If you want to know how to make a square video from a landscape video, then you’re not alone! I wanted this too!

WHY MAKE A SQUARE VIDEO ANYWAY?

Square videos, (1:1 ratio) that are posted on social media feeds like Facebook and Instagram have a much higher engagement than landscape videos (16:9 ratio).

Here are some stats:

 

  • A recent study showed that view rates for square are 28 percent higher, and consumers are 67 percent more likely to complete square videos over landscape.(Source: http://bit.ly/sqaurevideoproof2)

 

 

HOW TO CREATE A SQUARE VIDEO WHEN YOU HAVE A RECTANGLE VIDEO

I only have basic knowledge of iMovie for video editing. Unfortunately, iMovie doesn’t let you output a perfectly square video. So, I searched Google for an online convertor that will convert my 16:9 video to a 1:1 without any loss of quality or resolution. Plus, I also wanted to be able to add text to the bars at the top of the bottom of my video, too.

Nothing. Nada. Nish.

So, how can you create a square shaped video from a landscape one? Especially without being an editing wizard and having high end editing software?

In the end, I ended up going onto the brilliant website, Fiverr. There, I found someone there with huge skills with Adobe Premiere. They then converted my landscape video to a square one, like this…

 

WHAT I WANT IN A ONLINE CONVERTER…

CURRENT PROBLEM:

Many video software packages don’t allow you to create square (1:1) videos, they only allow you to output using 4:3 or 16:9. Facebook and Instagram both use square shaped videos, as does Linkedin now too.

SOLVING THIS:

I wanted a site that provides  an online service where anyone can upload a video to the site (whether it be 16:9 or 4:3). The site would then placed this landscape video in the middle of a square window. Maybe it would allow the user to move the position up or down or zoom in on a part of their original video by setting crop margins. The user could then add text to it on the top and bottom bars. Or even change the colours of the bars too. The user can then preview and download this video, or post it to their Facebook or Instagram – or other social network.

SPEC LIST:

I really want to be able to convert a video online from this 16:9 ratio:

To this 1:1 ratio with ‘bars’ above and below, and text on the bars, as so:

VIDEO SIZE AND RESOLUTION REMAINS THE SAME, IT SIMPLY HAS BARS (WITH TEXT) TOP AND BOTTOM ADDED

And of course, it must be super easy to post the finished video on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter or other suitable social networks.

Keeping the resolution the same is vital. If the original footage is HD, the output should also be in HD.

Must work on mobile too, with the ability to save the finished video to the camera roll.

It would be superb if this service would detect a portrait video. And allow that user to place bars and text (vertically) on the sides of that too. For example:

All in all,  many of the major social networks have encouraged the use of square shaped videos. And content bundled in this way is far more likely, to be noticed, played and watched all the way through.

So, there’s a massive need for an online convertor in this field. It should easily allow the user to add bars and text to the top and bottom of a landscape 16:9 video.

WHAT CAN YOU DO IF SOMETHING YOU WANT DOESN’T EXIST?

In my keynote speeches, I’ll often talk about how an opportunity can come from a problem. And sometimes, if other people have the same problem as you, then you can create a a new business. This is a prime example. I feel the need for a web conversion site that easily changes a 16:9 video into a 1:1 video. So maybe other people might want that too!

Paul Graham, the founder of internet startup incubator ‘Y Combinator’ always says that one key to success is this: ‘Make something people want‘. And he’s a billionaire now, so maybe he has a point! And in this case, it’s provable that square shaped videos perform better than landscape ones, so why wouldn’t anyone want to make a square one?!

THE GENESIS OF A NEW IDEA

I have over six hundred ideas in my portfolio. I believe it’s VITALLY important to write ALL of your ideas down. And that’s no matter how bad you think they are at the time.

Firstly, by writing your ideas down (or even tapping them into your phone) your ideas won’t vanish into the ether. Your ideas are vlauble. Becasuse ideas + execution = adventure / success / fulfillment + money.

Second, frequently ideas that you might have thought were no good at the time may reveal a nugget of genius that you can tweak or expand into something amazing.

CONVERT A LANDSCAPE VIDEO TO A SQUARE ONE ONLINE

So, I think this need to create square sized videos simply is highly under provided at this time. So, I’m throwing this challenge out to any genius coders out there to take the reins and create this online converter for people around the world…

PLEASE GET IN TOUCH IF YOU’D LIKE TO BUILD THIS WITH ME!