In short
- Reframing a landscape shot into vertical keeps only a narrow strip of the picture.
- Reframing works for wide, calm scenes. Fast, close or crowded moments often need vertical filming.
- Vertical filming on the day needs its own operator, time and a moment to shoot.
- Write the formats, platforms and who posts into the brief before the quote.
Reframing is enough when the scene is wide and calm. If the clip depends on close, moving or crowded action, plan to film vertical on the day.
A landscape picture is wide. A vertical picture is tall and narrow. Cropping one into the other keeps only about a third of the width. That is the main trade-off in this decision.
When does reframing work?
Reframing works when the important thing stays near the middle of the frame. It also needs enough picture detail to survive a crop. Think of a speaker at a podium, a ribbon cutting or a cake being cut.
It struggles when the action spreads across the frame. A stage with a speaker on one side and a screen on the other will lose one of them. A walk-in with two people side by side may be cut in half.
| Scene | Reframe from landscape | Film vertical on purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker at a podium | Usually fine | Not needed |
| Group photo moment | Often loses people at the edges | Better, if the group is large |
| Wide stage performance | Loses part of the stage | Better, with a dedicated operator |
| Walking arrival, close reactions | Risky when people move | Better |
| Product or booth close-up | Depends on the shot | Better for detail |
| Crowd atmosphere | Possible from wide shots | Optional |
What does filming vertical add to the plan?
Filming vertical on the day is a separate task. Someone must hold a camera in portrait, choose their own angles and still be present for the main moments. They cannot be at the back of the hall filming the landscape angle at the same time.
So it affects crew, hours and the order of the day. Where a single operator is covering everything, vertical filming often means giving up some landscape coverage. Our guide on single-camera coverage explains that limit, and multi-camera recording covers the extra-angle option.
Vertical filming is available on request, confirmed for each event, because it depends on the crew and the programme. If a moment cannot be filmed in both formats at once, we tell you in advance.
What do you write in the brief?
Your brief should say what each vertical clip is for, not only that you want “some Reels”. Include:
- The platforms: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube Shorts or others, since each has its own habits.
- The number and length of clips: a short list of moments, for example the opening, the award and the group reaction.
- The finishing level: raw cuts, or edited with captions and music.
- Who posts: your team, an agency or us handing over files.
- The deadline: whether clips are needed during the event or after it.
If clips are needed during or soon after the event, that becomes a same-day edit question, with its own planning.
What should the quote show?
Ask that vertical clips appear as their own line in the quote, with the format and the amount of editing. This stops a short clip package being mistaken for the main film. A deliverables sheet gives you a layout a supplier can price, and the video format planner helps you choose the shape of each output.
Be careful with music and faces. Clips posted publicly may need permission from the people filmed and the right to use any music. Our responsibilities checklist lists who normally decides what.
Where we can help
We can look at your platforms and the programme, then suggest reframing, vertical filming or a mix. See our event social video clips service for the clips themselves, or the main event videography page for core coverage.
If you know where the clips will be posted and who will post them, that is enough for us to say whether reframing will do or whether vertical filming should be added. Send the event date and the platforms you use.
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