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How to Set Aspect Ratio in Final Cut Pro​

• 4 mins read

If you’ve ever filmed a clip that looks great in a widescreen landscape, only to watch it become claustrophobic in a vertical crop for social media, you’ve probably wondered how to set aspect ratio in Final Cut Pro without sacrificing quality. Aspect ratios can make or break a video. Final Cut Pro provides enough resolution presets to look like a geometry problem, but learning to navigate them is surprisingly straightforward. 

Summary

  1. Understanding Aspect Ratios in Final Cut Pro
  2. Changing Aspect Ratio in an Existing Project
  3. Smart Conform for Quick Reframing

Understanding Aspect Ratios in Final Cut Pro

Aspect ratios define the relationship between a video’s width and height. While you might think only about the most popular formats, understanding how to set aspect ratio in Final Cut Pro goes beyond just 16:9 or 9:16, just to name a few:

  • 1:1 (Square): Common for certain social feeds (Instagram Posts).
  • 4:3: “Academy” or old-TV shape, rarely used today but still occasionally important for older footage.
  • 2.35:1 (Anamorphic): Ultra-wide for a cinematic vibe.

Obviously enough, you can’t just pick your favorite and keep it consistent, as different platforms demand different aspect ratios. 

Changing Aspect Ratio in an Existing Project

When you already have your footage in in but need a new shape, knowing how to set aspect ratio in Final Cut Pro can save you tons of time. In the Browser, select the project you’ve crated and open the Inspector by pressing Command+4. With the project selected, click Modify in the top-right corner and pick a format (e.g., Vertical 1080×1920 for mobile).

Modify parameters of a project in Final Cut Pro

Final Cut will transform your sequence dimensions instantly, although you’ll probably need to reposition or resize some clips to keep important subjects from being cropped.

Modify parameters of a project in Final Cut Pro - dialogue box

Duplicating a Project for a Different Aspect Ratio

If you’re looking for how to set aspect ratio in Final Cut Pro for multiple versions, e.g. 16:9 and 9:16, while keeping your original timeline intact:

  1. Right-click the project in the Browser and select Duplicate Project As.
  2. Name the new project and pick your desired resolution (vertical, square, or a custom dimension).
  3. Final Cut creates a clone with your new shape, so you can adapt the footage for that ratio without ruining the original project’s layout.
Duplicating a project in Final Cut Pro

This method is especially nice if you need multiple versions, e.g. a 16:9 cut for YouTube and a 9:16 cut for TikTok.

Using the Crop or Transform Tools

Sometimes you don’t want to change the entire timeline’s format but only adjust certain clips. In that case, the Crop or Transform tools come with a solution.

  • Crop: Trims away parts of the frame. Ideal if you only need small adjustments or letterboxing.
  • Transform: Lets you scale, rotate, or move the entire video. Perfect for re-centering the subject if your new aspect ratio cuts them off.
Using the Crop or Transform tools in Final Cut Pro to change the aspect ratio of a project

To access these tools, open the pop-up menu in the lower-left corner of the Viewer. You can then reframe or resize clips directly.

Using Plugins for Quick Aspect Ratio Adjustments

If you prefer a simpler or more automated approach, you might look into a plugin such as mVertical from MotionVFX. It’s designed specifically to handle vertical and non-standard clips without forcing you to re-create an entire new project. The plugin:

  • Provides an easy way to mirror or blur the background when your footage doesn’t fit the screen.
  • Lets you drag a single effect onto the timeline and apply adjustments for brightness and scale, so you don’t have to re-center footage manually.
  • Works smoothly with Final Cut Pro’s standard interface, so it won’t feel like you’ve installed an alien program in your workflow.

Smart Conform for Quick Reframing

A bonus for those working with drastically different shapes: Smart Conform can analyze your footage and re-center important subjects automatically. This feature comes in handy if your video has a specific focal point (like a talking head) and you’re moving from 16:9 to 9:16 or 1:1. 

After duplicating your project, turn on Smart Conform when you switch the format, and Final Cut Pro tries to keep the main action within the new frame. It’s not foolproof, but it’s quicker than manually re-centering everything.