Reframe the subject before adding effects

Choose fit, crop and position to protect the information in each shot.

Turning a landscape recording into a vertical video is a composition decision. A centre crop may keep the face but remove the hands demonstrating a product. Before choosing automatic reframing, decide what must remain visible in each moment.

Select the visual clip and adjust its scale and position in Motion or the corresponding properties area. Move the playhead through the shot. A crop that works on the first frame can fail when the subject leans sideways. If you cannot keep both the face and the demonstration, consider a supporting close-up, a wider fitted view or a different source shot.

Digital enlargement uses the pixels already available. A 4K export does not turn a badly focused small crop into genuine 4K detail. Judge the result at its intended viewing size. Prefer a slightly wider clean image to a close-up that makes the product impossible to inspect.

SEE IT IN VIDMOAT · INTERACTIVE WALKTHROUGH

Make a deliberate picture adjustment

Real editor screenshots · September 2026 · Select a step, then tap the image to zoom.

01 Select first, transform second02 Adjust with a reason

Select first, transform second

Select the image clip, then open Motion. Scale changes the size; X and Y change position. A diamond beside a property is a keyframe control.

Look for this

Start with a still composition that works. Then follow the lesson to animate it.

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Follow along in Vidmoat

1. Choose the final aspect ratio in Project Settings.
2. Select the clip and identify the essential subject and action.
3. Adjust scale and position without hiding hands, labels or the product feature.
4. Check the start, middle, end and any large subject movement.
5. Use another shot or a fitted layout if cropping removes essential evidence.

Your turn

Crop lamp-wide.png into a vertical frame, then compare it with a fitted version. Identify which choice better shows the lamp’s footprint.

A common trap

A frame that looks good while paused may fail during movement. Check the whole action.

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