Tips for converting a vertical video to horizontal

In many cases, clients and users will hand you video shot vertically, and we need it in horizontal for a production. Simply adding the "dreaded" black bars on the sides (pillarboxing) is usually the quick fix, but it often looks unattractive, wastes valuable screen space, and can convey a careless image. Here are a series of creative solutions/ideas to remedy this in post-production or editing.

Goal: Convert a vertically shot video into a horizontal one in an interesting format.

5 Fixes for converting a vertical video to horizontal

Here are five effective and aesthetically interesting techniques you can apply yourself if you know your way around editing, or specifically request from your video editor or agency:

Technique 1: Elegant Blurred Background

This is perhaps the most classic solution and the simplest to implement. The idea is to use a modified version of the vertical video itself to fill the leftover space in the horizontal format.

Basic editing steps:

1. Place your original vertical video clip in the center of the timeline or sequence (set to 16:9).

2. Duplicate that video clip. Place the copy on a lower track or layer, directly below the original.

3. Select the bottom copy and scale it up (increase its size) until it completely fills the width of the horizontal format (16:9). Don't worry if it looks pixelated at this point.

4. Apply a significant blur effect to this scaled bottom layer. Adjust the blur intensity until you get a soft background where shapes and colors are suggested but don't distract from the main video. A Gaussian blur usually works well.

5. (Optional but recommended) To improve visual separation and focus, you can slightly reduce the opacity of the blurred layer, or add a semi-transparent solid color layer (a dark "overlay," or perhaps one with a subtle brand color) over the blurred background.

Technique 2: Creative Composition with Graphic or Side Elements

This technique chooses not to center the vertical video, but rather to shift it to one side (left or right) and use the remaining space actively and creatively to add value, context, or brand elements.

Basic editing steps:

1. Position the vertical video clip on one side of the horizontal frame (for example, taking up the left or right third).

2. Design and fill the remaining empty space using a combination of elements such as:

   • Brand Graphics: Your logo, brandmark, graphic patterns, icons, or any key visual element of your corporate identity.

   • Relevant Text: Eye-catching titles, key points from the video, important statistics, standout quotes, clear calls to action (CTA), or contact information. It's crucial to ensure good typography and readability.

   • Another Complementary Image or Video: You can include a relevant product photo, an explanatory graphic, or even another video clip (perhaps a looping B-roll or a paused shot) that adds context.

   • Attractive Backgrounds: A solid color background, an elegant gradient, or a subtle texture that complements the overall aesthetic and doesn't compete with the main elements.

This technique is especially useful for explainer videos, tutorials, event recaps, or when you need to communicate important additional information in a visually integrated way alongside the main video.

Technique 3: Contextual Integration in Mockups or Dynamic Backgrounds

This approach aims to integrate the vertical video in a more naturalistic or contextualized way within the horizontal frame, often using elements that justify its original format, such as a phone screen.

Basic editing steps:

1. Choose a high-quality mockup of a mobile device (smartphone). There are tons of templates available, both static and animated (with reflections, small movements, etc.).

2. Insert your vertical video inside the mockup's screen, adjusting it so it fits perfectly.

3. Place this mockup (with the video playing inside) over an interesting background in your horizontal sequence. This background can vary widely:

   • Static Background: A high-quality photograph (an office desk, an urban landscape, an abstract texture), a solid color, or a brand gradient.

   • Dynamic Background: A subtle, looping background video (stock footage of people working, nature, technology), or you could even use the vertical video itself duplicated, scaled, and heavily blurred (similar to Technique 1) as an abstract backdrop behind the mockup.

4. (Key to creating dynamism) To avoid it looking like a simple static image with an embedded video, consider applying a very subtle virtual camera movement to the entire composition (mockup + background). A slow zoom in, a zoom out, or a slight lateral pan can add a touch of dynamism and professionalism very effectively.

Technique 4: Generative Fill with Artificial Intelligence (Experimental)

Harness the power of generative Artificial Intelligence to "imagine" and fill in the missing side areas of the vertical video, creating a seemingly complete horizontal video.

Concept and Process:

Use AI tools that offer outpainting or generative fill functions for video. Tools like Adobe Photoshop (with its video and Generative Fill features), Adobe After Effects (with specific plugins), or dedicated AI video platforms (such as RunwayML, Pika Labs, and others that are constantly emerging) are developing these capabilities.

1. The AI analyzes the content of the vertical video's existing frames.

2. Based on that analysis, it generates new pixels on the sides to extend the scene horizontally, trying to maintain visual and motion consistency with the original content.

As of today (early 2025), this technology for video is still experimental and evolving rapidly. The results can be impressive but also inconsistent. It works best with videos where the background is relatively static, the camera has slow, predictable movements, or the textures are easily replicable (skies, walls, landscapes).

Technique 5: Using Pre-designed Templates (Canva, CapCut, etc.)

This is a practical, fast, and accessible solution, ideal for those who aren't expert video editors or need quick results for social media, presentations, or internal communications. It's based on using horizontal templates designed specifically to incorporate vertical clips.

Concept and Platforms:

1. Use accessible design and editing platforms like Canva, CapCut (desktop or mobile version), Adobe Express, or other creative software alternatives that offer a wide library of video templates.

2. Look for video templates in horizontal format (16:9) that include placeholders designed for vertical clips.