If you want a vertical 9:16 cut of your video for LinkedIn, Instagram Reels, or TikTok, the worst time to ask is after the horizontal is already done. That kicks off a second revision cycle and burns a whole turnaround window. The right time to ask is in the original edit request, before any cutting starts. One sentence in Additional Notes gets you both formats from a single submission.
Pro tip: Ask for the vertical cut in the original Additional Notes. One submission, two formats, one turnaround window.
Why asking after-the-fact costs you a turnaround
A vertical version isn't just a crop. Editors have to reframe the speaker, adjust the lower thirds for the new aspect ratio, and rebalance the visual rhythm. If they're doing it as a follow-up, it's a separate edit cycle with its own queue position and its own revision window. If they're doing it alongside the horizontal, the work happens once and you get both formats back in the same turnaround.
The one line to add to Additional Notes
Paste this directly into Additional Notes on your edit request: "Please also deliver a 9:16 vertical version. Crop to speaker, adjust lower thirds for vertical layout." That's the whole ask. Editors will deliver the horizontal and the vertical as two separate video cards from the single submission. No follow-up Request needed.
When the horizontal is already finished: Duplicate Raw
If you're reading this and the horizontal cut is already complete, you can still get a vertical version, just on a separate cycle. From the video card itself, not from inside the open editor, click the three-dot menu and select Duplicate Raw. That spins up a new editor instance with the same source footage. Select Portrait orientation. Then in Additional Notes, link the original finished video as the style reference so editors keep the tone consistent. The vertical comes back as its own deliverable.
Try it this week
If you have an edit request open right now, scroll to Additional Notes and paste the line above. If you don't have one open, the next time you start one, add it before you submit. The difference between one turnaround and two is the difference between posting your video to all your social channels this week or next.