How to Motion Blur in Premiere Pro?

To add motion blur in Premiere Pro, you'll primarily use effects found within the Effects panel. Here's a breakdown of how to do it:

Applying BCC Motion Blur

The simplest method involves using the BCC Motion Blur effect.

Open the Effects Panel: Locate the "Effects" panel in Premiere Pro. If you can't see it, go to Window > Effects.
Search for "BCC Motion Blur": In the Effects panel's search bar, type "BCC Motion Blur". This will filter the effects to show you Boris Continuum Complete (BCC) Motion Blur. Note: this requires the Boris FX Suite.
Apply the Effect: Click and drag the "BCC Motion Blur" effect onto the clip in your timeline where you want to add motion blur.
Adjust Settings (Effect Controls): Go to the "Effect Controls" panel (Window > Effect Controls). Here you'll find the settings for BCC Motion Blur. Experiment with parameters like "Blur Amount", "Shutter Angle", and "Samples" to achieve your desired look. Increasing the "Blur Amount" will intensify the blur, while "Shutter Angle" mimics the exposure time of a camera shutter. "Samples" control the quality of the blur.

While BCC Motion Blur is a direct option, there are other techniques you can use, especially if you don't have the Boris FX Suite:

Echo Effect (Simulated Motion Blur): While not true motion blur, the Echo effect can create a similar trailing effect. Apply it to your clip and adjust the "Number of Echoes" and "Decay" parameters to control the length and fade of the trail. Lower "Decay" values create a longer trail.
Frame Blending (Interpret Footage): Right-click the clip in your timeline, select "Interpret Footage," and under "Frame Blending," choose either "Frame Mix" or "Pixel Motion." This can help smooth out jerky motion but isn't true motion blur in the traditional sense. "Pixel Motion" is generally better but more processing intensive.
Optical Flow (Time Remapping): Use Time Remapping (right-click a clip, Show Clip Keyframes > Time Remapping > Speed) and slow down the clip with Optical Flow selected for Time Interpolation. This generates new frames to smooth the slow motion and can inherently introduce a kind of motion blur, especially with fast movement. This primarily applies to slowing down footage and isn't directly a motion blur effect.

Performance: Motion blur effects can be render-intensive. Be prepared for longer rendering times, especially with higher quality settings.
Experimentation: The ideal settings for motion blur depend on the specific footage and the desired look. Experiment with different parameters to find what works best.
Purpose: Consider why you're adding motion blur. Is it to smooth out jerky movement, emphasize speed, or create a stylistic effect? This will influence your choice of method and settings.