How many times did you wonder if you could change the orientation of a video you clicked on your smartphone? Well, the Wondershare Filmora9 video editing software can help you convert videos from portrait to landscape. Moreover, with this software, you can customize your video aspect ratio in various options, such as the 1:1 aspect ratio used on Instagram.
Here’s a step by step guide for you to do it on your own. You can also check out the YouTube video on the same topic, to have an all-inclusive tutorial.
When to Convert the Orientation of Videos?
Filming videos on smartphones have become standard practice nowadays that can give hi-fi videography gear a run for its money. But it often happens in the life of a non-expert smartphone videomaker that after clicking a potentially viral video in portrait mode, they cringe over its cramping orientation and only wish the video was fit to screen, like a movie looks- in landscape mode! Or worse, sometimes while taking a video, the videographer mistakenly jumbles up the orientations, going from portrait to landscape and then landscape to portrait.
Sound familiar?
Perhaps the screen-rotation feature is somewhere responsible for feeding a notion, that just like while streaming a movie or video, the filming camera would also automatically shift according to the changing orientation. But currently, only high-fidelity super expensive camera phones might come with somewhat possibility of that.
But that should not spoil your show, for you can at ease use the Filmora9 software to work out a seamless video conversion, from portrait to landscape. Here’s how.
How to Convert Portrait Videos to Landscape Ones?
Step 1: Add Your Video to The Filmora9 Timeline
First, you need to have the video imported into the Filmora9 interface. Then you can either drag the entire video onto the “Timeline” section down below or choose a particular portion in the video that needs to be converted.
Step 2: Choose Between “Match Media” or “Default Project Settings”
There are two ways how you can convert your portrait videos into landscape mode on the Filmora9 - either you crop off the black bars, or you add a blurred background. When you drag and drop your video on the timeline, you will get a push message giving you two options to start your project - Match Media showing an aspect ratio or Keep Project Settings showing a different aspect ratio. So based on your project, you need to choose anyone. Below is a detailed guideline about the functions of each option.
- The Match to Media option is particularly helpful in removing the black bars (letterbox effect) from the sides of the video clip that commonly comes with portrait modes. The feature simply matches the aspect ratio and resolution according to the source media.
- When you choose Keep Project Settings, the bars will be there at the side of the video. Subsequently, the edits will resume in the default aspect ratio.
Crop Portrait Mode to Create Landscape View
If you choose to keep project settings, you then right-click on the video in the timeline, and from there, click on the “crop and zoom” option.
Once you select the Crop and Zoom option it will open up your video in a new box, where you’ll bet the controls to change the aspect ratio of the video. Click on the drop-down menu indicated beside “Ratio”, and select your desired number from the menu. Once you click on the aspect ratio, a rectangle box will appear on the video, indicating the cropping area.
The only problem with this option is that crops off a good amount of portion of your video, so you get a zoomed-in image of the full video.
Adjust the rectangle box to rope in the most photogenic portion of your video into the landscape frame.
Run a preview of the visuals to see exactly how the cropped video is going to pan out full length.
Once you are satisfied, simply click the green-colored OK button to save your file in the Filmora9 media archive.
Working with Background Blurs
Now let's get on the with the second option, which is Background Blurring. This option enables you to keep the entire video clip and utilizes a prosthetic background blur to make up for the negative horizontal space. If you intend to use this option, then particularly choose to keep the default settings and don’t the Match Media option.
To work this out, you need first to drag and drop the video clip into the timeline section, then head over to the topmost left corner of your Filmora9 toolbar and select “Files”. Under files, you will find “Project Settings” click on it, which will open the Aspect Ratio dialog box. Choose the ratio as per your needs.
Now that your aspect ratio is all set, go over to the Effects Tab at the toolbar, and find “Background Blur” in the left-side panel. Click on Background Blurs to reveal a host of blurring options you can channel into covering up the black bars at the sides of your video.
Select a blur effect of your choice and drag it down to the timeline and click over the video clip to successfully transfer the effect. Once added, all you need to do is drag the red line of across your videos to define the duration and portions where your blur effect should appear in the video. You’ll probably want the effect throughout the video. Just adjust it according to your needs.
Finishing Touches
After adding the blur, you can further adjust the color saturation, width, opacity other elements of the blur. Simply double click on the video clip in the timeline, and it will open a new window with all these options. Use the tuning bars to adjust the settings.
Added Feature - Video Rotation
An added feature in this line is the simple Video Rotation tool, which enables you to rotate the orientation of the video in the quickest way. Simply double click on the video and go to the Transform menu from there. It is there you will find the rotation and scale sliders. Simply drag the sliding bars to adjust the video orientation you can view in the preview pane.