Short-form is everywhere, Reels, TikTok, Shorts, and they all want vertical video. Here's a clean way to turn a finished horizontal project vertical in Final Cut, which I actually picked up from a creator named Travis Hawkes.
Duplicate your project as vertical
Say you just finished a project and decide you want a vertical version. Open your library (Control Command 1), right-click your project, and hit Duplicate Project As. Change it to vertical, and since Instagram and TikTok only accept 1080p, select the HD option, 1080 by 1920. Then, and this part is important, make sure you turn on Smart Conform.
Let Smart Conform do the work
Once it analyzes, Smart Conform automatically reframes your shots to fit the vertical frame, so you basically have a vertical cut ready to go. If you run through it and find a shot you'd like to re-center, just select the clip, open the inspector, and slide the position on the X axis to move it side to side until it's framed how you want.
Export and you're done
That's really it. Once your framing looks good, just export your project and you've got a vertical version ready for Reels, TikTok, or Shorts.
Make your footage look as good as it edits
The FCP Color Grading Masterclass is the complete A-to-Z system for color correcting and grading in Final Cut Pro, featured on Apple's official Final Cut Pro Resources page.
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