New Delhi, September 25 — The “thinnest video” trend, featuring ultra-wide 5120×1080 cinematic strips, is sweeping Instagram as creators and brands repurpose footage into slim, panoramic Reels for a movie-like aesthetic, according to details received by The Chenab Times.
The format crops the top and bottom of standard videos into a narrow horizontal band, creating a letterbox effect that stands out in vertical feeds. Popular since mid-September, it has drawn participation from Kerala Tourism, which shared a scenic “God’s Own Country” clip, and the Indian National Congress, posting a Rahul Gandhi video captioned “Aa raha hai Hydrogen Bomb jald hi!” ahead of Bihar elections, as reported by The Indian Express. Brands like Blinkit, Kit Kat and BMW have adapted it for promotions, emphasizing “perfect fits” and “break dimensions.”
To create these, shoot in landscape high-resolution mode, then edit in apps like InShot, CapCut, VN or Adobe Premiere Pro. Set the project to 5120×1080 pixels, use masking to trim edges, and export. Upload to Instagram Reels via preview to avoid auto-cropping, ensuring the strip spans the screen fully. Canva templates and YouTube tutorials simplify the process for beginners. Experts note it boosts engagement by disrupting scrolls, ideal for storytelling or hooks in the thin format. Filmmakers on Reddit praise its niche appeal for ultrawide screens but suggest filming natively for best results. No official Instagram update supports it directly, but it fits within Reels’ flexible ratios.
The Chenab Times News Desk