Let’s start today with a little self-experiment: If I were to ask you to pick up your smartphone to show me a picture, how would you instinctively hold it after picking it up? Exactly—vertically! When you think about it, it’s obvious. Yet, it’s important to be consciously aware of this realization.
Vertical videos – the new trend
“Users hate vertical videos online.” “Only amateurs upload vertical videos to social media.” “Vertical videos are too restrictive.” A few years ago, you heard these statements everywhere whenever the topic of vertical video came up. In fact, there is even the Vertical Video Syndrome (VVS), a condition created specifically for this. Recording videos in portrait mode and then posting them on social media? Years ago, that was unthinkable. But those days are over. Vertical videos are becoming increasingly popular. Users are looking for videos in the right format on various channels. Fast, uncomplicated, and simple. These are the adjectives that go hand-in-hand with this new trend. You have to admit that it is much easier and, above all, much faster to record a video vertically on your smartphone. In horizontal mode, you might need both hands, which makes recording more complicated and time-consuming.
BMW Group – Additive Manufacturing Campus / 3D Printing
We have also gained experience with this new trend. For example, we created a BMW Group image film image film in both horizontal and square formats for Instagram. Simply the right format for the right channel. For Instagram , for example, you have the option of creating a video in a square format to upload to your feed, or in a vertical format for Instagram Stories. We will show you two examples of this in one of our next blog posts. Please note that a video for Instagram Stories can be a maximum of 15 seconds long, and a video for the Instagram feed can be up to one minute long.
What is the film about? The BMW Group is investing more than 10 million euros in a new campus for additive manufacturing in Oberschleißheim, north of Munich. The new location will bundle technological expertise in industrial 3D printing processes, helping the company to further expand its capabilities in additive manufacturing.
You can watch the film in both formats below:
Horizontal version
Square version
BMW – Active Tourer beauty shots
The range of possibilities is vast and constantly evolving. Social media is not the only area where vertical videos are becoming increasingly important. The vertical format is also being used at trade fairs and in shop windows. Our Panda Pictures film production company also produced vertical spots for our client BMW for the BMW Active Tourer. The beauty shots were ultimately used for a trade fair and displayed there on large LED panels. You can see our compilation here:
Video boost through new apps
The "vertical video trend" was fueled by apps like Snapchat, Instagram on his Facebook profile, stating that Facebook intends to prioritize video in the future.
Our biggest focus has been putting video first across our apps. People are creating and sharing more video than ever, so we're building new tools to make it easier to express yourself in creative ways.
- Mark Zuckerberg
Two years ago, Facebook also announced via Marketingland that vertical videos would be rolled out immediately.
We know that people enjoy more immersive experiences on Facebook, so we’re starting to display a larger portion of each vertical video in News Feed on mobile.
- Facebook Spokesperson
Companies should therefore now consider film production for online content in vertical video format. All motion graphics should be produced in the appropriate format for the various channels. The impact is quite logical: vertical videos take up significantly more space in the mobile News Feed, thereby generating more attention. This is especially true given that the number of smartphones and mobile video views is increasing year after year. In 2016, mobile views already accounted for 52% of all views . The exciting part? We hold our smartphones vertically 94% of the time we use them.
New challenge for film production companies
This new trend, along with all the new formats and requirements, naturally affects film production as well as post-production . The primary goal for film production companies is now to be able to convey the story of every single project to the viewer in every format. Cross-media and transmedia have become very current topics. Workflows, techniques, and processes are being optimized for this and adapted to new developments, requirements, and trends. There are several ways to approach this:
Filming vertically
The first option is to film vertically from the start. This approach is often chosen when the client requires maximum technical quality. The footage does not need to be cropped later in post-production. For this, a standard camera can simply be rotated by mounting it sideways on a tripod, or you can film directly with a smartphone. You could also use two cameras simultaneously, with one filming in 16:9 and the second vertically, i.e., 9:16. However, for this option, the client must have decided in advance to have the film shot vertically.
Optimized shooting
The other option is to set up the shoot so that the footage can be quickly converted into a vertical or square version in post-production . For this, it is essential that the client decides in advance that the film needs to be created in multiple formats. This allows the framing to be optimized so that a slight "pan" or typography can be added later during post-production.
Post-production
Of course, it is also possible to convert an already produced film into a vertical or square format. Unfortunately, this doesn't always work, but it is certainly possible for about 80% of films.
In summary, it is worth it for clients—regardless of the strategy or goal—to think ahead about the film, its distribution, and the appropriate formats.
Are you interested in a film shot in vertical or square format, or perhaps a multi-format film? Get in touch with us! Together, we will find the perfect solution for your film project.