Formats
Short answer: You need all three. Vertical performs best on mobile feeds (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts), square dominates Facebook and LinkedIn, and widescreen is essential for YouTube pre-roll and connected TV. The studio that gives you all three—ready to post—saves you weeks of re-editing and guesswork about which format will actually convert.
The Real Problem: One Format Isn’t Enough
Most founders and marketing teams commission a single “hero” video, then spend days (or hire an editor) to crop it into other sizes. That’s expensive friction. Worse, a vertical video forced into square loses impact. A widescreen ad shrunk to mobile looks tiny and ignored.
Every platform has its own visual language. TikTok and Instagram Stories demand full-screen vertical—your talent fills the frame, text is readable at a glance, pacing is fast. Facebook and LinkedIn users scroll horizontally; square format (1:1) gives you real estate without wasting the sides. YouTube and TV require widescreen (16:9) to feel cinematic and command attention in a crowded feed.
Run the same asset everywhere and you’re leaving conversions on the table.
What Each Format Actually Does
Vertical (9:16): Mobile feeds, Stories, Reels, Shorts. Users swipe fast—you have 2 seconds to stop the scroll. Copy floats at the top or bottom; product or face fills the frame. Best for direct-to-consumer, app installs, urgent offers.
Square (1:1): Facebook, Instagram Feed, LinkedIn, Pinterest. Works on desktop and mobile; feels native and intentional. Captions are centered and safe. Best for brand awareness, testimonials, before-and-after claims.
Widescreen (16:9): YouTube pre-roll, Connected TV, Twitter/X, web landing pages. Cinematic and premium. You have 5+ seconds before the skip button; space for text, graphics, and motion. Best for storytelling, explainers, product demos.
The Studio Advantage: All Three, Done Right
Pluto plans compositions for the formats included in the selected package. Final ratios and exports are confirmed in the signed Order.
Review stages: Review stages and revision entitlements are package-specific and confirmed in the signed Order. Work outside the agreed scope is quoted separately.
Production timing and first-review timing depend on the selected package, approved inputs, and the schedule confirmed in the signed Order.
The Cost of Not Having All Three
If you only have one format, you either re-edit (time and money) or skip platforms where it won’t perform (lost audience). A vertical-only ad on Facebook looks amateurish. A widescreen crop on TikTok gets buried. You’re essentially testing one format at a time instead of multiplying your reach.
The studio approach flips that. You test all three platforms simultaneously with assets made for each one. You learn faster which channels work, and you scale what wins without waiting for edits.
How to Choose a Format Partner
Ask each studio to state included formats, review stages, and licensing in writing. At Pluto, the selected package and signed Order control those terms; final deliverables and the applicable usage license transfer after full payment, subject to identified third-party terms.
If the studio makes you choose one format or charges per format, you’re solving the wrong problem. You need a partner who assumes you’ll run ads on multiple platforms.
The right video format is all of them—shaped and paced for where they’ll actually live. If you’re ready to move forward, Pluto offers a fixed quote. Reach out to explore your project and see what a small senior team can deliver.
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