Table of Contents

Introduction

In the digital era, when there is rampant use of videos both as a medium of communication and of education, the skill of editing a video becomes pertinent.

Both ‘video cropping’ and ‘video reframing’ are a part of video editing. 

Though they seem to be alike and are often used interchangeably, there is a significant difference between the two and is necessary to be understood.

This article, therefore, gives an overview as to the difference between the two terms and also the particular circumstances in which each of the procedures should be undertaken.

Key Takeaways

  • Both video cropping and video reframing are processes involved in editing a video, however, there is a difference between the two terms.
  • Video cropping refers to the process of removing some unwanted elements from the video.
  • Video reframing refers to the process of changing the dimensions of a video so as to fit the size of the screen without deleting any content from the screen.
  • The differences between the two terms are further discussed in this article.

What is Video Cropping?

All of you must have at some point or the other, edited the unwanted parts from your photos by copping them. The concept of video cropping also essentially deals with the same thing. 

In this process, a portion of the frame of a video is removed in order to remove unwanted content from the video permanently.

 

Animaker

How to Crop a Video?

Cropping a video takes a lot of time and requires a lot of space on the computer to store the uncompressed parts while cropping. These hassles can be reduced by cropping it online.

The various steps involved in cropping a video are as follows:

Step 1: Choose a Video
Select the video that you need to crop and drag and drop it in the video cropping website of your choice. Wait for the video to get uploaded.

Step 2: Crop the Video
Using the crop tool available on the website, crop the video as per your requirements. You can set the aspect ratio as per your choice while cropping the video depending on the area of the frame that you want to crop.

Step 3: Choose the Output Format
Before saving the video after cropping it, select the specific format in which you want the video to be saved. Some of the common formats are MP4, MKV, MOV, etc.

Step 4: Save the Video
Once you are satisfied with the video, save it.

Here is a tutorial attached for you so that you can understand how to crop a video using Kapwing for free.

Effects of Video Cropping

Loss of Content
Cropping a video removes unwanted parts from the video which leads to the cropped content to get removed permanently.

Reduction in the Size of the Frame
Whenever a video is cropped, the portion of the video which is cropped is permanently removed which thereby reduces the size of the frame.

Reduction in the Resolution of the Video
Whenever a video is cropped, the content which is cropped is removed from the video thereby reducing the resolution of the video when too much of content is cropped.

Uses of Video Cropping

Removing Unwanted Content
Sometimes there are some irrelevant or distracting parts in a video like black bars, letterboxing or empty spaces. Video cropping helps in removing such unwanted parts.

Adjust Aspect Ratio
A person can adjust the height and width of the video while cropping it thereby adjusting the aspect ratio as per his requirements.

Change the Composition
Cropping a video helps adjust the composition of the video and also to focus on a particular video or image.

What is Video Reframing?

The term ‘video reframing’ refers to the process of changing the aspect ratio of a video so as to adjust the video as per the size of the screen.

Video reframing involves changing the dimensions, that is, the width and height of a video without removing any content from the video.

This involves increasing or decreasing the width and height of the video as per the requirements of the platforms on which you intend to upload the video.

This method is widely used to post the same videos on multiple platforms which have different aspect ratio requirements.

How to Reframe a Video?

The various steps involved in the process of video reframing are as follows:

Step 1: Choose a Video
The first step in video reframing is to choose the video that you wish to reframe.

Step 2: Content Analysis
This step involves identifying the most important elements of the video to ensure that such key elements remain intact even after reframing the video.

Step 3: Select the Aspect Ratio
Change the height and width of the video as per the aspect ratio that is required by the platform on which you wish to upload the video.

Step 4: Review and Adjustments
Play the video and check if it meets your requirements and make the necessary adjustments.

Step 5: Save the Video
Once you are satisfied with the video, save it.

Do watch the video attached below to understand the process of reframing a video:

Effects of Video Reframing

Content Preservation
Unlike video cropping, video reframing ensures that the entire content of the original video is preserved even after changing the aspect ratio of the video.

Smooth Transition
Video reframing allows smooth transition while changing the aspect ratios and ensures that the focus on the key elements of the video remains intact.

Dynamic
In reframing, the frame can move dynamically to follow the subject. This can be done manually or automatically.

Uses of Video Reframing

Adjust the Aspect Ratios
Video reframing can be used to adjust the aspect ratios of videos to meet the requirements of various platforms or devices. For example, a video of 16:9 should be changed to 9:16 to have a better experience while viewing it on a mobile phone.

Focus on Key Elements
Video reframing ensures that the focus is on the key elements of the video and by repositioning the focus on key subjects in the frame.

Differences Between Video Cropping and Reframing

Video Cropping Video Reframing
Cropping a video involves removing portions from the video which are unwanted.
Reframing involves changing the aspect ratio of the video without modifying the composition of the video.
The purpose of cropping a video is to remove any sort of unwanted frames from a video.
The purpose of reframing a video is to focus on key elements of the video without necessarily removing any content from the video.
Whenever a video is cropped, the content which gets cropped is removed permanently and cannot be retrieved later.
Reframing a video preserves the original content of the video.
The resolution of the video might get changed when a lot of content gets cropped from the video.
The original resolution of the video is maintained.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Does reframing reduce the quality of a video like cropping does?
During cropping, the quality of a video does degrade as some portions of the video get removed. However, in reframing, most of the time the quality is preserved, but it can reduce the quality if done improperly.

How do cropping and reframing change the visual effects and focus of a video?
Cropping a video removes the unwanted elements from the video thereby changing the visual effects and drawing the focus of the audience on the important elements of the video. In reframing, though the original content is retained, it changes the aspect ratio of the video such that it fits different screens.

Conclusion

Therefore, though both video reframing and video cropping are various modes of editing a video and seem similar to each other, both are actually different from one another.

Reframing is done to change the aspect ratio of the video without changing the overall content of the video.

However, cropping is done to permanently remove some unwanted aspects from the video so as to ensure that the viewer has a better experience while watching the video.

Therefore, it is essential for content creators to carefully choose the processes as per their requirements.