Every brief eventually asks the same question: should we shoot vertical? The honest answer is yes, no, and it depends on the surface where it lives.
The simple test
If your story has a single subject and the frame can stay close, vertical wins on every social platform. If your story has more than one subject in conversation, or relies on environment as character, horizontal still earns its keep — and you can cutdown to vertical with intentional crops.
The intentional crop
The mistake brands make is treating vertical as a center-crop of horizontal. Composition has to be built for the frame you’re delivering. That sometimes means shooting twice — and the budget is worth it.
When horizontal still wins
Hero films on a brand site. Long-form interviews. Anything where the viewer is leaning in instead of thumbing past. Don’t be afraid to keep the wide frame where it belongs.
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