The Vertical Video Era: Producing for 9:16

Videos shot horizontally and cropped later look weak on vertical platforms. Vertical video requires thinking vertically from the moment of shooting.

Shooting

• Place the subject centred, on the upper third of the vertical axis.
• Use close-ups; wide shots feel empty in vertical.
• Leave the top and bottom 15 percent free for interface elements.

Editing

• Put text in the safe middle third.
• Cut every 2–3 seconds; vertical tempo is faster.
• Keep captions close and audio clean; most people watch on mute.

One source, three platforms

Upload the same vertical video to Reels, Shorts and TikTok, but never cross-post watermarked content; reach drops. Adapt titles and hashtags to each platform’s language.