FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MEDIA ADVISORY

Changes to Motion Picture Presentation Format

March 1, 2025

Five major Hollywood studios have agreed in principle to a new presentation format for theatrical-release movies. The VerticalView (VV) format allows motion pictures to be shot, edited and presented in a vertical orientation, similar to the way many consumers use video on their phones.

The change comes about as the result of data collected over the last several years highlighting the way most people capture video.

“We were aware of this phenomenon early on,” says Tyler Whitley, President of USMPA (United States Motion Picture Association). “That people were posting videos in such a restrictive format was a real eye-opener.” Whitley says. “And motion picture producers are embracing it. We think consumers will be ready to watch movies the same way.”

Cost savings for the industry will be substantial. Sound stages won’t have to be as large, and a smaller ‘artistic footprint’ (the space available on-screen) means fewer sets and less CGI and other special effects. A note of caution was sounded by Screen Actors Equity, as some producers have suggested that ‘fewer actors will be needed to fill any given scene’ under the new format.

But these are “minor issues” to be resolved, says Whitley. “Studios feel that the bottom line outweighs those reservations. Things like frame composition will become less of a concern if a PiggyWiggly parking lot could stand in for a Paris streetscape. With less screen space, there is little need to establish old-school concepts like ‘setting’ or ‘atmosphere’. With Vertical Video, the quality of the finished product can be rationalized”.

Network television and streaming services, including HBO, Apple+ and Netflix, are watching closely. If the new format catches on, insiders say they will push for a new broadcast format. In fact, technical details have already been worked out with the pending certification of e-ReCt Broadcast Protocol (EBP). “Imagine watching your favorite sit-com in a format that literally makes fun of the way you take your own videos,” says producer-at-large Les Balivernes. “It’s art imitating life imitating art, or whatnot. What could be more absurd, especially in a comedy, no less?”

There are a few dissenting industry voices. “Are you kidding me?” said one studio producer, on condition of anonymity. “Next thing you know, people will be watching movies on their iPhones, or capturing video without enjoying the event they are actually attending.”

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-with files from Longbottom.News