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Choosing an Aspect Ratio for Rendering
When you render your project, you can choose what shape the final video will be. This is especially important when you're creating content for different platforms, each of which has its own preferred format.
How to Choose an Aspect Ratio
Simply include the ratio in your render request:
"Render in 9:16 for TikTok."
"Render landscape 16:9."
"Render in square format."
If you don't specify, StarZero Agents uses the Auto setting, which preserves the source video's native aspect ratio.
Available Ratios
| Ratio | Format | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Source native | When you don't need to change the format |
| 16:9 | Landscape | YouTube, web video, presentations |
| 9:16 | Portrait | TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Stories |
| 1:1 | Square | Instagram feed, Facebook feed |
| 4:5 | Tall portrait | Instagram feed (maximizes screen space) |
| 4:3 | Classic | Legacy content, some social platforms |
| 3:4 | Portrait classic | Some social platforms |
| 5:4 | Slight landscape | Presentations, some print formats |
| 21:9 | Ultra-wide | Cinematic content |
| 2:1 | Wide | Twitter/X video, web banners |
| 2:3, 3:2, 1:2, 9:21 | Specialty | Specific creative needs |
For a detailed breakdown of each ratio and platform recommendations, see Aspect Ratio Options.
What Happens When You Change the Ratio
When your chosen ratio is different from the source video, StarZero Agents reframes the content to fit. This means parts of the original frame may be cropped.
For example, rendering a 16:9 video in 9:16 means going from wide to tall -- the left and right edges of the frame will be cut off, and StarZero Agents will decide which part of the frame to keep.
Split-Screen Mode
When converting between landscape and portrait (or vice versa), StarZero Agents can automatically split the frame into two halves instead of cropping:
- Wide → portrait: the left and right halves of the source are stacked top and bottom
- Portrait → wide: the top and bottom halves of the source are placed side by side
This is useful when you want to show the entire frame without losing any content. Split-screen is applied automatically during rendering when appropriate. Note: split-screen is not yet previewable in the editor (coming soon).
Getting the Best Results
For the best reframing results:
- Add focus hints for each clip to tell StarZero Agents what to keep in frame. See Focus Hints.
- Preview first with a low-quality render to check how the reframing looks.
- Adjust and re-render if any clips don't look right.
"Render a preview in 9:16. For clip 1 focus on the speaker, for clip 2 focus on the product."
Rendering Multiple Versions
You can render the same project in different aspect ratios without changing your edit. This is great for creating platform-specific versions from a single project:
"Render in 16:9 for YouTube."
Then:
"Now render the same project in 9:16 for TikTok."
And:
"And one more in 1:1 for Instagram."
Each render is independent -- you'll get a separate video file for each one.