<p>Without having seen the movie, it may be difficult to get it down exactly, but here is what I came up with. </p>

<ul>
<li>Duplicate your layer twice, so that you have three copies.</li>
<li>On the top layer mask out the person. </li>
</ul>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/3Q7sM.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/3Q7sM.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<ul>
<li>Set the mask feather to around 30px. </li>
<li>Copy and paste the mask to the other two layers. </li>
<li>On the middle layer, set the mask feather to 60 and the mask expansion to 60. (can be adjusted to suit).</li>
<li>On the bottom layer, set the mask to subtract mode and add a 'Turbulent Displace' effect to the layer. </li>
<li>Adjust the size to suit (I chose 30) and you can keyframe the 'Amount' to have it animate on or off. I also added the expression 'time * 500' to the 'Evolution' property to add some movement. </li>
</ul>

<p>Here is what mine ended up looking like: </p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/3soRF.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/3soRF.gif" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>Hope this is close to what you're after.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-21T01:02:50.643Z
yes!  the keyframing is a bit fast/bouncey but I'm sure I can slow that down.  otherwise this is exactly what I needed
Jodast
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-21T00:54:25.677Z
2020-01-21T00:54:25.677Z
Clif
<p>This is a desired look that stills photographers have been creating with Helios 44 lenses. It's quite possibly a native analogue effect see swirly bokeh.  To simulate the effect using the above using @clif's three layer solution. On the bottom layer with spherical distortion, radial focus blur, and some circular smearing increasing at the boundary of the image.</p>

<p>Ref:  <a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/967/27986297808_2f0f5ebaf2_b.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://live.staticflickr.com/967/27986297808_2f0f5ebaf2_b.jpg</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-26T23:23:17.253Z
2020-02-26T23:23:17.253Z
OysterBoo
<p>I want to create a distortion effect around someone's head, kind of like what a swirly bokeh would do.  There are two different shots that I could find that use this effect in the film 'Midsommar', one in which there is a swirly distorted effect around a head, and another where general swirls around the screen appear.  While it looks like a keyframed liquify effect from PhotoShop, I'm not sure if it can be recreated in after effects.  How can I do this?
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/8YlPr.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/8YlPr.png" alt="enter image description here"></a>
<a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/a24-midsommar-QW3GavVLEeTa3Rpkx1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://giphy.com/gifs/a24-midsommar-QW3GavVLEeTa3Rpkx1</a></p>

<video><premiere><after-effects><effects>
How can I recreate this distortion effect from Midsommar?
Jodast
# How can I recreate this distortion effect from Midsommar?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-01-20)

I want to create a distortion effect around someone's head, kind of like what a swirly bokeh would do. There are two different shots that I could find that use this effect in the film 'Midsommar', one in which there is a swirly distorted effect around a head, and another where general swirls around the screen appear. While it looks like a keyframed liquify effect from PhotoShop, I'm not sure if it can be recreated in after effects. How can I do this?
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/8YlPr.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/8YlPr.png)
<https://giphy.com/gifs/a24-midsommar-QW3GavVLEeTa3Rpkx1>

**Tags:** video, premiere, after-effects, effects


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-01-21. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

Without having seen the movie, it may be difficult to get it down exactly, but here is what I came up with.

* Duplicate your layer twice, so that you have three copies.
* On the top layer mask out the person.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/3Q7sM.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/3Q7sM.jpg)

* Set the mask feather to around 30px.
* Copy and paste the mask to the other two layers.
* On the middle layer, set the mask feather to 60 and the mask expansion to 60. (can be adjusted to suit).
* On the bottom layer, set the mask to subtract mode and add a 'Turbulent Displace' effect to the layer.
* Adjust the size to suit (I chose 30) and you can keyframe the 'Amount' to have it animate on or off. I also added the expression 'time \* 500' to the 'Evolution' property to add some movement.

Here is what mine ended up looking like:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/3soRF.gif)](https://i.sstatic.net/3soRF.gif)

Hope this is close to what you're after.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: yes!  the keyframing is a bit fast/bouncey but I'm sure I can slow that down.  otherwise this is exactly what I needed  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-02-26. Score: 1

This is a desired look that stills photographers have been creating with Helios 44 lenses. It's quite possibly a native analogue effect see swirly bokeh. To simulate the effect using the above using @clif's three layer solution. On the bottom layer with spherical distortion, radial focus blur, and some circular smearing increasing at the boundary of the image.

Ref: <https://live.staticflickr.com/967/27986297808_2f0f5ebaf2_b.jpg>


---

