How to use the Pixel 7 Pro Cinematic Blur for beautiful videos with an artistic flair

Jack Wallen shows you how easy it is to use the new cinematic blur effect for videos with the Pixel 7 Pro.

I’ve been using the Pixel 7 Pro for about a week now and have been blown away by how good this device is. On every level, the Pixel 7 Pro is an improvement over an already stellar Pixel 6 Pro.

But one feature that makes the Pixel 7 Pro stand out for me is the cinematic blur effect that was added to the camera. With this feature, you can create remarkable videos with a beautiful background blur and even “rack focus,” which means shifting the focus between foreground and background subjects with ease.

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When I first received the Pixel 7 Pro, I will admit I was skeptical about the quality of videos this feature would produce. It only took a couple of quick tests for me to realize that Google nailed it. The cinematic blur is fast, accurate and incredibly easy to use.

One thing to keep in mind is this: Although the Pixel 7 Pro is capable of creating incredible videos with background blur, the quality isn’t going to stand up to a real cinematic camera. I’ve compared the results between my Pixel 7 Pro and my Z-Cam E2-F6 cinematic camera and there is a vast difference between the two. However, for those looking to create beautiful videos to share on social media, with friends and family, or even for your business, the Pixel 7 Pro could easily become a pocket-sized workhorse.

Although you won’t be using the Pixel 7 Pro to film your next movie or sitcom, you certainly use it for more than you might think. With that bit of information out of the way, let’s see how to use the new camera effect on the Pixel 7 Pro.

What you’ll need to use the cinematic blur feature

The only way to get this feature is to have a Pixel 7 Pro. If you’re a fan of creating movies with a phone, you might consider this feature the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back to make you drop the coin for this new device. Trust me: It’s worth every penny.

How to use the Pixel 7 Pro cinematic blur

Using the Cinematic Blur effect is quite simple. Open the Camera app on your Pixel 7 Pro and swipe right in the mode selector bar until you see Cinematic. Tap that entry (Figure A) to switch to the Cinematic Blur mode.

Figure A

Tap the record button and then tap on a subject that you want to focus on. The camera will do exactly that and blur either the background or the foreground, depending on where the subject is that has focus.

As you film, you can then tap on a different subject to shift the focus from either background to foreground or foreground to background (Figure B).

Figure B

You can move between focal points all you want during the video. You can also adjust the color temperature with the left vertical slider or the brightness with the right vertical slider. The Pixel 7 Pro will make the focus shifts quickly and accurately. Once you’re done filming, tap the stop button and the Pixel 7 Pro will render the video so you can view and share it.

And that’s all there is to use the Cinematic Blur effect on the Pixel 7 Pro. This feature will blow you away and help you create lovely videos with smooth focus racking and blurs.

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