Studio 21.1.1
Module 15 · Deliver
LESSON 15.03 · 40 MIN PRACTICE

Vertical, square, and multiple delivery versions

Different aspect ratios require editorial judgment. Cropping a horizontal image can remove context or subtitles. A good alternate version respects the new frame instead of blindly scaling the old one.

What you’ll be able to do

Adapt a film to another aspect ratio without losing important content.

ACTUAL RESOLVE INTERFACEView full size ↗
Deliver page: render settings, viewer, and timeline
Deliver page: render settings, viewer, and timeline Reference example from the DaVinci Resolve 21.1 manual, page 49. Software screenshot © Blackmagic Design. The demonstration media and selected settings may differ from your project.

Work through it

  1. Duplicate the finished timeline for each output version and label it clearly. Set the intended dimensions and confirm that the original version remains available.
  2. Review each shot’s framing. Reposition or scale deliberately and inspect moving subjects throughout the clip. Use automatic reframing only as a draft to review.
  3. Adjust titles and subtitles for the new composition and actual viewing size. Check safe areas and avoid placing text where the intended platform overlays controls.
  4. Export a short sample of each version and compare the storytelling. A different crop may require a different shot or slightly different timing.

A mistake to avoid

A center crop can miss the subject entirely during movement. Do not approve a whole version from its opening frame.

Your turn

Deliver 16:9 and 9:16 versions of a 20-second sequence. Check every title, face, and moving subject in both outputs.

QUICK KNOWLEDGE CHECK

What is the most important reframing check?

Your notes

Write down what worked, what surprised you, and what to try next. Saved on this device.

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Original practical lesson · Open the in-house resource shelf for practice files and definitions. Completion records your self-assessment, not certification.