How to Remove Grimace Shake in Capcut & Tiktok

Have you noticed strange distortions or wobbles in your Capcut videos? This frustrating effect is known as grimace shake and it can ruin an otherwise great video. 

In this guide, I'll explain what causes grimace shake and show you different methods to remove it from your Capcut projects using built-in tools. With a few easy fixes, you can eliminate those distortions for smooth, professional looking videos.

What is Grimace Shake?

First, let's understand what exactly grimace shake is. 

Grimace shake refers to a warping or wobbling effect that makes portions of your video look like they are shaking or vibrating. It creates a distorted appearance, almost like the video is viewed through a prism.

You'll typically notice grimace shake around the edges of footage straight lines and borders will appear to "shimmer". Quick camera movements also accentuate the effect. It can range from mild to severe based on the footage.

Needless to say, grimace shake looks very unprofessional. It detracts from the quality of your videos. Fortunately, there are ways to resolve it in Capcut as I'll explain next.

Why Does Grimace Shake Happen?

Before we get into fixes, it helps to understand potential causes of grimace shake so you can tackle the problem at the root. Here are two main reasons you may see this distortion.

Reason 1 Filming Handheld without Stabilization

The most common cause of grimace shake is filming handheld without proper stabilization. Even slight natural shakes and movements as you hold the camera can induce warp effects. 

Smartphone cameras have onboard stabilization to compensate for this. But it doesn't always work perfectly, especially with wide-angle lenses.

The warping is exacerbated if you move the camera too quickly or have a lot of vibrations like when recording from a moving vehicle.

Reason 2 Incompatible Frame Rates

Grimace can also occur when you combine footage shot at different frame rates in Capcut. 

For example, if you mix 24 fps and 30 fps clips on a 30 FPS project, the mismatch in frame rates leads to the shake effect. This problem arises from the way Capcut handles frame interpolation behind the scenes to create a cohesive video.

So, in summary, unstabilized handheld footage and mismatched frame rates are prime culprits for grimace shake. Being mindful of these potential issues when filming can help avoid the effect in the first place.

How to Fix Grimace Shake in Capcut

If you've already filmed your videos and notice grimace shake, don't worry Capcut provides builtin tools to resolve it. Here are three effective solutions:

Method 1 Enable Video Stabilization

The easiest way to tackle mild grimace shake is enabling Video Stabilization in Capcut:

1. Tap on the clip you want to stabilize in the timeline.

2. In the sidebar menu, scroll down and select Stabilization.

3. Toggle on Video Stabilization and adjust the Smoothing slider as needed.

This uses software stabilization algorithms to digitally smooth out shakes and distortions in your footage. The result is a more stable, less warped clip.

However, aggressive stabilization can cause side effects like cropping and a "jellylike" effect. Use judiciously and adjust smoothing strength based on your footage.

Method 2 Trim Problematic Portions 

For severe grimace limited to small sections of a clip, selectively trimming out the distorted portions can help:

1. Scan through the clip and note down time segments with heavy shake. 

2. Split the clip at the start and end points of the distorted portion using the scissor tool.

3. Select and delete the problematic middle section, leaving you with two clean clips.

4. Join the clips by dragging the second one next to the first so they are side by side.

This removes the ugly grimace shake while preserving the rest of your good footage. Just be careful with jump cuts after trimming use transitions to smooth over any harsh jumps.

Method 3 Apply Transform

The Transform tool in Capcut allows fixing distortions through perspective corrections:

1. Drag the clip with grimace shake to the timeline.

2. Tap on Transform in the sidebar menu.

3. Adjust the sliders for Perspective and Warp to counteract the shake effect.

4. Tweak the other settings like Scale and Rotation if needed to fine tune.

5. Tap Apply when the shake is minimized.

This advanced technique takes some trial and error, but can effectively minimize warping if used properly. Transform is great for targeted fixes.

With these tips, you can leverage Capcut's builtin tools like stabilization, trimming and transform to reduce or eliminate annoying grimace distortions in your videos. Preventing it during filming is ideal, but postprocessing fixes can save shaky footage.

Tips to Avoid Grimace Shake When Filming

Fixing grimace in postproduction is handy, but it's always better to avoid the issue when recording your videos in the first place. 

Here are some handy tips to keep in mind:

• Use a stabilizer or gimbal for smoother handheld shots. This absorbs camera shakes effectively.
• Shoot in ample natural lighting whenever possible. Low light exacerbates grimace shake.
• Move the camera slowly with gentle pans and tilts. Fast movements create distortions.
• Maintain a wide angle and avoid zooming in. Grimace is more visible at zoomed focal lengths. 
• Use a tripod if your camera doesn't have good builtin stabilization. It eliminates handshake.
• Match frame rates of all clips in your project. Mixing rates causes grimace.
• Use editor presets matched to your footage for optimal processing.

Following these best practices when filming your raw videos will already minimize grimace. But also have the fixing methods handy in case some distortion sneaks in!

FAQs on Grimace Shake in Capcut

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about dealing with grimace shake:

How do I fix grimace shake in Capcut on iPhone?

The same fixes like stabilization, trimming and transform tools work on Capcut's iPhone app. Adjust settings until the distortion is minimized.

Why is my Capcut video still shaking after stabilization?

Aggressive stabilization can sometimes cause a remaining "Jello" shake effect. Try reducing the Smoothness under Stabilization settings for a more natural look.

Can grimace shake be fixed in the Capcut web editor?

Yes, the Capcut web editor includes stabilization, transform and trimming exactly like the mobile app for fixing grimace shake.

Should I avoid zooming in to prevent grimace shake?

Yes, zooming exacerbates grimace due to the exaggerated motion and loss of stabilization at narrow fields of view. Stay wide if possible.

Does shooting in higher FPS help stop grimace shake? 

Yes, higher frame rates can reduce grimace compared to standard 24/30 fps. But other factors like stabilization play a bigger role.

So, in summary, be proactive when filming to reduce grimace shake at the source. But also leverage Capcut's handy built-in editing tools to fix any remaining distortions in postproduction. With these tips, your videos will have crisp, smooth motion devoid of annoying wobble effects.