Hello everybody, my name is Elliot, I am from Under The Ledge and welcome back to this week’s video. Today we’re talking about vertical video cinematography.
With more and more content being viewed on mobile, and vertical mediums like TikTok, Instagram Reels and Stories, YouTube Shorts Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter taking off at the moment, it’s important that people start taking full advantage of platforms like this and their vertical video opportunities.
First let’s talk about why people use vertical video. In the history of filmmaking, people have always shot horizontal right? Well, not exactly. As we talked about in last week’s video, the aspect ratio people used to shoot in was 4:3. But now that we have wide screen, why would anybody want to watch vertical video? Because in 2021, with 60% of all content being consumed on mobile, it just makes sense to present your content for the mobile screen. Vertical content also takes up more space on the phone, which helps capture the attention of the viewer.
Next there is the question of the world of cinema going vertical. Personally, I can’t see horizontal video in cinema changing to vertical video. It would mean saving to relearn composition, and techniques like the rule of thirds would no longer apply. I’ve found that people are happy to turn their phone horizontal if they are watching a horizontal clip longer than 1 or 2 minuets, so horizontal video for cinema isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
Now let’s talk about the production of vertical video. There are two options when it comes to shooting vertical. Firstly you shoot horizontal and crop in, or secondly, you can shoot vertical in camera, which requires mounts, a cage or a special tripod. Here’s a few tips for when you are shooting horizontal and then cropping in. Firstly, shoot wider than usual, you can always crop in, but you can’t create new footage. Secondly, shoot in the highest resolution possible for when you decide to crop in. Try to avoid shaky camera moves, as they become even more shaky when you crop to vertical, and it is very difficult to keep your subject centred.
Now, here’s some tips if you are shooting vertically, straight in camera. For mounting options, you can shoot vertically, handheld. Use a tripod and tilt it. Or use a cage on your camera. Some more tips for shooting vertical include staying as stable as possible, be precise with your camera moves, many composition rules still apply, for example leading lines can have an even greater effect.
Whether you like it or not, Vertical video is here to stay, and it is only going to keep growing. To experiment with vertical video, I’m now uploading Instagram Reels every Friday. Follow me on my socials, subscribe to the newsletter and I’ll see you in the next one.
Elliot.
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