Can FXbuddy make footage look like it was shot underwater?

Yes. FXbuddy can transform standard footage to look submerged — adding the characteristic blue-green colour shift, caustic light patterns from the water surface above, gentle floating particles, and the slight wavering distortion that water creates. This allows you to create underwater-looking scenes without actual underwater photography equipment.

What visual elements define an underwater look?

The key elements of a convincing underwater look are: blue-green colour shift (red wavelengths are filtered by water depth), caustic light patterns from above (rippling light patterns cast by sunlight through the water surface), floating particles and sediment, slight wavering distortion from refraction, muffled ambient light quality, and reduced contrast in the background. Including all of these in your prompt produces a more complete result.

Can I create a shallow water look vs. a deep ocean look?

Yes. Shallow water looks feature bright caustic patterns, visible surface light, and a blue-green shift that still allows some warmth. Deep water looks feature heavy blue-black colour saturation, almost no warm tones, very limited visibility in the background, and no visible surface light. Specify the depth feel explicitly in your prompt.

AI VFX Prompts for Underwater Look

Transform any clip to look like it was shot underwater — blue-green colour shift, caustic light patterns, floating particles, and water refraction distortion — without a dive housing, a pool, or an underwater crew. These prompts generate a convincing submerged aesthetic on dry-land footage.

Underwater footage is expensive and logistically complex to shoot for real. Waterproof housings, dive teams, lighting rigs, and talent who can perform underwater all add cost and risk. For many narrative, commercial, and music video contexts, a convincing AI-generated underwater look on standard footage is a practical and cost-effective alternative.

The key to a believable underwater look is layering the right visual elements together: the colour physics of water (red absorption, blue-green dominance), the caustic surface light patterns, the particle density, and the slight distortion that water columns create. Your prompt should describe these individually.

What FXbuddy needs in an underwater look prompt

Depth impression: shallow (bright, warm caustics visible), mid-depth (strong blue-green, dimmer), deep ocean (cold blue-black, limited visibility)
Caustic light: whether rippling caustic patterns should appear — light from above filtering through moving water surface
Particle density: clean water, light floating particles, murky with dense sediment
Colour temperature: tropical warm blue, cold ocean green, deep cold blue-black
Distortion: subtle refraction wavering, moderate water column distortion
Preservation: keep the foreground subject recognisable

5 example prompts you can copy

transform this clip to look like it was shot underwater in shallow, clear tropical water. strong blue-green colour shift — dominant cyan-blue tones, warm reds almost entirely absent. bright caustic light patterns rippling across all surfaces from a sunlit surface above. light floating particles throughout the water column. gentle horizontal refraction wavering of background elements. preserve the foreground subject clearly.

create a mid-depth ocean look for this scene. heavy blue-green colour saturation, reduced warm tones. dim diffused ambient light — no direct sun, light coming from above but scattered by depth. moderate floating sediment particles throughout the frame. slight wavering distortion on background elements. murky visibility at the far background. cold, pressured atmosphere. foreground subject remains visible but surrounded by water environment.

add a deep cold ocean look to this clip. extreme blue-black colour shift — almost all warmth removed, cold steel-blue dominant. very limited background visibility — fades to near-black within a few metres of depth. occasional floating particles of sediment. no surface light visible — ambient light from a diffuse, unknown source. heavy atmospheric depth. isolated, pressured, claustrophobic underwater feel.

create a bathtub or swimming pool underwater look — clear water, very shallow depth feel. light blue tint, much of the original colour warmth preserved. strong rippling caustics from the water surface very close above — bright animated light patterns. tiny air bubble particles rising upward. foreground subject clearly visible, sharp. fresh water feel, not oceanic. playful, summery aesthetic.

add a murky, dark underwater atmosphere to this clip. visibility severely reduced — background dissolves into murky green-brown water. floating debris and sediment particles throughout, denser in the background. cold colour palette — desaturated, muted greens and blues. light source from camera direction only — a dive torch beam illuminating the immediate foreground, fading quickly into murk. tense, horror-adjacent underwater atmosphere.

Common mistakes

Missing the caustic layer: Caustic light patterns (the rippling light patches from a sunlit water surface above) are one of the most immediately recognisable underwater visual cues. For any scene implying shallow-to-medium depth, include caustics explicitly. Deep ocean scenes should omit them — no surface light reaches that far.
Warm colour palette: Water absorbs red wavelengths. Any underwater look that retains warm orange or red tones will feel inauthentic. Unless you're describing a very specific scenario (a bioluminescent scene, a red flare), shift to cool blue-green and instruct the AI to remove warm tones.
No particle specification: Water always has some particles — whether dust in clear tropical water or dense sediment in murky conditions. Including particle density guidance makes the result feel volumetrically real.

Tips for better underwater results

For horror or thriller underwater scenes, emphasise visibility reduction and a single directional light source (dive torch) against a dark, murky background.
Combining underwater colour treatment with a slow-motion feel (if your footage is 60fps, export at 24fps first) reinforces the underwater experience at the physics level.
The underwater look pairs well with background replacement if you also want to change the environment — pair an underwater colour treatment with a background swap to a coral reef or ocean floor.

Frequently asked questions

Can FXbuddy make footage look like it was shot underwater?: Yes. FXbuddy adds the characteristic blue-green colour shift, caustic light patterns, floating particles, and refraction distortion that define underwater footage — transforming dry-land clips into convincing underwater scenes.
What visual elements define an underwater look?: Key elements: blue-green colour shift (red absorbed by water depth), caustic light patterns from the surface above, floating particles and sediment, slight wavering distortion from refraction, muffled diffused ambient light, and reduced background visibility. Including all of these produces the most complete result.
Can I create a shallow water look vs. a deep ocean look?: Yes. Shallow: bright caustics, visible surface light, blue-green with some warmth retained. Deep: heavy blue-black saturation, no warm tones, very limited background visibility, no surface light. Specify the depth feel in your prompt.

Related prompt guides

Water and Rain Prompts

Surface water effects — rain, puddles, wet surfaces.

Fog and Atmosphere Prompts

Volumetric atmosphere for atmospheric depth effects.

Background Swap Effect

Replace the background with an ocean floor or reef environment.

Generate underwater VFX in Premiere Pro

FXbuddy transforms any clip to look submerged — from a text prompt, inside Premiere Pro or After Effects.

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