Should you film vertically for Instagram?

In 2022, many sports videographers produce content almost exclusively for Instagram. So let's figure out once and for all if they should film vertically for Instagram when producing sports videos.
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EPISODE BREAKDOWN
0:00 Should you film vertically for Instagram?
0:14 Image quality
2:20 Convenience when filming
3:46 Convenience when editing
4:27 Summary
4:40 How to make your sports videos more creative
#SportsVideography

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

For those of you who watched my previous video, does the audio in the new office sound better now or not really?

[@adilmalikmma]

It's perfect 💯

[@russccc6227]

much better

[@JPFSportsMedia]

Awesome to get a shout out with the intro, many thanks! Another great video - I still shoot everything horizontally but find myself uploading to IG more frequently so I reformat and use key framing as well if I need to reposition a clip. Look forward to the Mic review video!

[@petersarellas]

This is all facts! Also appreciate the subtle plug at the start haha

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

😉

[@mikeperkins4356]

Great video and info !

[@amigazo3972]

Thanks for the tips buddy. I captured all my footage in horizontal and had a lot of problems to display what I wanted when I uploaded to IG. Besides, IG compresses a lot the quality of the videos. Nice you make a video explaining the proper settings for exporting from Premiere to upload to IG :D

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

Thanks for the great feedback. I hope uploading to Instagram will be a better experience moving forward!

[@perezproductionz6347]

I can’t wait for the mic’d up videos !!! I’m am just getting into it so I would love more insight

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

It’s in the making. Not sure when it will come out yet but definitely happening.

[@DscooterShopMexico]

thanks for the video man! you're the best

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

Glad you liked it!

[@markstanley2001]

thanks for vid... makes the decision alot easier 👍

[@twinrickel7647]

Great info sir

[@trueKorvus]

I shoot landscape for convenience, and if quality is a concern of mine I can always throw it into topazlabs and give it a little AI upscale. Magic.

[@rojoratatatata4002]

Thanks a lot!

[@brandongonzales6374]

personally i disagree. the majority of people interact with instagram in the reels feed (where it is already scaled to 9:16). so i think it just depends on your goal.

[@andydallo5826]

he’s tripping. The best for Reels is obviously 1080x1920 so 9:16

[@vinconssier4224]

thanks man

[@rojoratatatata4002]

Great video

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

Thank you!

[@Ryanphotos1]

Great content as always brother! Was wondering for shooting horizontal what would be the best resolution for instagram in your opinion. Thanks again and Happy Holidays! 🎄🎅📷

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

The best resolution option is always 4K because you can manipulate it in post without losing quality. Happy holidays to you too!

[@evanbrummell7279]

Hey, I’m I’ve been photographing sports on a Sony a7riii and the photos have been amazing . I’m looking to shoot video as well . Would you advise me to get the a7s3 over the fx30? I’m hesitant because the fx30 doesn’t shoot continuous just single shots and it has no view finder. i figure sometimes in the mix of filming sports i may want to catch something in action photo wise and i see that the s3 can shoot 10frames per second . I like that both these camera put out the same output video wise . I’m really not sure on the choice . I’d appreciate some advice

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

I’m assuming you meant to write FX3 because the FX30 is much cheaper for a reason. It’s not a full frame camera like the A7S3 and the FX3. But if you want to do photos and don’t care about the cinema camera features of the FX3, I would recommend you go with the A7S3 since internally they are pretty much the same.

[@Darth_Davo]

I was wondering if you had a video that explains the edit you did at 5:12 that creates movement like that? I’ve seen a lot of people use something like that but never knew how it was done

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

Do you mean motion tracking? If so, I do have a couple of videos about that. Here's one kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4Wpf56in7GGfNE

[@VisionaryTea]

Thank you for this video I'm about to shoot a model walking in less than an hour and I was wondering which angle would be better.

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

Happy to help 👍🏽

[@AlHR23]

Hi there. I've just come across your channel. Very interesting and informative. I would like to know how to actually create a 4:5 video in Final Cut Pro. When I create a new project and choose custom and vertical, I get the options of 1080 by 1920, but not 4:5. Thanks and keep up the good work :)

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

I don’t use FCP sorry but I’m sure there’s a way to enter the exact size that you want. Which for portrait would be 864x1080 or 1080x1350 depending on how big you want it.

[@AlHR23]

@@BeyondTheGame_E Thank you for answering. I did find a custom setting and can enter one of these.

[@user-gm2gb7zx3j]

When editing in premier pro and trying to fit the horizontal filming into the vertical frame so you always use tracking? We are new to video editing and to ensure they players were in the frame we split the clip into multiple frames and readjusted the subject in each frame, but now the transitions don't look great. Any suggestions are much appreciated! Thank you!

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

Yeah if you can’t fit everything in the frame, tracking with position keyframes is usually the way to go. Try to film a bit wider too. It helps getting more action into the vertical frame when the edges get cut off.

[@AnasAqabawy]

Thank you for this great video .. however, it's not clear for me yet .. how you turn your horizontal video to a vertical one while shooting with 1080 and wanna export in 1080 without losing the quality ?! as scale up by 125% will cause a grainy shot . or should I always shoot in 4K ?

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

If you shoot in 1080p and then scale up to 125%, you will lose some image quality but it won’t be a dramatic change. Most people won’t notice anything.

[@AnasAqabawy]

@@BeyondTheGame_E will give it a try, thanks a lot for being interactive with comments :)

[@Brian.Melnyk]

My camera doesn't shoot 4k60 without a crop so I'm, still shooting 1080p in landscape but I shift my reel size to 640x1136. Any feedback on that hack?

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

Never heard of it before. What aspect ratio is this?

[@MageshSridhar_55]

After 6 months, instagram is adding 9:16 videos to the Home Screen itself so you don’t have to tap on the video to view it full screen. What would you recommend now?

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

For me it just depends on the content I have. It’s really a personal/creative choice at this point.

[@matthewhodgson4189]

Hey mate, just like you said and I’ve read everywhere that the size of a reel video is 4:5 on the feed, however if I change my video to 4:5 in my photos app on iPhone upload it, the video on my feed has black bars above and below, any idea why?

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

4:5 is not full screen. Full screen is 9:16.

[@matthewhodgson4189]

@@BeyondTheGame_E yes I get that, I’ve commented on one of your videos on instagram which perfectly fits within the feed but doesn’t fill the entire 9:16 in reels, can you please tell me what size was used

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

@@matthewhodgson4189 I just replied in IG.

[@alexChabakphotography]

What if they made a sensor that's a 2 by 3 ratio but its in a + shape so its 2 by 3 vertical and horizontal at the same time

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

I’m not sure how that would work but I bet it would be very expensive!

[@joejojo5966]

So if you're just posting something simple and want quality shoot portrait instead of landscape? But for creative projects shoot landscape?

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

Yeah that’s pretty much it.

[@everythingkarting9176]

Is it better to film in 4k and export 4k for instagram or film 4k and export 1080

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

I don’t think it makes much of a difference to be honest. Especially since, on Instagram, a 1080p landscape video is going to be so small compared to the original size. I would export in 1080p just to save on the file size.

[@joes_interviews2552]

What camera are you using??

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

The Sony FX3.

[@VAN_production.mp4]

Got question about 4K and "squeezing" pixles and gaining x2 image quality. Isn't after exporting the quality same? Because it will put in 1080x1350 pixels.

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

Starting with better quality is always better than not. Similar to the way the better 4K cameras often have a 6K or 8K sensor.

[@VAN_production.mp4]

true, but when you export 8K at 1080x1350 pixels, the result will be same as shot 4K or vertical 1080p@@BeyondTheGame_E

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

@@VAN_production.mp4i think we’re mixing up a few things. All I meant is that, by starting with more pixels, you have more data, more information to make the image closer to real life colors, contrast, etc. So even if the finish is in 1080p, the image itself will look better.

[@VAN_production.mp4]

@@BeyondTheGame_E dont worry Im new to this and Im trying to understand. Lets say I edit one 4k made in vertical and one 4K made in horizontal, after I edit it, they do look the same, and after I crop it, the one in vertical will have more pixels, meaning more details etc. compared to the one in horizontal. But since Instagram can only accept max 1080p videos, after you export it in 1080p, the product will be the same, because the horizontal will be compressed (comparison made for my Canon R7 4K 3840x2160 pixels) for 37.5% since it goes from 2160px to 1350px, and vertical will be compressed for 50% from 2160px to 1080px. Even tough you made a bigger compression (50% vs 37.5%) based on your words, there is more details in the video (for 12,5%), the resolution will still be the same > 1080x1350 and the editing program will all the data from extra pixels erase, since you cant put more pixels than there is space. Correct me if Im wrong, but as I know, if you export in 1080p, the product will be the same if you shot in 4K or 10K. I tried now the test with the Siemens star and the quality from shoting 4K in vertical and 4K in horizontal was the same when editing a 1080p video. Agree that it would be whole different story if Instagram could accept 4K video, since you would need to expand horizontal video, where you would lose some data, compared to shooting 4K in vertical 😁

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

@@VAN_production.mp4 The miscommunication is probably due to the fact that I don't know all the right technical terms for this topic. But you're talking about the amount of pixels in relation to the size of your frame. I'm talking about adding more data per pixel. So, it's not that the image is bigger, it's that the quality of each pixel is better. The same way, 4K footage from a GoPro will look extremely bad in comparison to 1080p footage from a cinema camera. It's not about size, it's about quality. So basically, for the best final results, you want to put all the odds in your favour by maximizing the amount of data per pixel and you do that by filming in 4K at the highest bitrate available.

[@benoitnarbonne9266]

Bonjour, j'aimerais savoir si tu parles français ? Je crois que tu es originaire de Montréal, moi aussi. Je suis débutant en vidéo et j'aimerais prendre une session d'une heure avec toi. C'est déjà difficile faire de la vidéo horizontale, je n'y pense même pas pour Instagram à la verticale. Pour les micros, j'attend le résultat de ton test avant d'en faire l'achat. Merci !

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

Salut Benoit, effectivement je parle français. Je suis né et j'ai grandi à Montréal. Est-ce que c'est l'accent ou la casquette qui m'a trahit? 😂 Ce serait vraiment cool de faire ma première session en français! Quand tu te sens prêt, va sur mon site pour booker une session. À bientôt j'espère.

[@eprohoda]

hi~ that is amazing , talk you later!

[@fernworkz]

hey man, i have no idea if you will ever see this, but ive been watching your videos for about two weeks in a row and man, im a big fan haha anyways, im in nz and i know i have to use pal. im just wondering what would happen if i drop 50fps videos using a 25fps timeline and i only slow down the parts that i want at 50% speed, and what i dont want slow down i just keep it at 50fps. my maths calculations are these: AMERICA: 60fps in a 24fps timeline, to keep videos at a normal speed: 24/60=0.4 (this is for slowmo 40%) 0.4x2=0.8 (80%)... what im tryna say is to keep smooth footage on a 24fps timeline (faster to edit and export) i slow down the normal videos at 80% speed and slowmos at 40% HERE IS WHAT IM THINKING, NZ: 50fps in a 25fps timeline. To get sick slowmo effect: 25/50=0.5 (50% speed) and to keep the normal videos at a normal speed: 0.5x2=1 (100% speed) does this mean that 50fps footage will always look good on a 25fps timeline, mixing normal and slowmo videos together? man it would mean the world if you can answer my question, thanks!!!!! ps, how much does the shutter speed rule affect this? im usually shooting outdoors (forests) and i shouldnt really worry about lights. i always try to keep my videos as sharp as possible so i might start using the overcranking technique. let me know what you think!1 chuuuuuuuuuuuur

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

Hey man, thanks for the support! You don't have to do any maths when playing any footage at normal speed. Just drop any footage (25/50/100fps) into a 25fps timeline and it will play at normal speed automatically. It's only when you slow it down that you need to do the math equations that you mentioned in your question. With the shutter speed, you need it to be at least double your frame rate for a decent level of sharpness. If you go higher, it will be sharper. But if you go too high it can look a little jittery especially at normal speed so it just depends on your personal preference really.

[@dagr8dwalo777]

I was just asking this question

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

I hope the video was helpful. Let me know if you have any follow up questions.

[@dagr8dwalo777]

@@BeyondTheGame_E I love all your videos! I have to rewatch because I don’t understand what you meant by recording in 1080 I didn’t know that was an option

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

@@dagr8dwalo777 1080p is the size of your image (1920x1080). On a mirrorless camera you can typically choose between 720p, 1080p and 4K.

[@bkailua1224]

Vertical video only exists because nerds who make phones have no idea why camera makers have been making cameras in landscape mode for the last 120 years. Portrait format is called Portrait for a reason, and landscape is called landscape for a reason. Movie cameras of Hollywood were 4 by 3 for years due to lenses and film that was available. Then things changed and movies got wider and formats got closer to 16 by 9 widescreen. Then things like tic tok or instagram started and caused more vertical video and the scourge is with us.

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

Personally I would say that vertical video exists simply because we have cameras on our phones. And since we hold our phones vertically by nature, it was easier to embrace vertical videos than to convince 95% of the population who are not videographers to turn their phone sideways every time they film.

[@adilmalikmma]

I dnt know my insta reels gets in one night 2000 max views then dead, especially no more pictures getting likes or views

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

Reels get pushed to a lot of viewers at the start but then it depends on the size of your following and how much they engage with your content.

[@HugoBarrientoss]

9:16 is better.

[@applesforakbar]

The new update to Instagram will have video in 9:16 by default

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

What do you mean by default? What happens if you upload a square video for example?

[@IMDABROWN]

@@BeyondTheGame_E one word...Crop

[@applesforakbar]

@@BeyondTheGame_E oh sorry I meant if you upload a 9:16, it wont have the black bars anymore, it'll be full screen

[@applesforakbar]

So it seems they must have pushed a test version to my phone because I no longer have that version of the app - so please ignore me haha

[@chris_kiely]

And same for photos 😡

[@idltvsports6350]

That first video you posted was by a guy I know

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

I hope he'll be happy with the shoutout.

[@idltvsports6350]

@@BeyondTheGame_E I’m sure he will be that’s pretty dope you follow him. We do the same kind of content, but what are you suggesting he could have done better

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

@@idltvsports6350 I wasn’t suggesting anything about his video. I was just illustrating the point that there is a lot of sports videography on Instagram.

[@IMDABROWN]

Vertical video is stupid to me. viewing the world with your eyes you are only limited by your peripheral vision. I don't get how anything longer than 5 seconds should be viewed vertically. I'm sure its a matter of time before someone releases a vertical TV or a TV that rotates vertically.

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

TV's that rotate vertically already exist but I don't think they will catch on except for very specific situations. The vertical phenomenon is 100% based on how we use our phones. All these companies are trying to make the phone experience as convenient as possible. I understand why they do it but like you I much prefer a landscape video.

[@LanielPhoto]

Are people dumb enough to shoot video for something as petty as Instagram ?

[@BeyondTheGame_E]

Well no one is shooting video FOR Instagram. When people make social media content, they try to maximise the reach of their videos and if that means following the rules of Instagram because that's where their biggest reach is, so be it.