Securely Sharing Video on YouTube with Settings

How to Change the Privacy Setting on Your YouTube Videos

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Privacy settings on YouTube allow you to control who can see your videos. There are three settings — Public, unlisted, and private. This article will give you a brief introduction of what those three settings mean, and how to use them.

• Part1: Public VS Unlisted VS Private
• Part2: How to Change Privacy Settings
• Part2: Sharing Private Videos

---

Want to make your YouTube videos more beautiful within minutes? Here we recommend an easy-to-use video editing software for beginner for your reference - Wondershare Filmora .

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

Part 1: Public VS Unlisted VS Private

Let’s figure out some terms before runing into the how-to part.

Public Videos

These are videos that everyone can view. This is the majority of YouTube videos, and just about every one you’ve ever watched will have been public. You’ll want this if you want lots of people to watch your video.

Unlisted

Unlisted videos are ones that anybody can view so long as they have the link. The video won’t show up on search results or in “related” or “suggested” videos.

This is a great setting for sharing a video amongst small groups. You might have a rough edit you want to show a few people, or you might have a show reel that you only want certain people to see.

Private

Completely private videos cannot be watched by anyone who doesn’t have permission. You grant people permission by allowing their Google accounts to access the video. Nobody else can see the video, regardless of whether they have the link.

It won’t show up on searches, as related or suggested videos, or even when imbedded in other sites. This is the best setting for a video you need to share with only very specific people, if anyone. Below is a comparison table to know more about privacy settings .

Part 2: How to Change Privacy Settings

There are two ways to change the privacy settings: firstly, when you upload the video, and secondly through Creator Studio.

Method 1:

When you upload a video to YouTube you’ll see on the right hand side an option that says “privacy”. This is defaulted to “public”, but you can use the drop-down menu on the button to change the setting. This will apply your privacy setting the second the video finishes uploading and processing.

Method 2:

To change the privacy setting later, go to Creator Studio, then Video Manager. On the right-hand side you’ll see one of three icons: a world, a chain, and a lock. The world means “public”, the chain means “unlisted”, and the lock is for “private”.

To change the privacy, click the icon. You’ll be taken to the video’s info and settings page. Down below where you see the thumbnails you’ll see the selected privacy setting. Click this to open a drop down menu, and select your desired privacy level.

Part 3: Sharing Private Videos

If a video is set to “private’, you’ll have the option to share it with specific people. Below where it says “private” on the info and settings page you’ll see a button labeled “share”. Click this and type in the email addresses of the people you want to be able to watch the video. You’ll also have the option of notifying the people via email that you’ve shared the video with them.

Conclusion

And that’s all there is to it! Changing the privacy setting on YouTube videos is a simple, helpful tool to allow you to control the audience of you work. Enjoy!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Privacy settings on YouTube allow you to control who can see your videos. There are three settings — Public, unlisted, and private. This article will give you a brief introduction of what those three settings mean, and how to use them.

• Part1: Public VS Unlisted VS Private
• Part2: How to Change Privacy Settings
• Part2: Sharing Private Videos

---

Want to make your YouTube videos more beautiful within minutes? Here we recommend an easy-to-use video editing software for beginner for your reference - Wondershare Filmora .

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

Part 1: Public VS Unlisted VS Private

Let’s figure out some terms before runing into the how-to part.

Public Videos

These are videos that everyone can view. This is the majority of YouTube videos, and just about every one you’ve ever watched will have been public. You’ll want this if you want lots of people to watch your video.

Unlisted

Unlisted videos are ones that anybody can view so long as they have the link. The video won’t show up on search results or in “related” or “suggested” videos.

This is a great setting for sharing a video amongst small groups. You might have a rough edit you want to show a few people, or you might have a show reel that you only want certain people to see.

Private

Completely private videos cannot be watched by anyone who doesn’t have permission. You grant people permission by allowing their Google accounts to access the video. Nobody else can see the video, regardless of whether they have the link.

It won’t show up on searches, as related or suggested videos, or even when imbedded in other sites. This is the best setting for a video you need to share with only very specific people, if anyone. Below is a comparison table to know more about privacy settings .

Part 2: How to Change Privacy Settings

There are two ways to change the privacy settings: firstly, when you upload the video, and secondly through Creator Studio.

Method 1:

When you upload a video to YouTube you’ll see on the right hand side an option that says “privacy”. This is defaulted to “public”, but you can use the drop-down menu on the button to change the setting. This will apply your privacy setting the second the video finishes uploading and processing.

Method 2:

To change the privacy setting later, go to Creator Studio, then Video Manager. On the right-hand side you’ll see one of three icons: a world, a chain, and a lock. The world means “public”, the chain means “unlisted”, and the lock is for “private”.

To change the privacy, click the icon. You’ll be taken to the video’s info and settings page. Down below where you see the thumbnails you’ll see the selected privacy setting. Click this to open a drop down menu, and select your desired privacy level.

Part 3: Sharing Private Videos

If a video is set to “private’, you’ll have the option to share it with specific people. Below where it says “private” on the info and settings page you’ll see a button labeled “share”. Click this and type in the email addresses of the people you want to be able to watch the video. You’ll also have the option of notifying the people via email that you’ve shared the video with them.

Conclusion

And that’s all there is to it! Changing the privacy setting on YouTube videos is a simple, helpful tool to allow you to control the audience of you work. Enjoy!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Privacy settings on YouTube allow you to control who can see your videos. There are three settings — Public, unlisted, and private. This article will give you a brief introduction of what those three settings mean, and how to use them.

• Part1: Public VS Unlisted VS Private
• Part2: How to Change Privacy Settings
• Part2: Sharing Private Videos

---

Want to make your YouTube videos more beautiful within minutes? Here we recommend an easy-to-use video editing software for beginner for your reference - Wondershare Filmora .

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

Part 1: Public VS Unlisted VS Private

Let’s figure out some terms before runing into the how-to part.

Public Videos

These are videos that everyone can view. This is the majority of YouTube videos, and just about every one you’ve ever watched will have been public. You’ll want this if you want lots of people to watch your video.

Unlisted

Unlisted videos are ones that anybody can view so long as they have the link. The video won’t show up on search results or in “related” or “suggested” videos.

This is a great setting for sharing a video amongst small groups. You might have a rough edit you want to show a few people, or you might have a show reel that you only want certain people to see.

Private

Completely private videos cannot be watched by anyone who doesn’t have permission. You grant people permission by allowing their Google accounts to access the video. Nobody else can see the video, regardless of whether they have the link.

It won’t show up on searches, as related or suggested videos, or even when imbedded in other sites. This is the best setting for a video you need to share with only very specific people, if anyone. Below is a comparison table to know more about privacy settings .

Part 2: How to Change Privacy Settings

There are two ways to change the privacy settings: firstly, when you upload the video, and secondly through Creator Studio.

Method 1:

When you upload a video to YouTube you’ll see on the right hand side an option that says “privacy”. This is defaulted to “public”, but you can use the drop-down menu on the button to change the setting. This will apply your privacy setting the second the video finishes uploading and processing.

Method 2:

To change the privacy setting later, go to Creator Studio, then Video Manager. On the right-hand side you’ll see one of three icons: a world, a chain, and a lock. The world means “public”, the chain means “unlisted”, and the lock is for “private”.

To change the privacy, click the icon. You’ll be taken to the video’s info and settings page. Down below where you see the thumbnails you’ll see the selected privacy setting. Click this to open a drop down menu, and select your desired privacy level.

Part 3: Sharing Private Videos

If a video is set to “private’, you’ll have the option to share it with specific people. Below where it says “private” on the info and settings page you’ll see a button labeled “share”. Click this and type in the email addresses of the people you want to be able to watch the video. You’ll also have the option of notifying the people via email that you’ve shared the video with them.

Conclusion

And that’s all there is to it! Changing the privacy setting on YouTube videos is a simple, helpful tool to allow you to control the audience of you work. Enjoy!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Privacy settings on YouTube allow you to control who can see your videos. There are three settings — Public, unlisted, and private. This article will give you a brief introduction of what those three settings mean, and how to use them.

• Part1: Public VS Unlisted VS Private
• Part2: How to Change Privacy Settings
• Part2: Sharing Private Videos

---

Want to make your YouTube videos more beautiful within minutes? Here we recommend an easy-to-use video editing software for beginner for your reference - Wondershare Filmora .

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

Part 1: Public VS Unlisted VS Private

Let’s figure out some terms before runing into the how-to part.

Public Videos

These are videos that everyone can view. This is the majority of YouTube videos, and just about every one you’ve ever watched will have been public. You’ll want this if you want lots of people to watch your video.

Unlisted

Unlisted videos are ones that anybody can view so long as they have the link. The video won’t show up on search results or in “related” or “suggested” videos.

This is a great setting for sharing a video amongst small groups. You might have a rough edit you want to show a few people, or you might have a show reel that you only want certain people to see.

Private

Completely private videos cannot be watched by anyone who doesn’t have permission. You grant people permission by allowing their Google accounts to access the video. Nobody else can see the video, regardless of whether they have the link.

It won’t show up on searches, as related or suggested videos, or even when imbedded in other sites. This is the best setting for a video you need to share with only very specific people, if anyone. Below is a comparison table to know more about privacy settings .

Part 2: How to Change Privacy Settings

There are two ways to change the privacy settings: firstly, when you upload the video, and secondly through Creator Studio.

Method 1:

When you upload a video to YouTube you’ll see on the right hand side an option that says “privacy”. This is defaulted to “public”, but you can use the drop-down menu on the button to change the setting. This will apply your privacy setting the second the video finishes uploading and processing.

Method 2:

To change the privacy setting later, go to Creator Studio, then Video Manager. On the right-hand side you’ll see one of three icons: a world, a chain, and a lock. The world means “public”, the chain means “unlisted”, and the lock is for “private”.

To change the privacy, click the icon. You’ll be taken to the video’s info and settings page. Down below where you see the thumbnails you’ll see the selected privacy setting. Click this to open a drop down menu, and select your desired privacy level.

Part 3: Sharing Private Videos

If a video is set to “private’, you’ll have the option to share it with specific people. Below where it says “private” on the info and settings page you’ll see a button labeled “share”. Click this and type in the email addresses of the people you want to be able to watch the video. You’ll also have the option of notifying the people via email that you’ve shared the video with them.

Conclusion

And that’s all there is to it! Changing the privacy setting on YouTube videos is a simple, helpful tool to allow you to control the audience of you work. Enjoy!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Captivating Content: The Basics of Removing Background From Videos

How to Blur Background of Your YouTube Video

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

A lot of YouTubers like to vlog in front of blurred backgrounds. Blurring the background of your YouTube video is a fast way to make it look more professional – you stand out when you are entirely in focus, and everything behind you is blurry. Plus, it is an easy way to disguise the room you are vlogging from.

Even if your set is clean, there could be things like books behind you, which will distract viewers; they will be trying to read the spines. Blurring out the background of your shot makes your video look polished and keeps people’s focus entirely on you.

• Part 1: Blur YouTube Video Background in Shooting Videos
• Part 2: Add Tilt-Shift Effects to Video in Editing

---

Part 1: How to Blur Background of Your YouTube Video in Shooting Videos

Blurring your background is also how you create a beautiful bokeh lighting effect. Bokeh is when you blur lights in the background of your shot, creating halo-like circles of light. By attaching a filter with a shape cut out to the camera lens, you can even generate bokeh lights in other shapes, like hearts or stars.

Aperture refers to the hole in your lens which allows light into your camera. A narrow aperture lets in less light, and a wide aperture lets in more. The wider your aperture is, the shallower your depth of field will be. Widening your aperture also helps your camera perform better in low-light situations. Widening your aperture too much under the wrong circumstances can let in too much light and result in your footage being overexposed.

Depth of Field is the area of your image that is in focus. If you have a large depth of field, then objects close to and far away from your camera will all be in focus. Only a select area will be focused and the rest will be blurred if you have a shallow depth of field.

F-Stops are the measurement of an aperture’s width. The higher your f-stop, the narrower your aperture will be. To create a blurred background or a bokeh effect, you need a wide aperture, and thus a small f-stop. F-stops are written like ‘f/1.4’. You need an f-stop of less than f/4 to blur your background, and less than f/2.8 for bokeh.

1. Blurring and Bokeh

Blurred backgrounds and bokeh are very closely related. A bokeh effect is essentially a blurred background that includes lights.
To achieve a blurred background or a bokeh effect, you need to have a shallow depth of field. That means a wide aperture and a low f-stop.

2. How to Blur your Background

Place your subject – in the case of a vlog, your subject is probably yourself – in a shallow depth of field, and they will remain sharply in focus while everything behind them is blurred.

If the subject is yourself, you might need a helper to either operate your camera or stand in for you while you set up your camera. You will need to be able to check that the place you plan to stand or sit is in focus.

To get a shallow depth of field, make sure your aperture is wide. Do this by setting a low f-stop. Ideally, your f-stop will be 2.8 or lower, but if your camera cannot go that low, then f/3 or f/4 can also work.

Creating a bokeh effect is mostly the same, except that it works best when your subject/depth of field is very close to the camera, and you have a light source off in the background. Zoom Lenses do not usually have wide enough apertures to create bokeh backgrounds.

Blur Video Background in Post-Production with Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

If you need to blur the video background after shooting, you can use some video editing software to add the bokeh effect or the tilt-off effect in post-production. Here, I will show you how to do that in Filmora.

Filmora is one of the most widely used video editing software among YouTubers. Its user-friendly interface and tutorial guide enables green-hands to start video editing quickly. Besides, you can find many free filters, effects, and elements pre-programmed, so you can use them directly without looking for presets and templates somewhere else.

1. Add Bokeh Filter to Video in Filmora

There are about 20 bokeh effects available in filters and overlays. You can find them easily by typing bokeh in the search bar in Effects.

Note: you should select Included to see all bokeh effects pre-programmed in Filmora. If you need more visual effects, just go to the Filmstock effects store.

Double click the bokeh effect to preview the result, and if you find the bokeh effect fits the video, just drop it to the track above the video. And the bokeh filter or overlay will be applied to the video automatically.

2. Use Tilt-Shift Circle/Linear Effect to Blur Video Background

Filmora features two tilt effects, tilt-shift circle and tilt-shift linear, which allows you to highlight people in the video, blur, and conceal the video background.

Go to the Effects tab and then switch to the Utility menu under Included category.

Here, I will select the Tilt-Shift Circle effect and drop it to the track above the video. Now, you can adjust the size, position, and intensity of the tilt-shift circle effect

You see, the video background is blurred, and the people are highlighted. Now it’s your turn to download the Filmora video editor and try it yourself.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

A lot of YouTubers like to vlog in front of blurred backgrounds. Blurring the background of your YouTube video is a fast way to make it look more professional – you stand out when you are entirely in focus, and everything behind you is blurry. Plus, it is an easy way to disguise the room you are vlogging from.

Even if your set is clean, there could be things like books behind you, which will distract viewers; they will be trying to read the spines. Blurring out the background of your shot makes your video look polished and keeps people’s focus entirely on you.

• Part 1: Blur YouTube Video Background in Shooting Videos
• Part 2: Add Tilt-Shift Effects to Video in Editing

---

Part 1: How to Blur Background of Your YouTube Video in Shooting Videos

Blurring your background is also how you create a beautiful bokeh lighting effect. Bokeh is when you blur lights in the background of your shot, creating halo-like circles of light. By attaching a filter with a shape cut out to the camera lens, you can even generate bokeh lights in other shapes, like hearts or stars.

Aperture refers to the hole in your lens which allows light into your camera. A narrow aperture lets in less light, and a wide aperture lets in more. The wider your aperture is, the shallower your depth of field will be. Widening your aperture also helps your camera perform better in low-light situations. Widening your aperture too much under the wrong circumstances can let in too much light and result in your footage being overexposed.

Depth of Field is the area of your image that is in focus. If you have a large depth of field, then objects close to and far away from your camera will all be in focus. Only a select area will be focused and the rest will be blurred if you have a shallow depth of field.

F-Stops are the measurement of an aperture’s width. The higher your f-stop, the narrower your aperture will be. To create a blurred background or a bokeh effect, you need a wide aperture, and thus a small f-stop. F-stops are written like ‘f/1.4’. You need an f-stop of less than f/4 to blur your background, and less than f/2.8 for bokeh.

1. Blurring and Bokeh

Blurred backgrounds and bokeh are very closely related. A bokeh effect is essentially a blurred background that includes lights.
To achieve a blurred background or a bokeh effect, you need to have a shallow depth of field. That means a wide aperture and a low f-stop.

2. How to Blur your Background

Place your subject – in the case of a vlog, your subject is probably yourself – in a shallow depth of field, and they will remain sharply in focus while everything behind them is blurred.

If the subject is yourself, you might need a helper to either operate your camera or stand in for you while you set up your camera. You will need to be able to check that the place you plan to stand or sit is in focus.

To get a shallow depth of field, make sure your aperture is wide. Do this by setting a low f-stop. Ideally, your f-stop will be 2.8 or lower, but if your camera cannot go that low, then f/3 or f/4 can also work.

Creating a bokeh effect is mostly the same, except that it works best when your subject/depth of field is very close to the camera, and you have a light source off in the background. Zoom Lenses do not usually have wide enough apertures to create bokeh backgrounds.

Blur Video Background in Post-Production with Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

If you need to blur the video background after shooting, you can use some video editing software to add the bokeh effect or the tilt-off effect in post-production. Here, I will show you how to do that in Filmora.

Filmora is one of the most widely used video editing software among YouTubers. Its user-friendly interface and tutorial guide enables green-hands to start video editing quickly. Besides, you can find many free filters, effects, and elements pre-programmed, so you can use them directly without looking for presets and templates somewhere else.

1. Add Bokeh Filter to Video in Filmora

There are about 20 bokeh effects available in filters and overlays. You can find them easily by typing bokeh in the search bar in Effects.

Note: you should select Included to see all bokeh effects pre-programmed in Filmora. If you need more visual effects, just go to the Filmstock effects store.

Double click the bokeh effect to preview the result, and if you find the bokeh effect fits the video, just drop it to the track above the video. And the bokeh filter or overlay will be applied to the video automatically.

2. Use Tilt-Shift Circle/Linear Effect to Blur Video Background

Filmora features two tilt effects, tilt-shift circle and tilt-shift linear, which allows you to highlight people in the video, blur, and conceal the video background.

Go to the Effects tab and then switch to the Utility menu under Included category.

Here, I will select the Tilt-Shift Circle effect and drop it to the track above the video. Now, you can adjust the size, position, and intensity of the tilt-shift circle effect

You see, the video background is blurred, and the people are highlighted. Now it’s your turn to download the Filmora video editor and try it yourself.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

A lot of YouTubers like to vlog in front of blurred backgrounds. Blurring the background of your YouTube video is a fast way to make it look more professional – you stand out when you are entirely in focus, and everything behind you is blurry. Plus, it is an easy way to disguise the room you are vlogging from.

Even if your set is clean, there could be things like books behind you, which will distract viewers; they will be trying to read the spines. Blurring out the background of your shot makes your video look polished and keeps people’s focus entirely on you.

• Part 1: Blur YouTube Video Background in Shooting Videos
• Part 2: Add Tilt-Shift Effects to Video in Editing

---

Part 1: How to Blur Background of Your YouTube Video in Shooting Videos

Blurring your background is also how you create a beautiful bokeh lighting effect. Bokeh is when you blur lights in the background of your shot, creating halo-like circles of light. By attaching a filter with a shape cut out to the camera lens, you can even generate bokeh lights in other shapes, like hearts or stars.

Aperture refers to the hole in your lens which allows light into your camera. A narrow aperture lets in less light, and a wide aperture lets in more. The wider your aperture is, the shallower your depth of field will be. Widening your aperture also helps your camera perform better in low-light situations. Widening your aperture too much under the wrong circumstances can let in too much light and result in your footage being overexposed.

Depth of Field is the area of your image that is in focus. If you have a large depth of field, then objects close to and far away from your camera will all be in focus. Only a select area will be focused and the rest will be blurred if you have a shallow depth of field.

F-Stops are the measurement of an aperture’s width. The higher your f-stop, the narrower your aperture will be. To create a blurred background or a bokeh effect, you need a wide aperture, and thus a small f-stop. F-stops are written like ‘f/1.4’. You need an f-stop of less than f/4 to blur your background, and less than f/2.8 for bokeh.

1. Blurring and Bokeh

Blurred backgrounds and bokeh are very closely related. A bokeh effect is essentially a blurred background that includes lights.
To achieve a blurred background or a bokeh effect, you need to have a shallow depth of field. That means a wide aperture and a low f-stop.

2. How to Blur your Background

Place your subject – in the case of a vlog, your subject is probably yourself – in a shallow depth of field, and they will remain sharply in focus while everything behind them is blurred.

If the subject is yourself, you might need a helper to either operate your camera or stand in for you while you set up your camera. You will need to be able to check that the place you plan to stand or sit is in focus.

To get a shallow depth of field, make sure your aperture is wide. Do this by setting a low f-stop. Ideally, your f-stop will be 2.8 or lower, but if your camera cannot go that low, then f/3 or f/4 can also work.

Creating a bokeh effect is mostly the same, except that it works best when your subject/depth of field is very close to the camera, and you have a light source off in the background. Zoom Lenses do not usually have wide enough apertures to create bokeh backgrounds.

Blur Video Background in Post-Production with Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

If you need to blur the video background after shooting, you can use some video editing software to add the bokeh effect or the tilt-off effect in post-production. Here, I will show you how to do that in Filmora.

Filmora is one of the most widely used video editing software among YouTubers. Its user-friendly interface and tutorial guide enables green-hands to start video editing quickly. Besides, you can find many free filters, effects, and elements pre-programmed, so you can use them directly without looking for presets and templates somewhere else.

1. Add Bokeh Filter to Video in Filmora

There are about 20 bokeh effects available in filters and overlays. You can find them easily by typing bokeh in the search bar in Effects.

Note: you should select Included to see all bokeh effects pre-programmed in Filmora. If you need more visual effects, just go to the Filmstock effects store.

Double click the bokeh effect to preview the result, and if you find the bokeh effect fits the video, just drop it to the track above the video. And the bokeh filter or overlay will be applied to the video automatically.

2. Use Tilt-Shift Circle/Linear Effect to Blur Video Background

Filmora features two tilt effects, tilt-shift circle and tilt-shift linear, which allows you to highlight people in the video, blur, and conceal the video background.

Go to the Effects tab and then switch to the Utility menu under Included category.

Here, I will select the Tilt-Shift Circle effect and drop it to the track above the video. Now, you can adjust the size, position, and intensity of the tilt-shift circle effect

You see, the video background is blurred, and the people are highlighted. Now it’s your turn to download the Filmora video editor and try it yourself.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

A lot of YouTubers like to vlog in front of blurred backgrounds. Blurring the background of your YouTube video is a fast way to make it look more professional – you stand out when you are entirely in focus, and everything behind you is blurry. Plus, it is an easy way to disguise the room you are vlogging from.

Even if your set is clean, there could be things like books behind you, which will distract viewers; they will be trying to read the spines. Blurring out the background of your shot makes your video look polished and keeps people’s focus entirely on you.

• Part 1: Blur YouTube Video Background in Shooting Videos
• Part 2: Add Tilt-Shift Effects to Video in Editing

---

Part 1: How to Blur Background of Your YouTube Video in Shooting Videos

Blurring your background is also how you create a beautiful bokeh lighting effect. Bokeh is when you blur lights in the background of your shot, creating halo-like circles of light. By attaching a filter with a shape cut out to the camera lens, you can even generate bokeh lights in other shapes, like hearts or stars.

Aperture refers to the hole in your lens which allows light into your camera. A narrow aperture lets in less light, and a wide aperture lets in more. The wider your aperture is, the shallower your depth of field will be. Widening your aperture also helps your camera perform better in low-light situations. Widening your aperture too much under the wrong circumstances can let in too much light and result in your footage being overexposed.

Depth of Field is the area of your image that is in focus. If you have a large depth of field, then objects close to and far away from your camera will all be in focus. Only a select area will be focused and the rest will be blurred if you have a shallow depth of field.

F-Stops are the measurement of an aperture’s width. The higher your f-stop, the narrower your aperture will be. To create a blurred background or a bokeh effect, you need a wide aperture, and thus a small f-stop. F-stops are written like ‘f/1.4’. You need an f-stop of less than f/4 to blur your background, and less than f/2.8 for bokeh.

1. Blurring and Bokeh

Blurred backgrounds and bokeh are very closely related. A bokeh effect is essentially a blurred background that includes lights.
To achieve a blurred background or a bokeh effect, you need to have a shallow depth of field. That means a wide aperture and a low f-stop.

2. How to Blur your Background

Place your subject – in the case of a vlog, your subject is probably yourself – in a shallow depth of field, and they will remain sharply in focus while everything behind them is blurred.

If the subject is yourself, you might need a helper to either operate your camera or stand in for you while you set up your camera. You will need to be able to check that the place you plan to stand or sit is in focus.

To get a shallow depth of field, make sure your aperture is wide. Do this by setting a low f-stop. Ideally, your f-stop will be 2.8 or lower, but if your camera cannot go that low, then f/3 or f/4 can also work.

Creating a bokeh effect is mostly the same, except that it works best when your subject/depth of field is very close to the camera, and you have a light source off in the background. Zoom Lenses do not usually have wide enough apertures to create bokeh backgrounds.

Blur Video Background in Post-Production with Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

If you need to blur the video background after shooting, you can use some video editing software to add the bokeh effect or the tilt-off effect in post-production. Here, I will show you how to do that in Filmora.

Filmora is one of the most widely used video editing software among YouTubers. Its user-friendly interface and tutorial guide enables green-hands to start video editing quickly. Besides, you can find many free filters, effects, and elements pre-programmed, so you can use them directly without looking for presets and templates somewhere else.

1. Add Bokeh Filter to Video in Filmora

There are about 20 bokeh effects available in filters and overlays. You can find them easily by typing bokeh in the search bar in Effects.

Note: you should select Included to see all bokeh effects pre-programmed in Filmora. If you need more visual effects, just go to the Filmstock effects store.

Double click the bokeh effect to preview the result, and if you find the bokeh effect fits the video, just drop it to the track above the video. And the bokeh filter or overlay will be applied to the video automatically.

2. Use Tilt-Shift Circle/Linear Effect to Blur Video Background

Filmora features two tilt effects, tilt-shift circle and tilt-shift linear, which allows you to highlight people in the video, blur, and conceal the video background.

Go to the Effects tab and then switch to the Utility menu under Included category.

Here, I will select the Tilt-Shift Circle effect and drop it to the track above the video. Now, you can adjust the size, position, and intensity of the tilt-shift circle effect

You see, the video background is blurred, and the people are highlighted. Now it’s your turn to download the Filmora video editor and try it yourself.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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