> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.tella.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Use an ambient background

> The Ambient background, under Animated in the editor's Style panel, fills your background with a heavily blurred copy of your own screen recording, or your camera when there's no screen.

The **Ambient** background fills the background of your video with a heavily blurred, moving copy of your own screen recording, or your camera when no screen is showing, so the colors around your content always match what's on screen. You'll find it under **Background** in the editor's **Style** panel, on the **Animated** tab.

## Turn on the ambient background

1. Open your video in the Tella editor.
2. Click **Style** in the toolbar, or press `B`.
3. Under **Background**, open the **Animated** tab.
4. Click **Ambient**. Hover over a thumbnail to see its name.

You can also click **Browse all** next to **Background**, open **Animated**, and pick **Ambient**, the first option under **Tella**.

## What does the ambient background show?

It shows the recordings in the current clip, blurred until only their colors remain:

* **Screen recording:** while your screen is visible, the background follows it.
* **Camera:** when the screen is hidden, for example in a camera-only layout, the background shows your camera instead.
* **No recordings:** a clip without a screen or camera recording gets a black background.

The background moves with your recording, so it changes as your screen or camera changes. You see it wherever your layout leaves the canvas uncovered, such as the padding around your screen recording.

## Use the ambient background on one clip only

In **Style**, open the **⋯** menu beside the background controls and select **Apply to this clip only**, then pick **Ambient**. The other clips keep their own background. This option appears only when your video has more than one clip.

Each clip's ambient background uses that clip's own recordings, so it also works when you apply it to every clip.

For every other kind of background, see [Change the background](/docs/help/editing/pick-a-background).


## Related topics

- [Change the background](/docs/help/editing/pick-a-background.md)
- [Change your camera background](/docs/help/recording/blur-your-camera-background.md)
- [Blur or replace your camera background after recording](/docs/help/editing/change-camera-background-after-recording.md)
- [FAQ](/docs/help/introduction/faq.md)
- [Backgrounds](/docs/mcp-tools/backgrounds.md)


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