Vertical or Landscape: What Should I Choose?

Choosing between vertical and landscape orientation for your video can be a real dilemma.

To begin with, video orientation refers to how your video appears on a screen. There are two main types: vertical and landscape (also known as horizontal).

Video orientation matters because it affects whether viewers can fully grasp the message you’re trying to convey. Today, both formats are still widely used in video production.

But did you know that vertical videos have a 90% brand recall rate and 33% higher reach compared to landscape videos?

The main reason? The smartphone era. These days, people discover most things through their phones.

From educational content to ads, smartphones are the primary medium for consuming new content. That’s why many brands now prefer shooting their videos in vertical format.

So, where should you begin? Let’s explore the key factors that can make or break your video production success.

Understanding the Difference

The first thing to understand is that every platform has different video resolution requirements.

Before creating your video, ask yourself: Which platform will I publish this content on?

YouTube and Facebook typically use landscape orientation. This format works best for longer videos, traditional filmmaking, and more complex editing.

On the other hand, platforms like Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok favor vertical videos. Vertical orientation performs well on social media because the content is short, mobile-friendly, and often consumed in real time.

Never Crop Your Video

Choosing the right platform is essential because cropping a landscape video into a vertical one is not recommended.

Cropping lowers the resolution and affects video quality. It changes the framing and composition, often resulting in awkward visuals like zoomed-in faces or cropped-out subjects.

It also makes camera movements feel unnaturally fast since the footage is zoomed in during the crop.

Most importantly, it’s not ideal for storytelling-focused videos, as cropping only preserves about 35% of the original visual content.

Two Is Better Than One?

The solution? Choose one or choose both.

Once you’ve decided which platform you’ll publish your content on, you can pick the video orientation that fits best. Need more content flexibility? Choosing both formats is a smart move.

By filming in both vertical and landscape orientations, you’ll have more options to work with. However, using a two-camera setup has its pros and cons.

Let’s start with why choosing both video orientations can be a win:

The Benefits

Optimized results

Filming in both formats gives you platform-specific videos. No need to compromise on how your content looks across different channels.

Creative framing flexibility

You’re not limited to one style. Each orientation allows for different framing and composition, giving you room to experiment.

More freedom in storytelling

More formats = more footage to play with. This is especially useful for narrative-driven content, where flexibility is key.

The Drawbacks

Time-consuming process

Two formats mean more planning, more shooting, and more editing. It can significantly stretch your production timeline.

Higher production cost

Dual-orientation shoots typically require extra gear and a larger crew, which increases both equipment and labor costs.

Final Thoughts

Whether you choose vertical, landscape, or both depends on your platform and your purpose. Landscape is still the go-to for long-form and cinematic content. But vertical is dominating mobile-first platforms and short-form media.

By understanding the strengths and trade-offs of each orientation, you’ll be able to plan your content more strategically — and make the most out of every frame.

Ryanda Dwi Octhora. Video Producer