Motion Blur Effect: Creating a Sense of Movement in Videos

As a content creator or videographer, knowing how to add a motion blur effect can make the difference between you and your competitors. You can blur videos to conceal some information or highlight parts of a subject. But how exactly can you do that? Read on to discover the secret to creating stunning visuals with the ten best tools for motion blur effects!

What is the Motion Blur effect

Motion blur effect is the haze seen in moving objects in a video and appears to occur due to the movement of the camera, subject, or both elements. Some reasons why you may use motion blur include:

• Increase visual appeal
• A motion-blurred video is more appealing than a normal video. Motion blur effect lets you pixelate the unwanted sections and portions of the media files.
• Marketing and advertising
• Marketers have now learned to introduce a focal point in their videos to keep the audience engaged. With the motion blur effect, audiences can focus on the most important thing with the rest of the view befogged.
• Promote artistic expression
• Motion blur promotes creative expression by adding a mystery to the video. Like in a fast-action movie, the beautiful streak of lights can show speed or fast progression of time.

Although professionally shooting a video can help achieve motion blur in the raw version, you can get studio-grade quality by adding motion blur effects in post-production. The list below has the ideal tools to add a motion blur effect online, on a computer, and on mobile.

Best motion blur effect tools for Mac/Windows

In this section, you'll explore the best motion blur effect desktop software for Mac or Windows. Take an honest look at the pros and cons of each, and see which one suits you best.

1. CapCut desktop video editor

If you prefer offline software for your video editing needs, CapCut has you covered. The CapCut desktop version is fully equipped with a wide range of effects, including motion blur, and can generate quality results within a few seconds. Let's look at how you can apply motion blur to your video with CapCut PC.

Step
1. Import media
2. First, you must download the CapCut desktop software to your desktop or laptop. Installing it is quick, and you can run it without any challenges. On the editing interface, import your video from your device's local storage, and it will appear in the editor. Drag-drop it to the timeline to apply the motion blur effect.
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Step
4. Add motion blur effect & edit
5. On the top right section of your screen, navigate to the Effects tab > Video effects, scroll to Lens, and tap Motion blur to download the effect. Tap the plus icon to add the effect to the editing stripe, or drag and drop it above the video you want to edit. Adjust its length accordingly based on how long you want to apply the effect. You can drag it all the way to apply the blur effect to the whole video or split the video into different clips and apply the motion blur effect to each scene or clip. Or you can delete the right or left part of the video using the delete feature and apply the effect on the remaining side.
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7. You can perform further edits on your video using the right-sided pane. CapCut desktop video editor allows you to add keyframes, scale the video, blend scenes, or add a background canvas. Additionally, you can cut out human figures, apply masks, or enhance the general appearance of human characters.
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Step
9. Export
10. Click Export on the top right corner to download your edited video. Give your video a title and select the different parameters based on your preferences, including Resolution, Bit rate, Format, and Frame rate. Plus, you can Export audio or run a copyright check to ensure legal compliance.



2. Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is a stable desktop tool for both Windows and MacOS, with a complete set of features for video editing. Its toolkit is super-efficient and simplifies the process of applying motion blur premiere, with various blur effects, such as grainy and dispersion blur. Whether a pro or a beginner, unleash your creativity genius with this tool's delightful and easy-to-use user interface.



3. Vegas Pro

Just like Vegas is associated with fun, so is Vegas Pro's powerful and intuitive video editing desktop software. This tool can work on Windows, helping you create motion blurs that look completely natural. Compared to Davinci's resolve motion blur, Vegas Pro has a smooth learning curve and is easily adaptable to beginners. With Vegas Pro, you can manage every aspect of your video editing without leaving the interface.



Best online tools for motion blur effect

Adding motion blur effects to your videos is straightforward with online tools. Here is a list of the best ones.

4. CapCut online video editor

As a prominent multimedia editor, CapCut can help add motion blur effects to any video. It is easy to use, and you can adjust the intensity and speed of the motion blur effect. There are also various blur styles that you can try out to ensure you achieve perfect results. You can blur the entire video, specific scenes in a video, or the background.

Below are two steps to go about it.

Step
1. Upload media
2. Dragging and dropping the media onto the editing canvas is the easiest way. Still, you can also click the blue (+) icon to upload media from your device's local storage or use the buttons below to import from Google Drive or Dropbox. If the video is on your phone, scan the QR code with your smartphone camera, and it will be uploaded immediately. For media previously saved on your CapCut cloud space, click on or drag it to the working space.
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Step
4. Add motion blur effect & edit
5. On the left-side pane, click Effects and select blur or type in "motion blur." You'll be presented with numerous blur effect styles. In this case, click Motion blur to select it, and it will appear on the timeline above the video.
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7. Adjust the length of the motion blur effect on the timeline based on the video duration. That way, you can apply the motion blur effect to an entire video or for a specific duration or add multiple blur effects along the video. Once you've added a motion blur effect, use the basic settings on the right side to adjust the Horizontal and Intensity to a level that works best for your blurring needs.
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9. CapCut also allows you to perform further video edits, like blurring video background, adjusting video color, applying animations, transcript-based editing, or adjusting audio settings. Furthermore, you can remove backgrounds automatically and improve beauty highlights using smart AI-powered tools like background remover and retouch.
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Step
11. Export
12. Click Export to share the blurred video with colleagues and team members for their constructive feedback or share it as a presentation. More options include posting directly to your social media, including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube. You can also download it to your device storage for offline viewing, and this option lets you adjust the export settings, such as resolution, quality, format, and frame rate.



5. Kapwing

For those used to adding motion blur effects in Premiere, After Effects, and Final Cut Pro, Kapwing is a modern, free online alternative with fast and accessible tools to edit your video flawlessly. The tool is exceptional with an Adjust video tool that features a Blur slider that's intuitive and easy to use. You can instantly add motion blur to a video to make it look dynamic and captivating. Kapwing is free to start, with no ads or spam to distract your work.



6. Lunapic

Lunapic stands as a valuable online editor with the capacity to quickly blur your videos. It delivers motion blur after effects on any video with straightforward features and functionality, allowing you to edit the video to your desire. Users can apply a certain degree of blur and intensity effects and the result is excellent.



7. Flixier

Flex your video editing skills with Flixier. This online video editing tool allows its users to pixelate or motion-blur video in a matter of seconds. Using its pixelation technology, you can apply different blurry shapes to hide specific parts of a video efficiently. Along with other features, Flixier is your go-to platform for managing videos and improving their overall scene outlook.



Best motion blur effect apps for iOS/Android

Most people use smartphones to capture videos or download them online. Hence, it is common to edit media on a mobile phone with a few screen taps, and these apps can help to add a motion blur effect.

8. CapCut mobile editing app

The CapCut mobile editing app is easy for beginners and experts alike. With it comes premium video editing tools available free of charge. You can use it to efficiently add a motion blur effect to your media and use its extensive video editing tools to polish your content.

Step
1. Import media
2. Open CapCut mobile and tap on any media files in the CapCut cloud space, or tap New project to choose from your device storage.
Step
3. Add motion blur effect & edit
4. With the video added to the editor, select the Effects tab at the bottom of the editing toolbar and choose Video effects > Lens. Look for the Motion Blur effect and tap on it to apply it to the video. Tap the motion blur effect again to adjust its horizontal settings and intensity levels, then tap the checkmark button. The motion blur effect will appear on your editing timeline below the video. Drag it to apply it to a specific scene, part of the video, or cover the entire video. You can also improve your video further with more controls for audio, overlay, ratio, filters, stickers, etc. Or split the video, adjust playback speed, add animation or style, isolate vocals, stabilize, retouch, mask, auto reframe, reverse, etc.
Step
5. Export
6. Use the download icon at the top of your screen to adjust the video resolution and choose to download the blurred video to your phone storage or share it directly to your TikTok account.



9. BlurEffect - Blur Photo & Video

With BlurEffect, video editing has never been so easy. You can use this iOS application to create a stunning depth of motion blur effect. With just your fingertips, you can apply incredible blur effects, including Zoom blur, alongside other effects, such as Pixelation. Plus, you can adjust the effects of Auto Blurs to perfect your motion blur Final Cut Pro.



10. NSMB - Motion Blur Video

NSMB - Motion Blur Video is an Android application that helps you apply the motion blur effect on your videos in a matter of seconds. Besides the easy-to-use interface, this application has a straightforward learning curve, making the whole process a breeze.



Conclusion

Multiple apps can be utilized to add a motion blur effect to your video. Above are the top 10 easily manageable ones, and most, if not all, are free to use. You can try each to find one that serves your purpose. But if you want an easy time adding motion blur effect, CapCut is a great option. It provides exclusive motion blur and helps you upscale your video to the next level with high resolution and graphics. It is available for all platforms and operating systems. Try it today to create motion blur effects that improve your videography game.

FAQs

1. What's the best way to create a motion blur effect for free?
2. The best way is to use a robust and reliable multimedia editor like CapCut to add motion blur effects. First, CapCut offers the convenience of cross-platform compatibility to enhance your flexibility and productivity. With it, it is also easy to add a motion blur effect to your videos and perform basic and advanced editing for high-quality results.
3. Does the motion blur effect affect the original quality of the picture or video?
4. No. The motion blur effect only blurs sections of a video that you don't wish to be seen. It doesn't affect the original resolution of your media. You can use the CapCut editor to apply motion blurs to your videos precisely, and further enhance it to ensure the best quality and resolution.
5. Can I apply the motion blur effect in post-production?
6. Yes, you can apply a motion blur effect to a video in post-production using the CapCut online video editor. It is a user-friendly media editor that can help enhance your media highlights and add motion blur effortlessly. Even better, it extends its editing utility for mobile phone users and those who prefer to edit on a desktop.