To create and utilize a portrait composition within a landscape video project in After Effects, you can follow a straightforward process. This involves setting up your initial portrait-oriented content and then embedding and positioning it within a standard landscape composition for final output or further integration.
Here is the step-by-step method based on the provided reference:
Steps to Create & Embed a Portrait Composition
This process guides you from creating your vertical content canvas to placing and orienting it correctly within a horizontal frame, a common requirement for platforms like YouTube or standard video displays.
- Start with your original portrait Composition.
- Create a new composition designed specifically for vertical content.
- Set the dimensions to 1080 pixels wide by 1920 pixels high (1080x1920). This resolution is standard for full HD portrait video. This composition will house all your portrait-oriented layers (footage, graphics, text, etc.).
- Create a new Composition for your landscape output.
- This composition will be the final frame for your video.
- Set its dimensions to the standard landscape high-definition size: 1920 pixels wide by 1080 pixels high (1920x1080).
- Drag your original Portrait Composition (from Step 1) into the new Landscape Composition (from Step 2).
- Think of your portrait composition as a single layer or pre-comp. By dragging it into the landscape composition, you're placing that entire vertical canvas as an element within your horizontal frame. It will initially appear centered but oriented vertically within the wider landscape view.
- Set the rotation of the Portrait Composition layer to -90 degrees.
- Select the portrait composition layer within your landscape composition's timeline.
- Open its Transform properties (press
Rfor Rotation). - Change the Rotation value to -90 degrees. This rotates your vertical content frame counter-clockwise, causing it to lay horizontally within the landscape composition, ready to fill the frame or be positioned as needed.
- Render your Landscape Composition.
- Once your portrait content is placed, rotated, and positioned as desired within the landscape frame, you can add other elements or background layers in the landscape composition.
- Finally, render the landscape composition to produce your final video file.
Resolution Overview
Understanding the dimensions is key to this process:
| Composition Type | Width (px) | Height (px) | Orientation | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | 1080 | 1920 | Vertical | Create vertical content |
| Landscape | 1920 | 1080 | Horizontal | Embed & display vertical content |
This method is particularly useful when you need to display content originally shot or designed for vertical platforms (like social media stories) within a traditional horizontal video format, ensuring it's correctly oriented for playback on landscape screens.
