Q: how can I change stretched videos on iMovie

Assuming you are using iMovie 10 you select the clip in the timeline, click on the crop icon above the viewer and after ":Style:" you click on "Fit" .

See:  http://help.apple.com/imovie/mac/10.0.8/#/mova56757e7e

You will of course have very large black bars on each side.

Geoff.

Geoff

This doesn't seem to fix anything, please see attached:

Imported portrait video is stretched to fit landscape

I go to crop > fit.

Video is still stretched and squat looking...

Am I not understanding what to do properly?

You are viewing the clip in the browser and not the timeline.  What happens when you put a clip into the timeline then set "Style" to "Fit"?

Seems to be the same either way.

Strange.  iMovie should not change the aspect ratio of the original.  What is the format of the videos?  Are they from an iPhone?

They are shot with a new iPhone in portrait orientation.

It's funny-- It seems like when you shoot something in portrait on iPhone you can edit it on iMovie on the phone itself just fine. But if you want to upload those videos so you can have the more advanced editing options you'd get from iMovie on a Mac, iMovie distorts the original portrait video by stretching and flattening it to landscape.

Shooting in landscape on the iPhone sometimes trims the views of the final video which is out of the option (incase you couldn't see clearly: these are olympic lifting videos used to send to a coach for technique feedback, so not having feet and arms in the frame at all times is not an option).

I'd like to continue shooting in portrait... Any suggestions?

Hmm.  I'm not an iPhone user and don't know why this is happening.  Maybe it will work if you import first into Photos from there into iMovie.  These Apple's instructions:

Import photos and videos from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

Maybe someone else can help?

Geoff.

That's what I did.

I will look into it further.

Thanks for your suggestions Geoff! Hopefully they were able to help the original poster's issue.

Sorry I could not help more.  This link won't help but it may make you laugh:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt9zSfinwFA

Geoff.

That's so amazing, thank you Geoff!