Build momentum with radial blur

Radial blur, also known as motion blur, is a special effect used to mimic how objects look when moving toward, away from, or in front of a stationary viewer. Example uses for this versatile feature include:

• Authentically depicting people or objects in motion
• Creating the impression of superspeed or warped time, with the final effect making the viewer feel like traveling at light speed
• Adding a dramatic effect to an otherwise stable clip
• Depicting an overwhelmed or unsettled state of mind
• Creating visual contrast to capture the viewer’s attention and giving more emphasis to the main subject

Radial blur is a common feature in a variety of mediums. If you’re wondering how to make the most of this effect, consider the following ideas:

• Create an immersive video game environment – Game designers commonly use the radial blur effect when players look through a scope or are on the move. It's common among 1st POV games to suggest movement. Add motion blur to your own video game design or promotional videos to create a more authentic, immersive experience. Radial blur can enhance the dynamism of your game setting, heightening the suspense of the moment. This helps to engage the viewer, especially in first-person games where their decisions change the trajectory of the experience.
• Establish a subjective cinematic world – Radial blur is often used to help the viewer understand the inner world of the character. While the radial blur effect is not usually sustained throughout the entire film or even an entire scene, its appearance in small doses powerfully reveals subjective feelings and sensations. For example, you can use radial blur to isolate a character from their surroundings, depicting them as a single static element in a sea of movement. This effect can also show an overwhelmed state of mind where no single object stands still, used after a character hears the devastating news that throws their world off its axis.
• Design captivating static images – Adding motion blur to your static images creates a sense of contrast and motion that reels the viewer into the world. Try incorporating this effect with objects commonly in motion, such as speeding cars, bustling crowds, or a baseball hit out of the park.
• Share a unique message – Experimental work often challenges the status quo, constructing a world that is reflective of yet vastly different from our daily lives. Adding radial blur is a helpful technique when designing a specific, unfamiliar environment. Whether it’s a looped video exhibition or an image collage, combine your content with motion blur to defamiliarize the visual space. Such an effect can encourage your viewer to ask deeper questions about the work and your overall theme.

Ready to put your next creative project in motion? Add a powerful radial blur effect with just a click. Easily experiment with the intensity, duration, direction, and placement of our radial gradient tool in our intuitive editing suite. And for a masterful finishing touch, combine this effect with abundant filters, features, and effects.

If you’re applying a radial blur to your video using video templates, which factors do you need to consider? Whether it’s the climactic action scene or an early world-building montage, make this effect your own with the following concepts in mind:

• Adjust the intensity of the effect – Applying radial blur is not a binary on-off decision. Think of this feature as a continual spectrum from a barely noticeable softening to a full-on, out-of-focus blur. When deciding on how much blur to use in your video, experimentation is always best. In the end, you’ll want to choose a level consistent with the amount of motion you’re depicting. For example, if your scene involves crowds walking through a metro station, you may want to tone down the blur if the figures are not recognizable as people anymore. If a spaceship travels at lightspeed, you may want the vessel to become almost unrecognizable.
• Keep in mind that the intensity of the radial blur effect doesn’t have to remain the same throughout the shot. Try increasing the intensity of the motion blur as the rocketship blasts off, or the main subject sinks deeper into insanity, for example.
• Decide on a duration – Since radial blur is a special effect, creating contrast is important. Too much motion blur may not create the dynamic feeling you’re aiming for, and eventually, viewers will likely find it distracting rather than interesting. Consider adding the radial blur effect to the climax of your video or in quick, carefully selected moments.
• Choose a focal point – The same scene can look drastically different depending on the focal point you choose. If you’re illustrating motion as authentically as possible, consider setting the focal point of your radial blur filter in the center of the screen. Otherwise, for more subjective shots, you may select your protagonist or the object in motion as your point of focus.
• Create a compelling soundtrack – Designing a soundscape to match the radial blur effect will easily add to the viewing experience. Use our multitrack audio capabilities to create richly layered aural elements. For example, if your scene shows cars racing around a track, throw in a fast-paced upbeat song that sets the audience’s hearts racing. On the other hand, you can support an unstable atmosphere with dissonant chords and a thin melodic line or occasionally screeching sounds that grow in volume and length. With music, pointed sound effects, and ambient noise, you can create a truly immersive environment.
• Use a subjective camera angle – Since the radial blur effect depicts objects in motion from the perspective of a stationary viewer, it’s natural to use point-of-view shots mimicking how a person may experience the situation. Consider pairing motion blur with a steady cam or POV shot rather than a medium or wide.

As you play around with all sorts of image qualities, try and take a step back every once in a while to see how the video looks from start to finish, rather than focusing in on just one frame or sequence.

The short answer is: yes, you can. However, you may not necessarily want to. This effect typically works best with objects already in motion. This is because radial blur creates a rotation blur from your central focal point. If you use the effect on a static close-up shot of a person or object, for example, you’ll usually end up with fuzzy outlines similar that seem unintentionally out of focus.
That being said, it’s important to experiment with various ideas to find the one that brings out your story your way. Ready to test them out? Upload your clips, explore the effects at your disposal, and make some magic.