How to turn a horizontal video into a vertical one with a blurred background

Landscape (16:9) footage doesn't fill a vertical (9:16) screen. You can crop it, which cuts off the sides, or fit the whole frame and fill the empty space above and below. A blurred, zoomed copy of the video is a popular way to fill that space because it looks intentional instead of leaving plain black bars.

Your three options

Crop to fill: zoom the video until it fills the vertical frame. Nothing is letterboxed, but you lose most of the left and right of the shot. Works only when the subject is in the center.
Fit with black bars: show the entire frame with black above and below. Nothing is lost, but the video looks small and the black bars can look unfinished.
Fit with a blurred background: show the entire frame and fill the space with a blurred, enlarged copy of the same video. Nothing is lost and the screen feels full.

The blurred background works well for screen recordings, wide shots, gameplay, interviews with two people, and anything where the edges of the frame matter.

Step 1: Open your video

Open Saynetic and add your horizontal video. The preview shows it in its original shape at first.

Step 2: Switch the output to 9:16

Go to the Effects tab and find Frame & blur. Set Output frame to 9:16 vertical. The preview changes to a vertical frame with your video in the middle.

Step 3: Choose the blurred fill

Set Empty space to Blurred video. The space above and below now shows a soft, zoomed copy of your video that moves along with it. Use the Background blur slider to make it softer or sharper. A stronger blur keeps attention on the main video; a lighter one shows more of the scene. The background is also slightly darkened so the main video and captions stand out.

Step 4: Make the most of the extra space

The empty areas are a natural place for captions and titles, because they're not covering the action:

In the Style tab, set caption position to Bottom or Top so captions sit over the blurred area instead of the video.
If you add a logo, a top corner keeps it clear of both the video and the platform buttons.
A progress bar at the top or bottom can fit neatly in the blurred band.

Step 5: Consider a slow zoom

A wide landscape video can feel small in a vertical frame. Two zoom tools help:

Slow push-in: a gradual zoom over a time range, which adds movement to static shots.
Punch-in on emphasis words: a quick zoom when the speaker says a word you've marked as emphasis in the transcript.

Zooming crops into the main video, so watch the edges: zoom less if important details are near the sides.

Step 6: Blur anything private

Wide shots often include things you don't want to show: faces in the background, license plates, or screens with personal information. In Frame & blur, choose Draw blur region and drag a box over the area on the preview. You can set each region's strength and limit it to a time range if the thing only appears briefly.

Step 7: Export

Open the Export tab. The summary shows the output size (a 9:16 frame such as 1080×1920). Export the MP4, and it's ready for TikTok, Reels or Shorts.

Quality tips

Start with the best source you have. In a 9:16 frame, a 1920-pixel-wide landscape video is shown about 1080 pixels wide, so lower-resolution sources will look soft.
Avoid stacking effects. A blurred background, heavy color look, grain and vignette together can make the video look muddy.
Check text in the original video. Small on-screen text in landscape footage becomes even smaller in a vertical frame; zoom in or crop if viewers need to read it.

When to crop instead

If your subject is always in the center (a single person talking to camera, say), cropping to fill can look more immersive than a blurred background. Try both on your clip. There's no wrong answer, only what looks best for that video.

Frequently asked questions

Does the blurred background lower the quality of my video?

No. The main video is drawn sharp on top. Only the background copy is blurred, and it's deliberately soft. The overall output is a normal 9:16 MP4 at up to 1080×1920.

Can I use a solid color instead of blur?

Saynetic offers black bars or a blurred fill. If you want a brand color, you can use black bars here and add the color in your regular editor, or choose a light blur and a matching color look.

Will my captions sit on the video or on the blur?

That depends on the caption position. Middle places them over the video; Top or Bottom usually places them over the blurred area, which keeps the action uncovered. Check the preview: it shows exactly what the export will look like.

Can I convert a vertical video to horizontal the same way?

The 9:16 option is designed for short-form platforms. For other shapes, keep Output frame on Original shape.

Everything runs in your browser, including the blur and the export, so your footage stays on your device. Try it with your own video.