How to Create a Directional Blur Character Effect in DaVinci Resolve

The fast way to get directional blur on just the character is to add a Directional Blur node in the Fusion page and plug a Polygon node into its blue mask input. The polygon tells Resolve where to blur, so you trace the character and the background stays sharp.

If you don't care about the background, drag Directional Blur from Effects > Open FX onto the clip on the Edit page and tweak it there. It's quicker, but it blurs the whole frame. The steps below work in DaVinci Resolve on desktop, including the free version.

How to blur only the character with a Polygon mask

1. Open the clip in Fusion. On the Edit page, right-click the clip and choose Open in Fusion Page. You can also create a new Fusion composition and bring the clip in there.
2. Add a Directional Blur node. Click the line between MediaIn1 and MediaOut1, press Shift+Space, type Directional Blur and press Enter. Resolve drops the node onto that line.
3. Set the blur direction and strength. In the Inspector, keep Type on Linear. Raise Length to stretch the blur and turn Angle to point the smear where you want it. Right now the whole frame is blurred, which is expected.
4. Add a Polygon node. Click an empty spot in the node editor, press Shift+Space, type Polygon and press Enter.
5. Connect the Polygon to the blue mask input. Drag from the Polygon's output to the blue input on the Directional Blur node. That blue triangle is the Effect Mask, and the blur now only shows inside the polygon.
6. Trace the character. Select the Polygon node, then click points around the character's outline in the viewer. Click the first point again to close the shape. A rough outline works fine because the blur hides the edges.
7. Soften the edge. In the Polygon's Inspector, raise Soft Edge so the blur fades out at the border.

If the character moves during the shot, go to a later frame and drag the polygon points to follow them. Fusion keyframes the shape for you, so check a few frames across the clip and fix any spots where the outline drifts.

Use an ARRI Time Shift preset

The smeared character look in a lot of edits goes by the name ARRI Time Shift. Search that name on YouTube and you'll find step-by-step tutorials built around this exact style.

Some creators also sell or give away presets for it. Check whether a preset is free before you download it.

Blur the highlights and add them back

For a glowing streak instead of a full smear, blur only the bright parts of the frame.

1. Pull the highlights out of the clip with a Luma Keyer node, so only the brightest areas remain.
2. Add a Directional Blur after the keyer and stretch those highlights.
3. Combine the result with the original footage using a Merge node, with the blurred highlights on top.

The character keeps their sharp detail, and the streaks only come from the light areas, like skin, hair and bright clothes.

Stack blur, glow and a screen-mode face

To push the effect further, layer three things on the character:

1. Add Directional Blur as in the main steps.
2. Add a Glow effect on top so the smear looks lit.
3. Put a copy of the clip on a track above, mask it to the character's face, and set its Composite Mode to Screen in the Inspector.

The screen-mode face keeps the eyes and features readable through the blur, so the shot doesn't turn into mush.

If you're new to building effects with nodes, the syllable lyric animation tutorial walks through more Fusion basics. To cut down the time each of these setups takes, read how to speed up your editing workflow in DaVinci Resolve.

FAQ

What is this smeared character effect called? It's often called the ARRI Time Shift look. Searching that name on YouTube brings up tutorials and presets that copy it.

Can I do this on the Edit page without Fusion? You can drag Directional Blur from the Effects library onto the clip, but it blurs the whole frame. You need the Polygon mask in Fusion to keep the background sharp.