Remember when Doc Brown said "Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads"? Well, in the film industry today, we might say: "Horizontal? Where we're going, we don't need horizontal."
The vertical film market isn't just trending—it's exploding. With over 85% of mobile video consumption happening in vertical format and platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts dominating viewer engagement, the writing is on the wall. Or should we say, the writing is on the vertical screen.
At VHS, we saw this shift coming before most studios caught on. While others were still thinking in traditional 16:9, we were designing our entire 46,000 sq ft facility around vertical content creation. As Marty McFly learned, sometimes you have to go back to the future—and the future of film is undeniably vertical.
The beauty of vertical filmmaking isn't just in the format—it's in the intimacy. Vertical films create a personal, immersive experience that horizontal simply can't match on mobile devices. It's cinema designed for how people actually consume content today, not how they consumed it in 1985.
Over 70% of all video content is consumed on mobile devices. Vertical format fills the entire screen, eliminating black bars and creating maximum visual impact.
Vertical videos see 90% higher completion rates than horizontal content on mobile platforms. Viewers are 9x more likely to share vertical content.
Vertical films require different lighting and framing techniques, but often need fewer wide shots and complex camera movements, reducing production complexity.
The portrait orientation mirrors how we naturally hold phones during personal conversations, creating subconscious intimacy with the content.
1 billion+ monthly active users consuming primarily vertical content
2 billion+ users with Reels driving 30% more engagement than standard posts
15 billion daily views, fastest-growing content format on the platform
375+ million daily users, original vertical video platform
While other studios scramble to retrofit their facilities for vertical content, VHS was built from the ground up with this format in mind. Our 46,000 sq ft facility isn't just adapted for vertical filmmaking—it's optimized for it.
Our built-in sets are designed with vertical framing in mind, maximizing visual impact in 9:16 format.
Lighting systems optimized for portrait orientation, ensuring perfect illumination for vertical compositions.
Our production teams understand vertical composition, movement, and storytelling techniques.
Shoot vertical primary with horizontal backup, or create multiple format versions simultaneously.
Workflows optimized for vertical delivery across all major platforms and formats.
As the industry continues shifting vertical, your content will already be optimized for emerging platforms.
The vertical revolution is just getting started. As 5G networks expand and AR/VR technologies mature, vertical content will become even more dominant. Smart brands and filmmakers are positioning themselves now for this inevitable future.
"The way I see it, if you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?" – Doc Brown
At VHS, we're not just building studios—we're building the future of filmmaking. With style.
Don't get left behind in the horizontal past. Partner with VHS to create vertical content that captures attention and drives engagement in today's mobile-first world.