What’s All the Fuss About...
Vertical videos
TV-streaming services are keen on them, but not in the way you might think
What are they?
They’re videos shot and viewed in a portrait (taller than wide) orientation, designed to fill the entire screen on phones. They usually have a 9:16 aspect ratio, the opposite of the horizontal (landscape) videos on TV.
Where will I see them?
Just visit any social-media site that hosts videos, such as Instagram Reels, TikTok or YouTube Shorts. These all have short-length vertical videos you scroll through on your phone rather than click on a PC screen. And now two of the biggest streaming services are experimenting with vertical videos.