# How to Auto Reframe Videos for Vertical Formats By Wideframe Editorial Use a separate vertical sequence, choose the subject that must stay visible, and review shots whose meaning depends on the full horizontal frame. Wideframe’s reframe workflow lets you specify the subject, dimensions, and fallback when a crop cannot hold the important content. Start from the approved edit, then reconsider shots that depend on the full horizontal frame. ## What you’ll take away - Name what the viewer must see, not only the target ratio. - A two-subject or wide demonstration shot may need a different treatment. - Revisit captions and graphics after changing the composition. ## Vertical is a new composition, not just a smaller frame A horizontal edit often places important information across the width of the picture. A vertical version removes much of that width. The immediate question is not simply whether the tool can crop to 9:16, but which part of each shot must remain visible for the audience to understand the action. Prepare the vertical cut as its own deliverable while preserving the horizontal master. The same story can work in both, but the useful shot choice, text placement, and relationship between two speakers may change. Do not assume that a successful horizontal composition can always be preserved by following the most prominent face. ## Understand what a moving crop can and cannot do Auto reframing changes the crop or position over time to keep a subject within the new frame. It can reduce repeated manual positioning, but it cannot reveal detail that was never recorded or retain two distant subjects in a crop too narrow to contain both. A locked-off picture can still require editorial judgment if several things matter at once. Source resolution affects how much room you have to crop, but more pixels are not a guarantee of unchanged quality. Focus, compression, noise, and the size of the relevant detail also matter. Avoid stretching the picture to fit; if a crop loses necessary information, use a different layout or a different shot rather than treating distortion as a solution. ## Use Premiere Auto Reframe on a separate sequence Adobe's [Auto Reframe instructions](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-video-effects/commonly-used-effects/add-auto-reframe-effect-to-a-sequence.html) describe selecting a sequence in the Project panel and choosing Sequence > Auto Reframe Sequence. Choose the target aspect ratio and motion setting. Premiere creates a reframed sequence, allowing you to keep the original edit as a reference. Review the generated framing and adjust it where the result does not fit the story. Adobe notes that complex motion or speed changes can require nesting and that some keyframes need manual refinement. Do not assume the chosen motion preset understands the narrative importance of a prop, a second speaker, or a piece of on-screen text. If a shot already has deliberate motion, compare the new result with the original before accepting it. An automatic crop that technically contains the person may still produce distracting moves or miss the moment their hands demonstrate the key step. ## Tell Wideframe what should stay visible The [reframe workflow](https://try.wideframe.com/skills/reframe/) asks for exact dimensions, a subject, safe margins, and a fallback. Add and save the recipe in a blank Wideframe chat, then describe the visual priority of the edit. For a cooking edit, specify that the technique shot should keep the hand and pan visible, while the introduction can follow the cook. Keep the new version separate from the approved horizontal piece. This lets each serve its own destination without forcing the original composition to become a compromise. You are adapting a finished argument to a different viewing space, not merely resizing a file. The instruction should identify both the subject and the fallback. For a product demonstration, following the presenter's face may be wrong when the product is being handled near the bottom of the frame. Say whether the product, hands, face, or a readable label takes priority. If the subject leaves the crop, decide whether to follow it, change the layout, or retain a wider view. ## Make an editorial choice for difficult compositions A face, a product, and a line of on-screen text can compete for the same narrow frame. Decide which carries the point of the shot. A product demonstration may need the hand and control more than the presenter’s face; a personal interview may depend on expression. In an illustrative cooking lesson, the horizontal image shows the cook beside a pan. A face-centered crop hides the action just as the narration explains a technique. The vertical version needs to prioritize the pan for that passage, or use another available angle. “Keep the subject centered” is incomplete until you identify the subject that matters. A wide two-person exchange may not fit a single moving crop comfortably. Consider a different angle, a shorter use of the wide image, or a layout that retains the necessary context. Do not let the software’s ability to move a crop become a reason for constant distracting motion. Look for shots whose meaning depends on separation: before-and-after objects side by side, a person pointing at a distant detail, or several steps shown across a workbench. Cropping one side away can change what the viewer understands even if the remaining image is sharp. Slides and screen recordings require special care: a presenter-centered crop can hide the actual explanation. A close view of the relevant area, a redesigned layout, or separate detail coverage may communicate the point better. Treat the appearance of essential text as a readability requirement rather than assuming subject tracking will preserve it. ## A practical horizontal-to-vertical workflow First, identify the destination dimensions and keep a versioned copy of the horizontal master. Second, review the shot list for passages where a narrow crop would hide necessary context. Third, apply the reframing workflow to the new deliverable, specifying the visual priority for difficult shots. Fourth, adjust graphics and captions in the vertical composition rather than leaving them at horizontal coordinates. Fifth, watch the complete vertical version at an appropriate viewing size, listening as well as checking the picture. Finally, export and review the actual output, not only the editing canvas. For an illustrative cooking clip, the speaker's introduction might favor the face, the preparation step might favor hands and the bowl, and the result shot might favor the plated food. A single tracking target across the entire piece would miss those changes in purpose. Reuse a framing instruction where the purpose stays the same; change it when the shot's job changes. ## Rebuild the relationship between image and captions Captions that were unobtrusive in a wide image may cover hands, controls, or expressions in the vertical crop. Titles may become too small or collide with other elements. Review the image with the text treatment present, rather than judging the crop in isolation. Once the vertical timing is settled, add and save [Caption This](https://try.wideframe.com/skills/caption-this/) in a blank Wideframe chat, then invoke it on that version. Request burned-in captions if the delivery needs visible words, and specify where the cooking action needs clear space. The recipe supplies line-length and reading-speed defaults; the pan and hands still determine whether its usual bottom placement is right for this shot. For a demonstration, place words where the viewer can read and still see the action. If the image is too crowded, simplify the caption presentation or choose another moment for a graphic. The goal is comprehension, not preserving every original overlay at its previous relative position. Leave room for the destination's interface, but do not rely on a single universal safe-area percentage. Check the current placement of controls and overlays for the actual platform and delivery surface. Read the captions at phone scale and watch for words covering the action. If an important detail sits at the bottom, moving the text may be better than moving the subject. ## Review the vertical version as its own edit Play the result from the beginning at a realistic viewing size. A crop that looks reasonable paused can feel restless in motion. An establishing shot may need more context, while a close-up that was brief in the original may now carry the whole explanation. Reuse your target dimensions and general margins on the next cut, while keeping subject choice specific to its content. See [Premiere assistant options](https://try.wideframe.com/blog/best-ai-video-editors-for-premiere-pro/) for the broader workflow. The useful outcome is a vertical edit that communicates the same point clearly. Confirm the destination's current dimensions, duration limits, and upload requirements when delivering. These rules can change, and a generic label such as Shorts or Reels does not replace an actual delivery specification. Keep platform-specific exports named clearly so feedback on one version is not accidentally applied to another. The goal is a coherent vertical video, not a cropped proof that automation ran. A viewer should understand who is speaking, what action matters, and what the text says without having seen the horizontal original. Keep the editable vertical sequence so later caption or framing corrections remain practical. ## Try this request with your own footage Make a vertical version of this approved cooking edit. Keep the cook visible in the introduction, but prioritize the hand and pan during the technique demonstration. Leave readable space for captions and flag shots that need another angle rather than an aggressive moving crop. ## Questions ### Is vertical adaptation just a center crop? No. Choose the important subject and account for shots whose meaning depends on the wider composition. ### Should I preserve every horizontal graphic? Preserve the message, but adapt placement and presentation so the narrower image remains understandable. ### Can the same preferences be reused? Yes, for recurring dimensions and margins. Subject priorities still depend on the new footage. ## Sources - [Wideframe reframe workflow](https://try.wideframe.com/skills/reframe/) — consulted 2026-09-18 - [Wideframe pricing and requirements](https://try.wideframe.com/pricing/) — consulted 2026-09-18 - [Wideframe caption-this recipe](https://try.wideframe.com/skills/caption-this/) — consulted 2026-09-18 - [Adobe Auto Reframe a sequence](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-video-effects/commonly-used-effects/add-auto-reframe-effect-to-a-sequence.html) — consulted 2026-09-18 Published by Wideframe. Examples are not customer results or benchmarks. ## Adapt the cut for vertical viewing Bring an approved horizontal cut to Wideframe and prepare a vertical version around the picture that matters. [Start free trial](https://try.wideframe.com/onboarding?start=trial). Seven days; card required; $100/month afterward unless canceled. Apple Silicon Mac and Premiere Pro required. [Current terms](https://try.wideframe.com/pricing/).