Motion Blur Trail (Echo blur, Ghosting trail, Afterimage streak)
If your subject must move through space but leave echoes of themselves like a memory unfolding, go Motion Blur Trail.
Motion Blur Trail creates dreamy ghost-images or streaks that follow a moving subject, as if time can’t fully catch up. Unlike standard motion blur that simply softens fast movement, this effect visually retains past poses as distinct, semi-transparent layers. Perfect for suggesting grace, surrealism, or temporal dissonance.
Don’t-Confuse-With:
Motion Blur (standard): Subject and scene both blurred—no crisp figure.
Speed Streaks: More linear, energetic blur lines (used for fast or tech-y visuals) rather than ghosted poses.
Multiple Exposure: Similar look but often used for symbolic overlaying, not kinetic suggestion.
| Effect Type | post-process |
|---|---|
| Related Effects | motion blur speed streaks |
| Used in Contexts | dreamlike, montage, flashback, hallucination, narrative emphasis, stylized sequence, time distortion |
| Effect Styles | stylized, dreamlike, surreal, nostalgic, cinematic, experimental |
Motion Blur Trail Prompt Examples
Zebra running with echo blur
A humanoid zebra in a puffed red dress bounds across the surface of a dark, moonlit lake. Her striped legs splash with each graceful leap, sending ripples and golden and violet fish flying playfully into the air. A dreamy motion blur trails behind her—three ghostly afterimages fading into the watery dusk. Bioluminescent glimmers shimmer below the water’s surface, casting soft reflections onto her dress. The atmosphere is whimsical yet otherworldly, as though time itself hesitates to catch up.
image-to-video