A Zoom in Premiere CS6 Looks Jerky

Two position keyframes and two scale keyframes should be a straight zoom. In Premiere CS6 the move comes out shaky, and setting every interpolation to Linear does not settle it. Linear is the right idea for the path and the wrong idea for the speed, and CS6 does not have the later tools people recommend for this.

Ease the scale, keep the path straight

Linear temporal interpolation moves at a constant rate and then stops dead at the next keyframe. That stop reads as a shake, especially on a slow zoom. Right-click the scale keyframes and set the temporal interpolation to Ease In and Ease Out, or to Bezier if you want to shape the speed yourself. Do this on the keyframes at both ends of the move.

Position is separate. Bezier spatial interpolation bends the path between two points, so a zoom that should push straight in wanders and then corrects. On the position keyframes, set spatial interpolation to Linear so the frame travels in a straight line. Temporal ease and a linear path are the combination that looks like a zoom.

Check the frame rate before you blame the keys

A clip interpreted at the wrong frame rate, sitting in a sequence of another rate, stutters on a move and looks fine while it sits still. Right-click the clip in the bin, Modify, Interpret Footage, and set the frame rate it was actually shot at. The sequence frame rate should match. CS6 does not offer Optical Flow. Nesting the clip and animating the nest is worth a try when the clip’s own motion and the zoom fight each other. It will not repair a frame-rate mismatch.