Reframing vertical videos for widescreen YouTube or TV

Understand the shape problem

Vertical video is tall and narrow, while YouTube's main player and TVs are wide. Dropping a vertical clip straight in leaves black bars on both sides.

You cannot invent picture that was never filmed, so every fix is a trade-off between filling the space and keeping the subject visible.

Fill the sides with a background

Create a 16:9 project in your editor and place the vertical clip in the centre. Behind it, put a blurred, enlarged copy of the same clip, a brand colour, or a simple pattern.

Use the side space for helpful extras: chapter titles, step numbers, or a list of ingredients. This turns empty space into information.

Crop or combine clips

If the action happens in the middle band of the frame, crop a horizontal slice and enlarge it slightly. Check sharpness, since enlarging a phone clip too much makes it soft.

For comparisons, place two or three vertical clips side by side, such as before, during and after. This fills a wide frame naturally.

Shoot for both formats next time

If you know a video will be used in both shapes, film horizontally at high resolution and keep the subject in the centre third. You can then crop a vertical version and keep the wide one.

Many phones and editing apps also offer auto-reframe tools that follow the subject. Try them, but always review the result for awkward cuts.

Frequently asked questions