One recording → repeated shapes
Turn Landscape Shooting Video into Vertical Social Formats
Turn one landscape stage edit into portrait, square, and landscape exports without relying on a fixed center crop: Track follows the selected shooter inside supported 9:16, 3:4, 4:5, 6:7, and 1:1 frames on your Apple device.
Updated: 2026-08-02
A vertical crop has less horizontal room, so review whether the shooter and relevant action remain in frame and whether timing or score text remains readable. Track solves the moving-subject part; it does not decide which targets, props, or overlays matter to the final composition.
Prepare one edit for vertical and feed formats
An exported vertical or portrait file can be prepared for YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, or Facebook Reels. Return to the same edit for another supported ratio instead of recording the stage again, then preview that composition before export.
A free Auto Trim workflow can export the finished format to the device, use the system share sheet, or choose one supported sharing destination at a time. YouTube and Facebook uploads require separate platform authorization. Pro enables multi-platform sharing; Instagram and other publishing workflows can begin with the exported file.
Match the publishing shape to the real output path
| Publishing shape | Ratio path | Track behavior | Verified output boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical short video | 9:16 | Tracked crop | 1080-pixel short edge; may downscale to 720p |
| Portrait feed | 3:4, 4:5, or 6:7 | Tracked crop | 1080-pixel short edge; may downscale to 720p |
| Square feed | 1:1 | Tracked crop | 1080-pixel short edge; may downscale to 720p |
| Landscape video | Source or 16:9 | Source does not crop; 16:9 is not a Track ratio | General choices depend on source and workflow ceiling |
| Split Sync composition | Selected product layout | Not the normal Track ratio workflow | Layout-defined canvas with a 1080-pixel short edge |
Export choices have separate ceilings. General export choices may show Original, 4K, 1080p, and 720p when the selected source and workflow permit them. Tracked crops use a 1080-pixel short edge and are not tracked 4K outputs.
Use Reframe in the workflows that support it
Free Auto Trim supports Reframe and Track as part of its standard workflow. The Pro Merge and Stage Mix modes also support reframing; Auto Trim and Merge support manual crop when a fixed composition is more useful than a person-following path.
Split Sync is different: its Full Screen, Dual View: Center HUD, Dual View: Top HUD, and Side by Side layouts control the canvas, with a 1080-pixel short edge rather than arbitrary Track ratios and resolutions.
Track once, review every format
- Start in a supported mode. Open the landscape recording in free Auto Trim, or use Reframe inside the Pro Merge or Stage Mix mode when the source workflow requires it.
- Choose a tracked crop ratio. Select 9:16, 3:4, 4:5, 6:7, or 1:1 when you want Track to follow a person inside a cropped frame.
- Select and track the shooter. Choose the target person and let Shooting Cut calculate the tracking path on the Apple device.
- Review the tracked frame. Preview the full stage, check the crop during movement, and retrack or adjust the result when needed.
- Export within the tracked ceiling. Export the tracked crop with a 1080-pixel short edge or downscale it to 720p.
- Return for another shape. Return to the same edit, choose another supported ratio, review that composition, and export again without re-recording the stage.
Compare the landscape source shape with a tracked 4:5 export
The two official examples show one stage in two publishing shapes: a non-tracked 16:9 landscape output and a 4:5 portrait output that uses Track to keep the shooter inside the crop.
Tracking runs on device, while mode access still applies
Person tracking is part of Shooting Cut’s on-device core media workflow. Original footage is not uploaded to a Shooting Cut media-processing server for tracking or reframing. Apple storage choices and uploads you initiate have separate network boundaries described in the on-device data-flow guide and Privacy Policy.
Reframe and Track, standard export, and one-destination user-initiated sharing are free in Auto Trim. A free Auto Trim export includes the Shooting Cut watermark and logo intro card. Pro unlocks Merge and Stage Mix, removes the watermark, adds custom intro cards, and enables multi-platform sharing. Split Sync uses its own layout-defined canvas.
Frequently asked questions
Which ratios support person tracking?
Track supports cropped 9:16, 3:4, 4:5, 6:7, and 1:1 outputs. Source keeps the source frame, while 16:9 is a separate non-tracked ratio.
Will Track keep the shooter, targets, and score overlay visible automatically?
Track follows the selected shooter inside a supported crop. It does not decide which targets or overlays matter, so preview the complete stage and adjust the composition or overlay before export.
Can a tracked crop export in 4K?
No. Tracked crops use a 1080-pixel short edge and may be downscaled to 720p. General Original, 4K, 1080p, and 720p choices appear only when the source and selected workflow permit them.
Which editing modes support Reframe and Track?
Free Auto Trim supports Reframe and Track. The Pro Merge and Stage Mix modes also support reframing, while Auto Trim and Merge support manual crop. Split Sync uses a layout-defined canvas instead of the normal Track ratio workflow.
Can I export more than one format from the same recording?
Yes. Return to the same edit, choose another supported shape, review its composition, and export again without re-recording the stage.