No. Background blur is applied by the recorder while you record, so it has to be on before you press record. The editor cannot blur the background of a camera recording afterwards. What you can do in the editor is remove the background completely with a Cut out layout, or change what appears behind you with Backgrounds, and you can always re-record the clip with blur turned on.
Turn on blur before you record
- Web app: with your camera on, open Camera background (on the camera preview in a camera-only recording, or under Camera settings when sharing your screen) and choose Blur. Set it before you start; background options are only available during setup.
- Chrome extension: click the round background button in the corner of the camera preview and choose Blur.
- Mac app: open the camera menu and, under Apple Effects, switch on Portrait. This uses macOS video effects, so it depends on your macOS version and camera.
- Windows app and Safari: background effects are not available.
Your choice is saved per device, so blur stays on for your next recording. See Change your camera background.
Remove the background in the editor with Cut out
Cut out removes the background from your camera recording and places you directly on the canvas or over your screen recording. It works on videos you have already recorded:
- Open the video and click Layout in the editor sidebar.
- Find Cut out and select the layout tile, or open Customize layout and choose Cut-out under Camera style.
Tella may show Preparing cut-out while it processes the clip. Cut out works best when you are clearly separated from your background. See Remove your camera background with Cut out.
Change what is behind you with Backgrounds
With Cut out on, or in any layout with space around the camera, click Style and pick a Background: a solid color, a gradient, or your own image. This replaces what viewers see behind you rather than blurring the room you recorded in. See Backgrounds.
Effect → Blur hides a region of the footage in a layout’s Screen slot, such as an email address in a screen recording. It does not apply to your camera, and a camera-only clip cannot use it. See Blur or highlight part of your video.
Re-record the clip
If you need a blurred background on a clip you already recorded, re-record that clip with blur turned on. The rest of the video stays as it is.
Confirming Re-record this clip? deletes the current recording and every edit made to that clip, including cuts, zooms, and layouts. If the clip is heavily edited, consider Cut out or Backgrounds above instead.
