Myth: you MUST shoot vertical 9:16 or Shorts won't perform

Myth: you MUST shoot vertical 9:16 or Shorts won't perform
Repeated everywhere. Tested with reframe tools instead of reshooting. YouTube accepts up to 1:1, and AI reframe tools turn horizontal footage into clean verticals.

— Opus Clip auto-reframe: tracks the speaker, decent on talking-heads
— Submagic reframe: faster, weaker on multi-person shots
— Descript: best speaker tracking but slowest export

Pros: shoot once horizontal, repurpose to Shorts AND long-form.
Cons: reframe crops lose background context; bad on group scenes.

Price: Opus $9.50/mo annual, Descript $12/mo.
Best for: creators already shooting landscape who don't want a vertical reshoot.
Verdict: the 'must shoot vertical' rule is a workflow myth. Reframe works. Not for you if your shots have action at the frame edges.