Shots & framing
Headroom: definition and examples
What is Headroom?
Headroom is the space between the top of a subject's head and the top of the video frame. Too much headroom makes the subject look small or adrift in the frame; too little feels cramped, so finding the right amount is a basic framing judgment call that affects how grounded and intentional a shot looks.
When you'd use it
- 1When reviewing a talking-head clip and the subject looks cramped or adrift in the frame.
- 2When repurposing a horizontal video for vertical format and the crop shifts the subject position.
- 3When stacking a lower-third or caption that crowds the space above the speaker's head.
- 4When coaching a creator or shooter on composition before they record.
Example
A creator reviewing footage from a self-shot video notices her head is centered vertically, leaving two to three inches of empty wall above her. Repositioning the camera slightly higher and tilting down puts her eyes at the upper third of the frame and immediately makes the shot look more intentional.
Use cases
- 1Adjusting the crop on a talking-head clip so the subject sits grounded in the vertical frame.
- 2Checking reframed footage for awkward dead space above the speaker before export.
- 3Correcting a shot where the subject's head is cut off or floats at the very top of the frame.
Make on-brand short-form video from the footage you already have.