How Do I Edit a Horizontal Video to Vertical?

Transforming a horizontal video into a vertical format is a common need, especially for social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts, which prioritize vertical content. This process often involves reformatting the video to fit a 9:16 aspect ratio. There are primarily three effective strategies to achieve this, each with its own advantages and considerations.

Understanding Vertical Video for Modern Platforms

Before diving into the methods, it's essential to understand why vertical video is so popular. It's optimized for mobile viewing, fills the screen, and creates a more immersive experience for users holding their phones vertically. Adapting your horizontal content ensures it's accessible and engaging for these audiences.

Key Methods for Vertical Transformation

Based on common video editing techniques, here are the primary ways to convert your horizontal video to a vertical orientation:

1. Crop the Video

Cropping is the most direct way to make a horizontal video vertical, focusing on a specific part of your original footage.

• Description: This method involves cutting off the sides of your horizontal video to fit a vertical frame. You select a narrower, vertical section of your wider horizontal footage.
• When to Use It:
  • When the main action or subject of your video is centrally located and fits well within a vertical frame.
  • For close-ups or interviews where the peripheral vision is less critical.
  • If you want to create a truly native vertical experience without added backgrounds.
• Practical Insights:
  • Identify the Focal Point: Carefully choose the most important part of your video to keep within the new vertical frame. Anything outside this selection will be lost.
  • Aspect Ratio Consideration: Most video editing software allows you to set the output aspect ratio to 9:16 (for vertical) or 1:1 (square, also popular on social media).
  • Potential Loss of Information: Be aware that you will lose significant portions of your original horizontal content. This method is best when the horizontal "extra" content isn't crucial.
• Example: Imagine a wide shot of a person talking. You can crop in closely on their face and upper body, eliminating the surrounding environment from the sides.

2. Use a Vertical Background for the Video

This method preserves your entire horizontal video while placing it within a vertical canvas.

• Description: Instead of cutting your original video, you place your horizontal video within a larger vertical frame and fill the empty spaces on the sides with a background. Your original video remains fully visible, but it will appear "boxed" within the new vertical format.
• When to Use It:
  • When you want to retain all the information from your original horizontal video.
  • If the context provided by the full horizontal view is important, even if it means having a background.
  • For videos where the subject isn't perfectly centered, or there's important action across the width.
• Types of Vertical Backgrounds:
  • Blurred Background: A popular choice is to duplicate your original video, enlarge it, blur it, and use it as the background. This creates a cohesive, aesthetically pleasing look.
  • Solid Color: A simple and clean option, using a solid color that complements your video's aesthetic.
  • Gradient: A subtle transition of colors can add visual interest.
  • Custom Image/Video: You can use a static image or even another video clip as the background, though this can sometimes be distracting.
• Practical Insights:
  • Visual Cohesion: Choose a background that enhances, rather than distracts from, your main video.
  • Readability: Ensure any text or graphics you add are still readable against the background.
  • This is often called a "fill" or "pillarbox" method, where the horizontal video is centered, and bars or a background fill the sides.
• Example: A landscape video of a beach scene is placed in the center of a vertical frame, and the empty space on the left and right is filled with a blurred version of the beach scene itself.

3. Rotate the Video by 90 Degrees

This method is less common for general viewing but can be used for specific creative effects or when the content inherently lends itself to this.

• Description: This involves literally rotating the video by 90 degrees. The horizontal video frame itself is turned on its side.
• When to Use It:
  • For specific artistic or stylistic choices.
  • If the original content was perhaps mistakenly recorded horizontally but was meant to be viewed vertically (e.g., a tall building shot horizontally).
  • When you expect or instruct your audience to rotate their device to watch the full content.
• Considerations:
  • Viewer Experience: This often requires the viewer to rotate their phone to watch the video comfortably, which can be an inconvenience and lead to lower engagement on platforms designed for upright viewing.
  • Content Fit: The content within the video must make sense when viewed sideways.
• Example: A horizontally recorded video of a very tall skyscraper could be rotated 90 degrees so the skyscraper now appears to go from the bottom to the top of the screen (though the viewer would need to rotate their device to see it upright).

Comparison of Methods

Here's a quick overview of the three methods:

Tools for Editing

Many video editing software options, both desktop and mobile, offer these functionalities. Popular choices include:

• Desktop Software: Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro (for Mac), CapCut (desktop version).
• Mobile Apps: CapCut, InShot, KineMaster, VN Editor.

Most of these tools will have options for "aspect ratio," "canvas," "crop," or "rotate" within their editing interfaces, making these transformations straightforward.

By understanding these three core methods, you can effectively transform your horizontal videos to suit vertical platforms, ensuring your content looks professional and engages your audience seamlessly.