Should I choose portrait or landscape video?

Check the intended viewing space and its current requirements first. Then choose the shape that lets the visual sequence communicate the explanation clearly at the size the audience will watch.

When should I decide the video orientation?

Choose the primary destination and orientation before finalising the script and visual plan. This gives you a frame to organise the explanation around and makes the settings easier to check before rendering.

Can the same message work in portrait and landscape?

Yes, the same answer and next action can be adapted for either shape. Review the arrangement and narration together so each version communicates clearly within its own frame.

What orientation choices does AutoScribble offer?

AutoScribble offers portrait, landscape and square orientation. Portrait 9:16 is the default, so confirm the selected setting matches the destination in your brief before generating.

How do I check whether the chosen shape works?

Watch the completed film at a size and in a space similar to the intended destination. Check the focal point, the readability of important details and whether the visual sequence supports the spoken explanation.

Choosing Portrait or Landscape Before You Write

Start with where the film will appear, then give the explanation a shape that suits that space.

Choose portrait or landscape video by checking the intended viewing space before writing the script. Portrait gives a tall composition, while landscape gives a wide one. Square offers a balanced frame. A whiteboard explainer video should organise its visuals around that frame, with the same clear message and next action whichever shape you choose.

Choose the destination before the frame

Start with the specific place the audience will watch: a page on your website, a presentation or a social post. Inspect that destination's current video requirements and the space it gives the film. Our recommendation is to choose one primary destination for the first version, then decide whether another destination needs a separate composition.

Think about the explanation as well as the container. A process that benefits from seeing several stages together may suit a wide arrangement. A sequence that follows one object or person can work with a tall arrangement. These are composition choices to consider, rather than rules about which subjects belong in a particular format. The audience still needs a clear question, answer and next step.

What each shape asks of the visual plan

Use the available frame deliberately. In our view, a simple composition is a useful starting point for a beginner because it makes the main idea easier to identify. Keep necessary labels brief and check them at the size people will actually watch.

Shape	A useful composition starting point	A question to ask before writing
Portrait	Follow one main subject through a vertical sequence; separate successive ideas clearly.	Can each moment communicate its point without placing several small objects across the frame?
Landscape	Use the width for a clear comparison or a few related stages, with one obvious reading order.	Does showing these elements together help the explanation, and can the viewer tell where to look first?
Square	Keep the focal point clear and arrange supporting elements around it without crowding the edges.	Can the essential message remain clear in a compact, balanced composition?

Editorial composition suggestions. Check the destination's current specifications and review the finished film in its intended viewing space.

One message, written for three shapes

These original drafts explain the same invented community book swap: bring a book, give it to a volunteer, browse and choose another. The instruction and final action stay consistent. The visual direction changes the arrangement, while each narration can stand alone. Time your chosen version aloud before deciding its film length.

PORTRAIT VERSION
Narration: Got a book you are ready to pass on? Bring it to the community book swap. Give your book to a volunteer when you arrive. Then browse the shelves and choose another book to take home. Pick a book from your shelf and bring it to the next swap.
Visual direction: Begin with one book on a shelf. Follow that book into a visitor's hands, then to a volunteer. Move to the shelves and finish with the visitor's chosen book. Give each step its own clear moment in the tall frame.

LANDSCAPE VERSION
Narration: A book on your shelf could become someone else's next read. At the community book swap, bring a book you are ready to pass on and give it to a volunteer. Browse the shelves, then choose another book to take home. Pick the book you will bring to the next swap.
Visual direction: Establish the visitor and swap table in a wide scene. Show arrival, browsing and departure in a clear sequence across that space. Keep the current action visually prominent rather than asking the viewer to follow every stage at once.

SQUARE VERSION
Narration: Ready for a different book? Bring one you are ready to pass on to the community book swap. Give it to a volunteer, browse the shelves and choose another book to take home. Start by choosing the book you will bring to the next swap.
Visual direction: Use the book as the central subject. Introduce the handover, shelves and chosen book in successive balanced compositions. Leave space around the main action so supporting objects stay distinct.

SHARED MESSAGE CHECK
Audience: A first-time visitor.
Answer: Bring a book, hand it to a volunteer and choose another.
Next action: Choose the book to bring.
Example status: Fictional process; confirm a real organiser's instructions before using them.

Write and review in this order

First, record the primary destination and chosen orientation in the brief. Second, write the answer and next action in one sentence each. Third, plan the visual sequence for that shape, choosing what the viewer needs to see together and what should appear in a separate moment. Fourth, write and read the narration aloud against that plan.

After rendering, watch the film in a viewing space similar to its destination. Check whether the focal point is obvious, important labels are readable and the ending gives the viewer a useful action. A composition that looks clear in a large player still needs review at the size the audience will see.

Write the destination and orientation in the same brief as the script.
Keep one clear focal point for each part of the explanation.
Review the spoken message and visual arrangement together.
Treat an additional destination as a fresh composition decision.

Three mistakes to catch early

Choosing a shape after approving a crowded scene plan can force a rewrite. Decide the intended viewing space first. Treating a tall or wide frame as a reason to add more information can dilute the message; keep the same audience question and remove details that serve a separate purpose. Assuming a small player will remain readable because the large preview looks clear can hide a practical problem; watch the completed film at the intended viewing size.

Our recommendation is to preserve the important message when adapting a version, then reconsider the layout and narration together. The worked example above keeps the same process without requiring every version to use identical sentences.

Set the chosen orientation in AutoScribble

AutoScribble turns a typed idea or pasted script into a narrated animated explainer. Choose portrait, landscape or square orientation in the creation settings; portrait 9:16 is the default. Add the intended destination and visual direction to the brief so the script review has that context.

Choose the narration voice and a 30-, 60- or 120-second length, with an optional logo. Confirm the on-screen settings and credit quote before generating, then review the completed film before downloading its MP4 or sharing a private link. An edit-and-remake after rendering creates a new version, with its credit cost shown before confirmation.

Product details in this guide were checked against AutoScribble's creation flow and rendering code on 2026-09-12.

Create a whiteboard explainer for [audience] answering [question]. Primary destination: [page, presentation or post]. Chosen orientation: [portrait, landscape or square]. Use this script: [draft]. Visual plan: [one clear sequence suited to the frame]. End with [one action].

Try this with your own idea

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Common questions

Should I choose portrait or landscape video?: Check the intended viewing space and its current requirements first. Then choose the shape that lets the visual sequence communicate the explanation clearly at the size the audience will watch.
When should I decide the video orientation?: Choose the primary destination and orientation before finalising the script and visual plan. This gives you a frame to organise the explanation around and makes the settings easier to check before rendering.
Can the same message work in portrait and landscape?: Yes, the same answer and next action can be adapted for either shape. Review the arrangement and narration together so each version communicates clearly within its own frame.
What orientation choices does AutoScribble offer?: AutoScribble offers portrait, landscape and square orientation. Portrait 9:16 is the default, so confirm the selected setting matches the destination in your brief before generating.
How do I check whether the chosen shape works?: Watch the completed film at a size and in a space similar to the intended destination. Check the focal point, the readability of important details and whether the visual sequence supports the spoken explanation.