How to export video to Instagram with a Preset

[dberkedal]

   I export my videos to social media with the H.264 format and one of the designated presets for YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. I've been trying several presets to export to Instagram but they all have resulted in an enlarged aspect ratio.

   Will one of the presets work for exporting to Instagram?

   If not, how can I export my video so it will work on Instagram.

   I would descibe myself as a modestly experienced beginner.

   Thank you very much. 

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi D,

Sorry, those presets are not very good for Instagram, as is. Are you wanting to make an Instagram Story, an Instagram standard square post, or a tall aspect ratio Instagram Post? You can change the settings in the Video Tab of the Export Settings dialog box and save each one as a preset. One way to approach that issue, anyway. Exploring the Auto Reframe feature would be another.

Thanks,
Kevin

[dberkedal]

Kevin,

   Thank you for your reply. Is the "Story" option the more cinematic. I think I do mostly 16:9. 

   What settings would I use?

[R Neil Haugen]

As Kevin notes, it is probably easier to make some presets for each one of the one he mentions.

Which you do by changing the settings in the Export dialog, and then simply saving the changes as a preset. It's very easy to do even if at first it seems scary.

New Preset

Go down to the Video tab of the Export dialog, and change the settings for framesize to what you need. Uncheck the box next to whichever frame-size number you're changing, then also click on the little icon between them, so it has a line across that icon, so doesn't change one number when you change the other.

That will change the shape of the viewer window to the left. Now you choose whether to leave your image say centered in it, with black areas showing, or to crop in somehow. Not that many options, actually. And it may not allow you to place the image at the size and position you want.

When you have it as you want it, you go back to the top and click the first icon to the right of the Preset drop-down, to 'save preset'.

Auto-Reframe

The other way, and more flexible, is his second suggestion. Start with the menu item from the Sequence menu to Auto-Reframe the sequence.

That will create a new sequence, and give you the options to set it as needed.

Then you move the image around as required to fit into the new sequence.

Neil

[dberkedal]

Neil,

   Thank you for your reply.

   RE New Preset: What settings would I need for a more cinematic aspect ratio? Is it self-explanatory? Trial and error?

   RE Auto-Reframe: What settings would I chose to make it closest to "cinematic"? If that's not an option, then I would go for Instagram's standard size. What settings would that need?

[R Neil Haugen]

"Cinematic" ... that's always a fun definition. For getting an idea for the frame-sizes, you can go online and search movie aspect ratios, and check the framesizes. Look for say 1.85:1, 2.35:1, something like that.

Then create a sequence with the right aspect ratio for the size you've chosen.

Auto-reframe is used primarily to match a say 1920x1080 to some social media aspect ratio, like square or vertical or whatever. It includes presets I think  for say Instagram, Facebook, and a couple others.

Neil

[dberkedal]

   Thank you all for your help in figuring out how to post on Instagram in a usable format.

   The method I used was to change the frame size to 1080X1350 (4:5), which made everything in my video visable.

   I may stick with this for awhile, and if I do I'll save it. I may try experimenting with other formats though.

   In any case, I know what to do. And I thank you all for that.

   Happy Holidays to all!