Did you know? Vertical Video has 9 times higher completion rate.
1. 94% of the time smartphone users consume content vertically.
2. Vertical Video has 9 times higher completion rate.
3. Visual attention for vertical video is twice as high than horizontal.
Vertical Video is now the De Facto Format for Social Media
Phones are made to be naturally used in a vertical position and so the simple act of turning their phone to view a landscape video is annoying to users. So, when you are creating videos for social media, are you creating vertical or square videos to get maximum impact? Not long ago 16:9 widescreen video was the dominant format for nearly all platforms. Today the key to making videos that stand out in social media is being adaptable to trends like vertical video content.
Currently more than 80% of all social media video viewers on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok browse these platforms on their phones. Widescreen videos with a 16:9 aspect ratio took up the most amount of space on computers & TVs but this has all changed with our new mobile culture. As we all know, smartphones have vertical dimensions with a 9:16 ratio and because of that, we need to adapt our videos to take up the most amount of space on the screen possible. Vertical video content takes up 78% more real estate on someone’s phone than a widescreen video does with the phone held in natural position. For many brands, making a creative vertical video could make all the difference in capturing someone’s attention vs losing them. Even square videos (1:1) result in 30-35 percent more video views and an 80-100 percent increase in engagement compared to landscape video (16:9) And recent studies by Buffer and Animoto found that vertical videos perform better than square videos and horizontal videos.
American adults spent around 3 hours and 30 minutes each day using mobile internet with about half of that time spent watching video content. As vertical video capabilities grow taller, especially across social media platforms, so does the list of brands and advertisers flexing their 9:16 muscles to leverage the full screen opportunities. It’s not hard to spot a vertical ad while tapping through Instagram Stories and on Facebook. But it’s not just the advertising space that’s seeing growth – it’s the platforms that offer vertical videos too! Take Google’s Web Stories, which is joining the trend and providing another way for brands to showcase their vertical videos. Brands that jump on new trends are usually the ones to enjoy the benefits of fewer competitors, better engagement and lower marketing costs.
The production of vertical videos does not need to be complex or expensive. The relatable look of talking into the camera that is achieved with a handheld device seems to be hitting the mark compared to traditional TV ads, especially when paired with influencers.
Shooting Vertical Videos
Before you go out and shoot it's important to think about where your video is going to be viewed. Though vertical dominates on most platforms, some websites like YouTube and Vimeo are still primarily viewed in widescreen (16:9). Think about the way your audience interacts with the platform you are filming for and make their lives easier.
Even if you shoot a horizontal video (16:9) you can change horizontal video to vertical by cropping your video even after you have shot it. By simply importing your video into an editing app like Splice you will be able to select your final aspect ratio and crop accordingly. That means you can shoot in widescreen and decide after if you want to make your video vertical. However, when using this strategy you will be losing a lot of resolution from your video. Anytime you crop your video you have fewer pixels taking up more space which leads to worse quality. It’s best to know before you shoot whether or not your video will be displayed vertically and shoot accordingly. Make your vertical videos even more engaging by adding titles, animations, and music.
Film Vertically
Ultimately, getting video in-camera is always the better option, whether you’re filming stunts, effects, or lighting. You can add vertical resolution to that list, too. Organically filming vertically will save you a lot of post-production work. It will also help you avoid framing errors, and allows you to view your content on-location and adjust as needed. Likewise, if you’re filming at 4K to deliver for a 1080×1920 vertical upload, the down sampled 4k footage will look inherently better than cropped 4k footage. Downscaling your 4k footage can be worth the effort if you learn how to deal with the compression. However, for those with just the basic equipment, mounting your camera vertically isn’t always a possibility. You will find the 1/4-20 UNC thread that attaches your tripod’s quick-release plates to your camera underneath the camera (unless using a battery grip). You could rotate the plate 90 degrees, so the camera sits on the tripod sideways, then tilt the tripod head down to obtain stationary vertical video. However, you do this at the expense of not being able to use the tripod to pan and tilt.
A few tips about filming vertically
Due to the lack of horizontal space, have your subject walk toward or away from the camera instead of walking from side to side.
Slight camera shake is noticeable in standard landscape video; it’s even more jarring with vertical video.
Landscape video offers a means for the audience to examine the whole picture. However, vertical video has a very tall and narrow viewing area, so you want to keep your subject center.
Make sure your LCD auto-rotate function is turned on.
Fill the composition with tall subjects.
Landscape Video Cropped
Almost all vertical video platforms only accept a 1080×1920 vertical upload at max. So, is there a need to film vertical when you can shoot in 4k? (If your camera can only shoot in 1080p, use the suggested tools to mount the camera vertically.)
When 4k was introduced to moderately inexpensive mirrorless and DLSR cameras, it allowed filmmakers and videographers to reframe, crop, and punch in on content uploaded at 1080p. And now, with the advent of 6k, you can crop and reframe for 4k uploads. Look at the guidelines set by those social media websites that use vertical video. These sites broadcast vertical video at a maximum of 1080×1920, and mobile devices stream 1080p video, if not just 720p. As with all technology, this can change in a minute, so do check the technical specs for the platform you will be uploading videos to, for their latest guidelines.
Therefore, it’s not entirely impractical to film horizontally and then crop your footage when editing. With many newer cameras, you can set the aspect ratio overlays to make sure you are correctly framing for vertical content. You can also use gaffer or electrical tape to create a matte on your LCD screen
A few tips about filming horizontally & cropping
Have you framed your shot perfectly? Bring the camera back a step. It’s better to shoot that extra bit wider to accommodate for framing mistakes.
Just like filming vertically, camera shake is going to become more noticeable when you reduce the viewing area of the video clip.
Shoot at the highest resolution possible.
Different platforms host different sized vertical videos. Make sure your aspect ratio overlay corresponds to the correct platform.
Filming two people talking? Have them stand a few feet apart. Although this will look odd in widescreen framing. When you bring the video into editing, you can cut two shots from the same video clip.
While this is a reliable method, there is also a certain impracticality in filming normally to produce landscape content and cut that landscape footage into a social media cut. When you reduce the aspect ratio to suit an Instagram story, the message might not be as visible when viewing in a vertical format. Likewise, certain shots such as a mid-shot on an actor’s face may become an extreme closeup when you reduce the viewing resolution.
So, if you’re entering a project knowing that you will also be delivering a social vertical cut, consider how you can frame the shots to work in both circumstances.
Reformatting horizontal video for vertical output in post
If the content you are using were originally shot horizontally, you would need to reformat the footage within your editing software. All you need to do is go to your NLE’s timeline settings and change the aspect ratio to 9:16 (1080×1920). Make sure your video clips are set to fill the viewer and not “crop to fit.” For more ideas for this, check out this blog on Shutterstock.
Aspect ratios for popular Social Media platforms
Just like widescreen footage, there’s a variety of vertical aspect ratios. For the most part, the leading platforms that host a “story” function, vertical video should be exported at 9:16 (1080×1920). This is the most straightforward aspect ratio to conform to, as it’s just as simple as rotating your standard 16:9 footage or camera. Beyond 9:16, things start to get more complicated.
Instagram Stories, IGTV, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook Stories – 9:16 (1080×1920)
Instagram Gallery – 4:5 (1080×1350)
Facebook Feed – 2:3 (1080 x1620)
Instagram Gallery and Facebook Feed – 1:1 (1080×1080)