How to rotate a video.

Powerful smartphones and compact digital cameras mean we’re shooting more video than ever before. Video editing tools provide greater control and allow us to tidy up our footage before sharing. To tweak the orientation or tilt the horizon line, you need to rotate video. Learn how to rotate a video with our guide.

retoucher-photographer-uses-touchpad-for-adjustment-color-correction-during-retouching-and-editing-photo

What you’ll learn:

How to rotate a video online.

Maybe you’ve shot a video of your new car but the angle is slightly out. Or perhaps you’ve captured your friend riding a half-pipe and want to flip it upside down to create a cool effect. Follow these steps to rotate your video:
 

  1. Choose your video editing software. There are lots of video editing tools available, each with different features and functions. The majority will perform basic video rotation.

  2. Import your footage. Most video editing software will allow you to edit video in various file formats, such as .avi and .wmv. Simply find the import menu and browse for the video file you want to edit.

  3. Drag onto your timeline. Editing video takes place on a timeline. Timelines (known as non-linear editors) are where the magic happens. Once on the timeline, footage can be sequenced, trimmed and edited.

  4. Rotate your video. With your video in your timeline, simply select the rotation feature from the nav in your editing software and rotate the video. Functionality differs across software, but you’ll generally use a simple slider – measured in degrees. 
     

Create and share videos with Adobe Premiere Rush.

 

Rotate a video left and right.

When rotating a video, you either move it left or right. To rotate to the left, push the cursor to the left-hand side of the bar. To rotate it right, push the cursor to the right-hand side of the bar. Each rotation is generally 90° and increases in 90° increments. 
 

  • 90° puts the video on its side – for example from horizontal to vertical 
  • 180° flips your video upside down
  • 270° rotates it again in the other direction
  • 360° and you’re back to the start again
     

How to rotate a video in smaller increments.

What if you’re not rotating a video to create a cool effect, instead correcting orientations just a few degrees out? Most video editing software allows you to make precision adjustments in addition to rotating videos at full 90° increments. To do this:
 

  1. Find the rotation field in your video editing software
  2. Click into the box for text and numbers 
  3. Enter the precise number of degrees to adjust 
  4. Hit enter to action the changes
Using the Rotation setting to adjust the angle of a video in Premiere Rush

How to flip a video.

As smartphone video cameras have become more sophisticated and video sharing apps a part of everyday life, there are several unique ways to post video content. One such technique is to flip a video. Flipping a video basically means putting it upside down. To flip a video:

 

  1. Open your video editing software app 
  2. Import your video clip 
  3. Rotate it 180° (using the slide or entering it)
  4. The image will appear upside down 

 

How to rotate a video on mobile.

The smartphone is at the heart of modern life, with people checking them every 12 minutes of the waking day . These powerful, pocket-sized video cameras are increasingly used to shoot and share footage. 

 

But how do you a rotate a video on your phone? Both the main smartphone platforms – Apple and Android – have their own built-in video editing tools. You can also download video editor apps for them. 

 

How to rotate a video on iPhone.

  1. Open iMovie on your iPhone or iPad
  2. Launch the project and find the clip on your timeline
  3. With the clip in the viewer, you’ll need to direct it clockwise or vice versa
  4. Move your finger and thumb over the clip 
  5. Once the image has rotated 90° a white arrow will appear on screen
     

How to rotate a video on Android..

  1. Open Google Photos
  2. Tap the video you want to edit to open it 
  3. Tap the video and you’ll see some icons 
  4. From the icons, choose the tiny pencil 
  5. Tap the rotate button at the bottom 
  6. Each time you tap, your video will rotate 90°
     

Using Premiere Rush to rotate video.

Premiere Rush is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite. It combines powerful video editing tools with easy social sharing. Rotating a video is a breeze with Premiere Rush.  

 

How to fix a wrong orientation.

With Premiere Rush, you don’t need to be a seasoned video editor to flip videos and make precise adjustments to video orientation. Simply import video clips in .avi, .wmv and many other video formats, make your adjustments, and then Premiere Rush will automatically them then export as mp4s.

 

Want to take your video editing further? Check out Adobe Premiere Pro.
 

Rotate left, rotate right, or flip.

Once you’ve selected the project and sequence you want to rotate:
 

  1. Select the Transform panel on the right side of the preview monitor. (If using on mobile, scroll through the tools at the bottom to reach Transform.)
  2. Select Rotation.
  3. Move the slider to the left or right to rotate the video.
     

Change the aspect ratio.

 

When you import media, Premiere Rush automatically sets the aspect ratio to that of your source media, but you can change it at any time. If you shoot horizontally (16:9 aspect ratio) but you want to post on Instagram — or if you shoot vertically but want to achieve a cinematic effect — here’s how you can change the dimensions so you don’t lose any footage in the rotation.

 

Once you’ve selected the project and sequence you want to adjust:

 

  1. If you’re using a desktop or tablet, click the Sequence Orientation button (the overlapping rectangles) beneath the preview monitor. On mobile, click the overlapping rectangles in the bottom toolbar.
  2. Choose the orientation you prefer (landscape, portrait or square).
  3. Position the frame by clicking on the video in the preview monitor and moving it within the frame.
  4. Rotate and scale it within the frame.
     

Use Adobe Premiere Rush to create and edit videos built for social sharing. Get the smartphone app or work from your laptop.

 

Get started

Further reading.

Discover other editing tools in Premiere Rush.

Find out how to trim and edit video, add transitions, apply colour presets, and add video effects. Learn more.

 

Create titles worthy of your best footage.

Explore how to create your own titles and customised motion graphics templates. Learn more.

 

Once you’ve gotten the hang of these video-editing tools, use Premiere Rush to share them with your friends on social media. Or, if you find yourself needing more editing tools, check out the additional options you get with Adobe Premiere Pro.

You might also be interested in…

Editing a video on a smartphone.

Introduction to video editing.

Learn the principles of video editing and practical tips for both big and small screens.

Hand holding a smartphone with a video that is ready to be rendered

How to compress videos to share on social media.
Learn how to use Adobe Premiere Rush to reduce file size and export videos.

Merging and editing video on a mobile device

Edit videos on your phone.
Use Adobe Premiere Rush to edit video clips and merge them into one video file for web or social. 

A large crowd of people moving in different directions

Changing video speed in Adobe Premiere Rush.
Learn how to adjust the speed of your video for purposes both practical and artistic.

Get Adobe Premiere Rush

Create and share online videos anywhere.