Use case · Minecraft
Turn Minecraft clips into vertical Shorts
A Minecraft PvP clip is recorded in 16:9, so a centre crop usually loses one of the players. Vercut keeps the 9:16 frame on the fight: you drag the box while the video plays, each move becomes a keyframe, and the export is 1080×1920 for Shorts, TikTok and Reels. The recording never leaves your browser.
Short versionThe same clip as a Short0:42Transcript and chapters
The clip opens with the problem: a centre crop loses the action in a Minecraft PvP recording.
The fix is to drag the 9:16 frame while the video plays. Pausing lets you zoom in on the fight, and the framing you place at each moment becomes a keyframe; playback interpolates between them.
The last section puts the original 16:9 clip next to the vertical export.
Minecraft footage: “PvP With Random Player in CINEMATIC View” by Crafty Shorts, CC BY.
Video chapters
- The problem with centre crops
- Drag the frame while it plays
- Pause and zoom in
- Hands-off replay
- Before vs after
The framing is manual on purpose. A tracker that guesses where the fight is will jump to a mob, a pet or the chat; your hand does not.
Why a centre crop loses a PvP clip
A 1920×1080 frame keeps a 608×1080 strip at 9:16: 31.6% of the area survives and 68.4% is discarded. In Minecraft the two players are usually apart, so the geometric centre of the frame is rarely where the hits land.
Framing the fight, step by step
Open the recording
Drop the MP4 or WebM into the editor. It is decoded locally: the recording is not uploaded to any server, and you can work offline once the page has loaded.
Place the frame on the fight
Play the clip and drag the 9:16 box onto the player you follow. Moving it while the video runs turns each position into a keyframe at the playhead.
Pause and zoom in if needed
In a ranged fight the player is only a few pixels tall. Pause, pull a corner inwards to tighten the frame and check that the crosshair is not sitting on the edge.
Play it back before exporting
Check the interpolation between keyframes: if the box jumps at a corner, add one more keyframe there. Then export at 1080×1920 and watch the first second.
What the crop pushes out of frame
- The chat and the player list, which live on the left edge.
- The compass, mod minimaps and any HUD anchored to a corner.
- The second player when the fight runs diagonally and the frame follows only one.
- Sky and terrain at the extremes, which are usually expendable.
Numbers for a Minecraft clip
| Recording | 9:16 strip | Export |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 × 1080 | 608 × 1080 | 1080 × 1920 |
| 2560 × 1440 | 810 × 1440 | 1080 × 1920 |
| 3840 × 2160 (4K) | 1215 × 2160 | 1080 × 1920 |
Frequently asked questions
Can I crop a 4K recording?
Yes. The browser decodes 4K and the output is still 1080×1920. On a modest machine it takes longer because decoding 4K costs more than 1080p, but the result is the same.
What if the HUD falls outside the frame?
The crop keeps the full height, so the hotbar, health and hunger survive. What gets lost are the sides: chat, coordinates and the minimap. If the HUD matters, move it with a mod or record with a central 608-pixel strip in mind.
Are Minecraft clips uploaded to a server?
No. The file opens from your disk, is cropped in the tab and exported right there. Only the page, the fonts and account data if you sign in travel over the network.
Does it work with other versions or with shaders?
Yes, as long as the file is an MP4, MOV or WebM your browser can decode. Shaders and versions change the look, not the ratio: the 9:16 crop works the same way.