Out of Focus Video Fix — Repair blurry camera footage | Fixing focus in post tutorial (free soft)

In this video we'll be fixing a missed focus using free and powerful video editing software.

CHAPTERS
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00:00 - Intro
01:18 - Step 1 Initial sharpening
01:48 - Enlarge preview
02:22 - Step 2 Switch color space
03:49 - Step 3 Add mask
04:36 - Step 4 Blur originally in-focus objects
05:28 - Before and After (final result)
06:13 - Conclusion

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Text version:

Once You've installed Davinci open new project and drop Your video onto the timeline. Now head to Color page.

Here switch to Blur tab. We have three controls here: Radius, H/V Ratio and Scaling.

We need to play around with Radius and Scaling. Lower the Radius until out-of-focus object looks sharp enough, but not too oversharpened. And then adjust the effect sliding the scaling.

By the way, You can disable gallery and clip windows, so You have more space for Your video. And use ctrl + or command + for macs to scale viewer. It can also be done by using percentage controls at the top on the left.

Great. Now we have turned our video into old style VHS. A lot of noise and color noise and the parts of image that were in focus are now oversharpened. Let's solve this.

Remember that blur controls had three channels each? Red, green and blue? Thing is, when using sharpening, we're applying it to all three color channels, that brings in the color noise.

What we can do, is to switch the node we're working with to LAB color space and turn off AB channels, so now our manipulations only affect L channel — lightness.

There's still some noise and sharpening artifacts, that make our video look way too artificial. Let's move to Color wheels tab and lower Midtone detail parameter.

What it does — is softening those parts of image with low details, staying away from high detailed parts. Unlike using traditional blur, we're keeping our edges in tact, while dealing with noise and adding more natural look.

Don't set midtone detail too low, as it would make an object look flat and plastic.

Let's deal with oversharpened objects. Solution is simple — adding mask in window tab. In Davinci You can easily create masks for moving objects, using tracker feature, but to keep this tutorial short I'll use a simple circle static mask. The only thing I'll do is adjusting it's shape and feather to make it look a bit more like a real focus.

Now the only thing left is blurring the objects that were originally in focus, thus adding more depth of field. Of course, it's nowhere near as optical depth straight from a camera, but to my mind, looks better than a completely flat picture.

To do this add new node by pressing alt+S (option+S for mac). Select previous node, return to window tab, select mask and copy it by using copy window in three dots menu. Get back to new node and use the paste option in the same menu. Now invert the mask by pressing this button. And finally add some blur by increasing radius in the blur tab.

And that's it.

This method will make Your footage usable in most cases.

If there's an extreme bokeh, for example, when Your main object is really close to the camera or when Your camera has a shallow depth of field — then Your only option may be filming a new video. But I hope it's not Your case :)

If this tutorial was helpful — please, give this video thumb's up.

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Music used in video:

[dylanevans]

This methodology ended up looking excellent.

Quick tip in case you don't know it: rather than copy/pasting the mask, you can right click any layer with a mask and select 'Add>Outside' and this will add a node with the opposite mask. Iirc it also tracks the first node and adjusts accordingly.

[LewganAirsoft]

Saved an interview I shot for a documentary. Never trust the 3 inch LCD even with expanded focus, get a monitor. Thank you so much.

[DanielGomes-rudf]

the fact that you have time stamps and a text version of your tutorial, you are a really great teacher! thank you!!!

[rain_raii]

You are god sent, Nick. My film mentors saw my footage and were like "ur cooked" and that we'd have to cover up the whole interviewee with b-roll and i was upset because i really wanted her face. i came in this morning and applied the method and it workedddd!!

[ColtonBeckwith]

Wow, that's magic... I can't believe how underrated this guy is!

[NickBorodenko]

CHAPTERS

00:00 - Intro
01:18 - Step 1 Initial sharpening
01:48 - Enlarge preview
02:22 - Step 2 Switch color space
03:49 - Step 3 Add mask
04:36 - Step 4 Blur originally in-focus objects
05:28 - Before and After (final result)
06:13 - Conclusion

[TheChris]

You have saved my butt!
I have a 2 hour video out of focus and this should help me!
Thanks so much!

[sanjanasuresh]

Go ahead with this tutorial it actually works!!! Found this right when I needed it. I have a documentary due for an assignment and ended up having a blurry interview because I did it alone. Thank you so much, you have no idea how much this helped me!

[TheRailfanDan]

Thank you so much for this video! A clip I was hesitant to use in a video of mine I now feel confident enough to put in because of this technique! Very great!

[AmariTheAstute]

MOST USEFUL VIDEO EVER!!

TOTALLY WORKS

[mioscwobiektywie-fotografi]

OMG I LOVE YOU!
Thanks for saving our footage boss
💪💪💪

[kokerbeatbox]

Very Helpful. Thank You SO MUCH!
I would also add that you can set specific point of video when you want to sharpen moving object using tracker function.

[xosummerdawn]

I am a college student and I shot a video for my film class that came out blurry and am so upset. I have been searching and searching for some hope in the chances to fix it and came across this video. The comments are lifting my hopes up, I really hope this works, thank you!!!!

[tomadventure]

Great tutorial. Thanks Nick! I've had these issues far too many times on my Sports Card Unboxing channel, and these tips are a lifesaver. SUBBSCRIBED!

[UNPRECEDENTEDPICTURES]

Wow! So helpful. Thanks so much. What great results!

[eric-seastrand]

Great tutorial and creative use of resolve! Subscribed!

[magitekguitarfacility]

You're a life (and time) saver bro 🙏

[Niarfor]

AWESOME! Thank you so much for making this video!

[IceveinsProductions]

2:45 - I'm confused - when I first lower the radius the blur is reduced but then when I remove the channels, it completely reverts the blur reduction.

[ianbrittainphotography]

Wow! Thank you so much, this has helped me to salvage a wedding vows video for a client, as the video I recorded was not great. At least now, I have been able to grab a fair few decent stills and managed to restore focus to the happy couple during the service. My only question is, how do you save the video once you have applied all the changes please? Great tutorial, very thorough and easy to follow. Bless you