Most filmmakers treat vertical video as a necessary evil -- a compromise for social media platforms that sacrifice cinematic quality for reach. I treat it as a distinct format with its own visual language, one that requires rethinking every compositional instinct trained on horizontal frames.
The vertical frame compresses horizontal space and stretches vertical space. This fundamentally changes how subjects are arranged. A wide establishing shot that works beautifully in 16:9 becomes meaningless in 9:16 -- there is no width to establish. Instead, vertical thrives on layered depth: foreground, subject, and background stacked in visual planes.
Lighting changes too. In horizontal, rim lighting and side fills create width and separation. In vertical, overhead and under-lighting create drama and dimensionality within the narrow frame. I scout every location specifically for vertical potential, looking for tall architectural elements, vertical light sources, and natural leading lines that guide the eye up and down.
Pacing is perhaps the biggest difference. Horizontal cinema allows the eye to wander across the frame, discovering details at its own pace. Vertical demands immediate focus -- the composition must be readable in under a second. This means faster cuts, more deliberate subject placement, and a rhythm that matches the scrolling speed of the platform.
The best vertical content does not feel like a compromise. It feels like it was born for the format.
