How-to guides · Updated 14 Nov 2026

How to reframe horizontal video to vertical

Short answer

To turn 16:9 into 9:16 you must crop, because the shapes differ. Crop around the subject and follow their movement, or place the full frame on a blurred background. Cropping loses resolution and context, so re-filming vertical is better when you can. Check faces stay inside the vertical area.

What methods exist?

Method	Result	Trade-off
Crop and follow	Subject fills frame	Loses width and some resolution
Blur-fill	Full frame on blurred background	Smaller subject
Re-film	Native vertical	Needs a new shoot

When is cropping enough?

For a single speaker near the centre. Use the aspect ratio calculator to check crop size. Layers supports both 16:9 and 9:16 if you film for either.

What should you check?

Faces, hands and any text stay inside the crop.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just resize 16:9 to 9:16?

No, the shapes differ.

Does cropping reduce quality?

Yes, by reducing resolution.

Is blur-fill okay?

Common but the subject is smaller.

Should I film vertical?

If you can, yes. Filming vertical avoids cropping, keeps full resolution and lets you frame for text and captions from the start.

What about two people?

Cropping is harder with two people, because a narrow vertical frame may not fit both, so film vertically or use a different layout.

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