How to Shoot Vertical and Horizontal at the Same Time

The first step in using this technique is to set your camera or phone to record in 4K resolution. This step is essential — don't skip it. If you record in lower resolution, your footage will lose quality when you crop it for the vertical format.

Shooting in 4K gives you the flexibility to reframe your footage (for example, when cropping), so both your horizontal and vertical versions will look crisp, sharp, and professional.

Once you've set the resolution, turn on your grid lines. These grid lines help you frame your shot, taking both formats into account. The grid will also show you where the vertical crop will fall later during editing, allowing you to center the action accordingly. Now that everything's set, let's frame the shot!

Now that the grid is in place, use the vertical lines to guide your composition. Make sure all essential cooking steps (such as stirring, flipping, or pouring) occur within the imaginary vertical box.

You don't have to center everything (though it helps), but you do need to keep the action within that vertical space so nothing important gets cropped out later.

And here's the big secret: don't frame too tightly. Instead, compose your shot slightly wider than usual — this little trick makes all the difference.

A wider composition gives you room to reframe in post-production. You'll be able to zoom in and crop for both vertical and horizontal formats — without losing quality or cutting off key moments.

Once you've framed your shot, lock it down. That means: no zooming, no sliding, no handheld movements.

Why? Because you will use this exact footage for both horizontal and vertical versions. If you change the angle or composition mid-shoot, you'll have to repeat all the setup steps before recording again — and that slows everything down.

By keeping your camera locked, you make sure that your footage stays consistent and fully usable in both formats — no surprises when you get to editing.

Now it's time to start filming. As you can see in this quick quiche recipe I made, I start by composing the shot with the horizontal format in mind.

Once I find the framing I like, I zoom out slightly or move the tripod back — it gives me enough room to create a clean vertical crop later during editing. I repeat this process every time I switch to a new angle.

However, if you're shooting the whole recipe from just one angle, you only need to set it up once, lock the camera, and you're good to go.

While filming, always keep the main action or the ingredients inside that imaginary vertical zone. It may appear wider right now, but don't worry, we'll reframe everything in post-production.

Next, I'll show you the exact editing technique in CapCut for Desktop — including how to export both horizontal and vertical videos from the same footage. Let's go!

Step 1: Start your project. Create a new project, give it a name, and import your clips into the Media Panel.

Step 2: Edit the horizontal version (16:9). Drag your clips into the timeline and start cutting. Focus on building your horizontal edit first. You can zoom in up to ~125% without noticeable quality loss (since you shot in 4K). If you plan to export your final video in 1080p, you can even push it to 150–175%, but only if it is absolutely necessary.

Once your edit looks good, add voiceover, transitions, text, music — whatever final touches you need. Then go to the Export panel, choose 4K or 1080p based on your zoom level, and hit Export. Before moving on, watch your video to make sure everything looks nice. If you are not happy with the result, now's the time to fix things.

Step 3: Convert to vertical (9:16). Now, let's turn your horizontal edit into vertical — without starting over. Click the Aspect Ratio button under the Preview tab and change it to 9:16. You need to resize the clips to fit the vertical frame.

Here's how to reframe your footage for vertical: select the first clip in your timeline; in the Preview window, zoom in and adjust the position to center your action. Once it looks good, right-click on the video in the timeline and select Copy Attributes. Then, select all the other clips, right-click, choose Paste Attributes, and press the Paste button. Now, go back to the start of your timeline and manually reframe each shot — move the video left or right to center the action.

Step 4: Final touches for vertical. Depending on your goal, you can either keep the same length as the horizontal version or trim it down into a shorter, punchier edit for Facebook and Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, or TikTok. Add any vertical-specific music, text overlays, and video effects, then press Export. Quick tip: don't forget to check the first 3 seconds — it's where viewers decide to stay or scroll.

Step 5: Export the vertical version. Open the Export panel, choose 1080×1920 resolution (vertical 1080p), press Export, and wait for rendering — just like that, you're done!

One shoot. Two formats. No refilming needed. This workflow saves time, increases your content output, and maintains consistent quality across social networks.

Creating both formats from the same footage is efficient, but it's not perfect. Sometimes you have to sacrifice things like tight framing, creative lighting, and the punchy, fast-paced edits you'd get from shooting vertical on purpose.

So, here's the truth: if you publish your videos only on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts, film vertically from the very beginning. You'll have better composition, better framing, and better creative control over how your shots look and feel.

What I showed you today is a great shortcut to increase efficiency, but it's not ideal if you're aiming for vertical-only cooking videos. If you're 100% focused on vertical food videos, film vertically. You'll see an improvement right away.

Let's talk about thumbnails — whether you're uploading to YouTube or Instagram Reels, a great thumbnail can stop the scroll and make your video stand out from the crowd.

You've got two options: the first one is to select a frame from your video as a thumbnail. The second one is better: creating an attention-grabbing thumbnail that helps your recipe stand out.

Head over to Pixlr.com and select PIXLR Editor. On the new page, click the three dots button, and from the dropdown, choose Find a Template. Now browse the categories, depending on where you'll post your video, and choose a template that fits your style. I'll go with a YouTube thumbnail, but the same process applies to vertical covers as well. You can also use the search bar and type in keywords like 'cooking' to find niche-specific templates.

As you can see, the image is composed of individual, editable elements — each one can be moved, resized, or deleted as needed.

First, change the photo with your dish: click on the photo in the template, then from the Frame menu that appears, select Set Image. Choose your image — either a frame exported from your video or a separate picture you took — and click Open. Then, adjust its position and size as needed.

Now start editing the text: add your recipe name, a title, an expressive call to action, or even your channel name. Play around and see what works best for you.

If you appear in the video, consider adding a photo of yourself to the thumbnail. It helps create a stronger connection with your audience. Your personal touch is very important and unique.

Once your thumbnail is ready, press Save, choose the format and quality, and download it to your computer.

The exact process applies if you want to create a vertical thumbnail. Just make sure to select a vertical template from the beginning. Or, use the Smart Resize tool under the Design tab to automatically convert your horizontal thumbnail into a vertical one. It might not be perfect, but you can rearrange the elements to make everything fit and look great. When you're done, press Save. That's it! Now you have covers for both formats, quickly and easily!

This is how I shoot both horizontal and vertical videos simultaneously. This is how I get clean edits and scroll-stopping thumbnails in one shoot.

See you in the next one.