Let's Get Vertical

You know how when you're taking photos sometimes it's better to turn the camera vertically to get the best shot? I have news for you: you can do this with video as well! It may sound odd, but shooting videos vertically can create a compelling and unique scene. Check out two very different and very awesome examples below.

Generally, shooting vertically, also know as portrait mode, will accentuate vertical elements more, such as trees, a standing person, or other tall objects. It is a different take on the usual mode of shooting horizontally, aka landscape, but it is definitely something you should explore as a videographer. You might be surprised at how a simple frame-rotation can completely change the feel of your videos.

Shooting:
90 degrees is all it takes! Shooting vertical videos is as simple as it sounds. Turn that camera to a vertical position! Just about any camera with video capabilities should work - point & shoots, DSLRs, and especially mobile phones. You can use a tripod to steady it and compose it nicely. Handheld also works, as you can see in this vertical wedding video by FIRR.

Editing:
While shooting vertical videos is pretty easy to figure out, editing them is a different story. There are many ways to go about this with different editing programs. Here's a quick breakdown on the basic idea of editing a vertical video.

1. Import your sideways footage into your preferred video editor.


2. Edit your video as your normally would horizontally!


3. Export the horizontal video with Vimeo's recommended settings.


4. You can then rotate the video with other programs like QuickTime 7 Pro on a Mac or VLC media player on a PC. You would rotate it by flipping the height and width dimensions within the settings panel.
   
5. You can then re-export from these programs again following Vimeo's recommended settings.

Shooting Vertically on your iPhone
Using the free Vimeo iPhone App, you can shoot and edit vertical videos with ease! Here's how:

1. Download the Vimeo app here.


2. Open the app on your iPhone and go to "Recordings". Hit the camera button on upper left side, this will bring you into camera mode. Now rotate the phone and start shooting video vertically!
   PPro tip: Make sure your iPhone does not have the Portrait Orientation Lock on.


3. Once you are done shooting, you can open the clips up in the editor and get editing. You can add effects, music, and titles.


4. When you are finished editing, exit the editor and hit "Export". It will render and then you can upload straight to Vimeo!