to reduce noise in your video:
Step1Install and Launch Wondershare Filmora
Go to the Wondershare Filmora website, and install the software on your computer. Once the installation process is complete, launch Filmora on your computer and log in or create an account to enjoy its features. After that, click New Project.
Step2Import the video clips
Once you are in Filmora’s editing interface, import the video you want to denoise and drop it into the editing section.
Step3Enable Video Noise
After dropping the clip, navigate to the Video section on the left panel and click AI Tools next to the Basic option. This will automatically apply enhancements such as sharpening and noise reduction to improve the overall quality of the video.
Step4Enable Audio Noise(Optional)
If you want to reduce the audio noise in your video, you can go to the Audio menu > Basic. Then, under the Denoise option, enable noise reduction for specific types of audio noises like Wind, Hum, or Hiss.
Step5Export the video clips
Once you are happy with the reduced video, export the result right away.
Part 4. Tips to Prevent Noise in Videos
Besides using a denoise tool during post-production, there are proactive steps you can take to prevent excessive noise in your videos. To get a quality video and minimize video noise, you can optimize the shooting process with some of the tips below:
- Optimize lighting to ensure the scene is well-lit. Use natural light or add extra light, like softboxes or ring lights.
- Set your camera to manual mode. Control the ISO, keeping it low for proper exposure.
- Choose cameras with bigger sensors. They perform better in low light and make less noise.
- Shoot at the highest resolution your camera supports, and downscale if needed.
- Use reduction software like Adobe After Effects or Wondershare Filmora. Which is highly effective in reducing noise while preserving detail.
By combining the tips above, you can significantly reduce video noise and improve the overall quality of your footage.
Conclusion
You've shot a video, but when you start editing it, the results look bad—grainy and noisy. This will be very irritating. Retaking the video will require a lot of effort and time, especially if you are a video editor working on a deadline.
If that happens, you can use the denoise video After Effects or other software like Wondershare Filmora for easier steps. They let you reduce the noise to improve your clip's quality. And to prevent video noise, you can prepare by watching light, using cameras with larger sensors, and controlling the ISO. These will help you get a video with the least noise.
