Aspect ratio: the number, and what it hides
The shape of the video frame, written as width to height.
Why aspect ratio matters
In a vertical placement the screen is the entire advantage. A square video in a 9:16 slot throws away most of it before anyone has watched anything.
What this looks like with real numbers
A 1:1 video in a Reels slot uses roughly half the available screen, and the other half is letterboxing you paid for. Cutting the same footage to 9:16 costs a render and doubles the visual real estate.
What it does not tell you
Cropping is not the same as cutting for a ratio. A crop moves the subject out of frame and the captions out of the safe zone; a re-cut composes for the shape.
The mistake people actually make
Auto-cropping a landscape edit to vertical. The subject drifts out of frame and the captions land outside the safe zone.
Questions, answered.
How do you calculate aspect ratio?
9:16 vertical, 4:5 portrait, 1:1 square, 16:9 landscape. The shape of the video frame, written as width to height.
What goes wrong with aspect ratio?
Auto-cropping a landscape edit to vertical. The subject drifts out of frame and the captions land outside the safe zone.
What does aspect ratio not tell me?
Cropping is not the same as cutting for a ratio. A crop moves the subject out of frame and the captions out of the safe zone; a re-cut composes for the shape.
Change the creative, not the dashboard
The shape of the video frame, written as width to height.