Easy way to make square (1:1) and custom aspect ratio videos for Facebook and Instagram

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optodata

Senior Contributor Location: California, USA Joined: Sep 16, 2011 16:04 Messages: 8630 Offline

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Aug 04, 2019 22:51

Many people are wanting to make square videos for Facebook or Instagram, and while PD doesn't currently allow you to make square videos directly, this is a very simple method to convert a regular video. Once you've downloaded one free app and the ready-made settings files, it's literally 2 steps to get a 1:1 video (or another custom AR, like 21:9 or 820x360 pixels)!

Although I posted this in the PD17/365 forum, this will work with ALL versions of PD (and any other editing software, too).

Download VirtualDub2 and install it. Download the VDub2 project files from this OneDrive folder. That's all the setup you need!

Next, open up VDub2 and go to File > Load Project...

If you're converting a standard horizontal 16:9 clip to 1:1 (square), load the 16_9 Horizontal IG 1_1.vdproject file.

If you have a vertical phone clip, load the 9_16 Vertical IG 1_1.vdproject file.

Now use File > Open video file.. to open your original clip (which can be produced by PD or come straight from your camera) then use File > Save Video... and choose the output name and location. That's it!

If the clip ends up horizontal or upside down by mistake, try again with the 9_16 + rotate right 90 Vertical IG 1_1.vdproject, 9_16 + rotate left 90 Vertical IG 1_1.vdproject, or 9_16 + flip 180 Vertical IG 1_1.vdproject files as needed.

FACEBOOK 820x360 steps
If you're looking to convert a video to 820x360 pixels for Facebook, you'll want to use the 16_9 Horizontal FB 820x360.vdproject file. (When you're creating your video in PD, you can place FB 820x360 transparent mask.png on track 2 with your main content on track 1 to see exactly what the finished video will contain. When you produce your video in PD, you MUST select a pixel size of 1280x720 for the VDub2 project to give you 820x360 pixels).

If you want to try this out first, there are 4 video clips in the OneDrive folder.

For square videos, use the PD-produced vertical clip (Instagram test.MP4). The output should look like the sample 1:1 clip (Instagram test final.MP4) made by VDub2 using the "+ rotate right 90" project file. It's also up on YouTube.

For 21:9/820x360 FB videos, the sample clips are FB 820x360 test clip.MP4 and the sample output of FB 820x360 test clip final.MP4.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at Aug 16. 2019 17:38

optodata

Senior Contributor Location: California, USA Joined: Sep 16, 2011 16:04 Messages: 8630 Offline

Sep 17, 2019 03:04

Good news for people using/buying/upgrading to the latest version of PD 365 (V18) - they've added native 1:1 (square) support!

The method described in this post remains valid for all older versions of PD, as well as for all other custom aspect ratios.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Sep 17. 2019 03:05