Welcome back to another insightful discussion on "Let's Get Digital." I’m Corey Turner, co-founder of Wake and Make Media, and joining me is my talented and beautiful wife, co-host, Megan Nager Turner. In this episode, we delve into the strategic nuances of video production, particularly focusing on why shooting horizontally is a game-changer for creating vertical videos.
The Rise of Vertical Videos: As we venture into 2024, vertical videos are becoming increasingly significant in the digital landscape. They offer a personal touch, and algorithms across various platforms are prioritizing this format. Despite this surge, there's a technique we use at Wake and Make Media that goes against the grain but ensures versatility and quality – shooting horizontally.
Why Shoot Horizontally for Vertical Videos: We specialize in producing over a hundred vertical videos weekly, so we understand the intricacies involved. The key reason for shooting horizontally, even for vertical videos, is flexibility. Shooting in a 16:9 horizontal format allows us to capture the full body in a vertical frame while retaining the option to adapt the footage for different platforms and aspect ratios.
Technical Aspects and Benefits: Shooting horizontally offers several advantages:
Aspect Ratio Flexibility: It caters to various aspect ratios like 16:9 for YouTube, 4:5 for Facebook, and Instagram feed ads, without compromising the quality or needing significant post-production adjustments.
High-Quality Output: We shoot in 4K, ensuring that even when we crop for vertical formats (1080 by 1920 pixels), the quality remains top-notch without any pixelation.
Post-Production Options: This method provides options in post-production. Even if we mostly use it to trim the sides for vertical videos, the original horizontal footage remains available for other uses.
Practical Tips: When filming horizontally, ensure the camera is positioned far enough to allow cropping without losing important visual elements. Also, remember that most tripods and gimbals are designed for horizontal shooting, which has been the norm until the recent shift towards vertical formats.
Adapting to Platform Changes: In the ever-evolving world of social media, platform preferences can shift. Having your primary content shot horizontally allows you to adapt seamlessly to these changes, giving your content longevity and flexibility.
Our Social Media Video Course: To help content creators navigate these complexities, we've condensed 15 years of our experience into a comprehensive social media video course. This course guides you from being a beginner to an expert in social media video production.
Conclusion: This brief yet informative episode highlights the importance of understanding and adapting to the dynamics of video production. Our social media video course is a testament to our commitment to sharing knowledge and empowering content creators. Check out the link below for more details and start transforming your content creation journey today!