Notes on vertical video production

Vertical format — 9:16, as in TikTok or Reels — is gradually becoming the standard for short content. But for many teams, the transition means revisiting the entire production process.

You can't simply crop a horizontal frame to vertical without losing something. You need to shoot differently, think differently about where subjects sit within the frame.

We watch teams that previously produced only horizontal content as they adapt. Some hire dedicated people, some retrain existing staff, some automate conversion and accept the tradeoffs.

The last path is the most interesting — and it has unsolved problems.