How to motion track an object in premiere

To track object movement in Premiere Pro and apply following effects or text, use Warp Stabilizer for basic motion analysis, Mask Tracker for precise frame-by-frame tracking with masks, or Mocha AE for advanced planar tracking. Each method allows you to link motion data to effects, graphics, or text layers accurately.

If you want to track an object's movement in your video and apply effects or text that follow it, Premiere Pro offers built-in tools for motion tracking. Here's how to do it:

The operating environment of this tutorial: Dell XPS 15, Windows 11

1. Use the Warp Stabilizer Effect for Basic Tracking

This method leverages the Warp Stabilizer effect to analyze motion and extract tracking data. Although primarily designed for stabilization, it can help isolate movement patterns useful for basic object tracking.

• Select the clip you want to track in the Timeline panel
• Go to Effects panel > Distort > Warp Stabilizer and apply it to the clip
• Allow Premiere Pro to analyze the footage completely
• After analysis, open the Effect Controls panel and locate the "Detailed Analysis" section
• Use the Track Points displayed on-screen to identify the moving object’s path
• Create a new adjustment layer above the clip and link its position data manually using keyframes based on observed motion

2. Apply Auto-Tracking with the Mask Tracker

The Mask Tracker allows you to draw a mask around an object and automatically track its movement across frames. This is ideal when applying effects to a specific moving part of the video.

• Add a mask around the object using the Pen tool or Ellipse tool in the Effect Controls panel
• With the mask selected, click the Track Forward button under the mask settings
• Choose Stabilize, Perspective Corner Pin, or Transform depending on how you want the tracked data applied
• Let Premiere analyze the sequence; use Playhead navigation to verify accuracy frame by frame
• Adjust mask feathering and expansion as needed during playback to maintain precision
• Once tracked, apply effects like blur, color correction, or overlays within the masked area

3. Utilize the Ultra Keyer with Planar Tracking (Using Mocha AE)

Premiere Pro integrates Mocha AE for advanced planar tracking, enabling precise motion data extraction for compositing tasks such as inserting graphics that follow surfaces.

• Select your clip and go to Effect Controls > Opacity > Track Matte > Mocha
• The Mocha AE window will launch; use the X-Spline tool to outline the object you wish to track
• Click Track Forward to begin planar motion analysis
• Mocha automatically detects surface plane and rotation, providing robust tracking even with perspective changes
• Close Mocha and return to Premiere; set Matte generation to Alpha Channel if inserting elements
• Link the tracking data to another layer by selecting Edit > Copy Motion Data and pasting onto target layer transforms

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