Video has become increasingly popular on social media. I am sure you have all experienced the various video trends that have hit Facebook and Twitter over the past few years; such as the Ice Bucket challenge and scaring cats with cucumbers, but as you scroll down your newsfeed, how many of those videos appear in a portrait view? Yes, when you are viewing it on your smartphone it looks fine, but when it comes to viewing it on a laptop or PC screen, you end up with a lot of wasted space to the left and right hand side and a video that appears fairly small on the screen that you are viewing it on.
Smartphones have made it increasingly easy for anyone to become a videographer. Your smartphone also makes it easy to capture video in the orientation that you are used to holding it, portrait. You only have to use one hand. Capturing video in a landscape orientation on a smartphone most likely requires you to use two hands, so it is easy to see why people choose to capture video in a portrait format.
Should I capture video in portrait or landscape?
In a world that is becoming increasingly mobile orientated, the question isn’t so much “Should I capture video in landscape or portrait?” but instead “When should I capture video in portrait or landscape?” Capturing video in a portrait or landscape format really comes down to what context the video will be used in. For example, if you are capturing video for use on Snapchat or Instagram, then portrait is the best orientation for this as both social networks are optimised for use on mobile devices. If you are capturing video for use on YouTube or Facebook or to generally promote your business online, then it would display far better in a landscape orientation as your audience are just as likely to be viewing it on a laptop or PC compared to a mobile device. It is easy to rotate your smartphone when switching between portrait and landscape layouts, it’s not so easy when you want to do the same with your laptop or PC screen.
So the next time you come to capture a video on your smartphone, think about who will be watching that video and where they will be watching it. Will it look better to them if it is captured in the landscape format or portrait?
If you need any support with your video content requirements, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01404 548405 or jack@cosmic.org.uk