A Practical Guide to Video Noise Reduction
Reducing grain and digital noise in footage, especially from low-light shoots, using temporal and spatial noise reduction.
Tomas Lindqvist
What is at stake
Noise distracts viewers and compresses poorly, but heavy noise reduction smears detail and creates a plastic look.
The playbook
- Apply noise reduction before sharpening
- Use temporal reduction for static shots
- Check skin and fine textures
- Render noise reduction early to save time
- Shoot with enough light where possible
Where it goes wrong
Avoid:
- Maximum noise reduction
- Smeared faces
- Adding sharpening that restores noise
- Relying on post to fix severe underexposure
The numbers behind it
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Temporal noise reduction | compares frames to remove noise |
| Spatial noise reduction | works within a single frame |
| Resolve | DaVinci Resolve Studio includes temporal and spatial noise reduction |
| Compression | noise increases bitrate needs |
Getting outside help
When to hand it over: Bring in help when low-light footage is central to a project.
Where this comes from
- Blackmagic Design — DaVinci Resolve Reference Manual
- Adobe Help Center — After Effects User Guide
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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