# Choose a vertical layout for a two-person podcast > Frame a host and guest in portrait video without losing reactions or questions. Compare a fixed crop, full-frame output and externally prepared layouts. By CastCuts · Updated 2026-10-25 Start with the recording’s actual camera view and the job of the excerpt. Use full-frame layout when both speakers or their reactions matter. Use a fixed portrait crop for a stable close-up only after watching the whole passage. CastCuts does not automatically build a two-person split screen or switch the crop whenever the speaker changes. ## Decide whether the clip belongs to one person or the exchange A guest’s uninterrupted explanation may work as a close-up. A question, reaction, interruption or shared demonstration may need both people. Listen to the selected passage and mark every moment where the other person changes its meaning. A host’s visible disagreement can matter even when they are silent. Choose the layout after identifying these moments, rather than assuming that the person with the longest answer is the only subject worth preserving. ## Check every camera change before choosing a fixed crop A continuous room view and an edited interview behave differently. Scrub through the entire excerpt, then play it at normal speed. A crop that centers the guest in a wide shot can show empty space when the source cuts to the host. Adjust a fixed crop only when it works throughout the selection. If the recording already contains useful camera close-ups, choose a passage whose existing edit supports the portrait composition. ## Compare two smaller faces with one larger face Full-frame output keeps the recorded host and guest together inside the portrait canvas, with smaller faces and padding around a wide source. The benefit is preserved context; the cost is reduced visual detail. Add a concise headline and check that captions do not obscure gestures or source names. Preview the downloaded clip on a phone, where a composition that seems comfortable on a large monitor may make expressions hard to follow. ## Prepare a custom composition outside CastCuts when required If your deliverable needs stacked speakers, separate camera synchronization or frequent manual angle changes, prepare that edit in another tool before uploading the combined video. CastCuts can clip the resulting source but cannot recover a separate camera that was not included. Keep attribution accurate and avoid splicing a reaction beside unrelated speech. After preparing the source, test its full-frame presentation so another crop does not remove the layout you already created. ## A fictional answer with an important silent reaction Illustrative example. The people, recordings and results described here are fictional. A guest explains a scheduling mistake while the host silently points to the relevant date on a shared board. A close crop makes the guest larger but loses the correction. The creator keeps the full frame and selects the part where the guest names the date aloud. In a separate clip containing a stable guest close-up, they use a fixed portrait crop after checking its final seconds. Different excerpts from the same interview can need different layouts. ## Check before you finish - The excerpt’s questions, answers and meaningful reactions are identified. - The chosen crop survives every source-camera change. - Both essential faces and gestures remain understandable on a phone. - Any custom stacked or multi-camera composition is prepared externally. ## Practical questions ### Does CastCuts automatically follow the active speaker? General automatic speaker tracking is not available in this workflow. A fixed crop stays fixed, and full-frame layout preserves the recorded composition. ### Can I upload two camera files and create a split screen? Prepare and synchronize that composition in another editor first. CastCuts works from a source video; it does not provide a two-camera split-screen assembly tool. ### Is full frame always the best two-person choice? No. It preserves both people, but smaller faces can weaken a stable solo explanation. Compare complete passages and choose based on what the viewer needs to see. ## Use this workflow in CastCuts [Review host-and-guest excerpts before exporting](https://castcuts.co/interview-to-shorts) CastCuts selects continuous 1–90 second excerpts and exports 9:16, 720 × 1280 H.264/AAC MP4 files. Automatic transcription and transcript-based suggestions support English and require review. Free exports include CastCuts branding; Pro removes it from new renders for $9 USD/month, with the same processing and storage limits. Episode media is retained for 24 hours. Keep your originals and download finished clips before expiry. Publishing is manual. ## Explore this topic [Podcast captions and vertical framing: make clips readable](https://castcuts.co/guides/topics/captions-and-framing) ## Keep creating [How to edit podcast Q&A clips](https://castcuts.co/guides/podcast-qa-clips) [How to make short clips from a panel discussion](https://castcuts.co/guides/panel-discussion-clips) [Why podcast clips look blurry and what to check first](https://castcuts.co/guides/blurry-podcast-clips) [All creator guides](https://castcuts.co/guides) [Create a clip](https://castcuts.co/account)