Update! So the company I’m freelancing at actually had a license for Sapphire and I was able to install the Freelens plugin. It gave me exactly what I was looking for in terms of control @Chris Jeffries. So thank you for the Suggestion.

@Ryan Dunn, Before I got my hands on the plugin, I was trying something with the Lense Blur effect on an…

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Haha, you’re not being flippant at all. Thank you so much for your well written response.

Ah! So it was done analogue, which is how they achieved such beautiful “Creamy blurs” as you so eloquently put it.

I love the idea of using stock footage as luma mattes to drive the blurs. I’ll give it a go and report back if I get something nice.

Thank you again.

Would anyone happen to know what this type of blur is called (Rack focus? Etc?) And how one might achieve it in after effects?

Reference Footage:

https://www.impactist.com/projectpages/roe/IMP_roe.html

I’m thinking displacement maps and masking of blurs moving across the footage. But I’d love some suggestions if anyone has any.