Bokeh in Virtual Production

Bokeh is a cinematography term in filmmaking. In virtual production, the nuances of this term take on special meaning. Here, we break down the definition to give you a starting point.

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Filmmaking Basics:

What Is Bokeh?

Bokeh is the aesthetic quality of the blur in out of focus areas of an image. Bokeh is often used to make virtual cinematography appear more realistic. See also circle of confusion.

It is the quality and feel of out-of-focus parts and reflected points of light of an image rendered by a camera lens.

Bokeh is rendered by the lens, not the camera. Optical design makes different lenses work different. Portrait and telephoto lenses with large apertures capture more “good bokeh” than cheaper ones. “Good bokeh” is that blurry areas in an image are smooth and usually, circular.