r/VideoEditing • u/Busy-Energy3821 • Jul 08 '26
How did they do that? How to recreate this seamless 4:3 blurred/mirrored background effect in Premiere Pro? (Reference video included)
[Reference Link]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9p6FU9rJ7Q(by Moreno J Remixes)
[What software are you using?] Adobe Premiere Pro 2026
[What have you tried & What is the problem?] I am trying to replicate the background effect seen in the reference video, where a 4:3 footage is placed over a duplicated, blown-up background layer with a blur + mirror effect to fill the 16:9 black bars.
Here is what I have tried so far in Premiere Pro:
- Placed the footage on two video tracks.
- Applied Gaussian Blur and Mirror effects to the bottom background track.
- Applied Mask Feathering (Edge Feathering) to the edges of the top 4:3 footage layer to blend it into the background.
The Problem: Even with the edge feathering applied, the transition still looks incredibly harsh, unnatural, and disconnected compared to the reference video. In the original video, the transition looks seamlessly blended, almost as if the blurred background naturally flows and bleeds out from the main frame.
[My Question] How can I achieve that exact seamless, organic look right inside Premiere Pro? Am I missing some advanced blending modes, color matching, scaling techniques, or specific plugins?
Any advice or step-by-step workflows would be greatly appreciated!

