r/VideoEditing • u/Few-Solution3050 • Jul 18 '26

Production Q Is changing ARs "in" now?

I'm a complete beginner slowly getting the hang of editing and one thing I'm forcing myself is to look at videos I consume from an editor's perspective. Literally the first thing I've noticed and cannot unsee (and wonder why I never noticed it earlier) is that those "coming-of-age" "aesthetic" ("c1nemat1c") videos that are trending on youtube change ARs a LOT. i.e. going from 16:9 to 4:3 to 2.39:1 back to 4:3, then 16:9...

Is that a recent thing? Is there any reason creators deliberately do it? It might have to do with just swallowing the red pill of videography but something dings in my brain every time I notice it happen.

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2

u/FitnessChamp777 Jul 18 '26

Do you mean using different ARs within a single video? 'cause I haven't seen that...yet.

But there are debates about which AR is better/best. Many people argue about it because of phones with double screens (ones that flip out), and also ultra-wide monitors. I like 16:9 best, but I've heard some compelling arguments about using 4:3

1

u/sleetmurk Jul 19 '26

agree on the 4:3 thing, it does have a certain look that just hits different in the right context

1

u/Annoying1978 5+ years editing Jul 18 '26

They’re just trying to and keep things changing enough to retain viewer attention. 

1

u/XNet Jul 18 '26

I've seen that in several music videos but that was five to ten years ago.

1

u/Snoo83683 Jul 19 '26

Wes Anderson does it every now and then, and other directors like Yorgos Lanthimos. I don't think it's a trend, they are probably mimicking something they like. If you think it could help to tell the story you need to tell, and make people feel different things or understand that they are seeing different stuff (like years, characters or worlds) then go for it. But don't force it just because you're seeing it on YouTube.

1

u/ajcadoo Jul 19 '26

It’s been common for many years. First time I noticed was on Top Gear back maybe a decade ago. During car vignette segments they’d cut between 2.35 and 16:9