The challenges of vertical storytelling
As our devices—and the way we use them—evolve, so do our viewing habits. And in turn, the content produced follows suit.
For the longest time, we watched films in the cinematic scale of theaters, the boxy 4:3 aspect ratio of analog television and the widescreen 16:9 standard of HDTV and streaming. Now, with just about everyone on their phones, which we naturally hold upright, vertical viewing has become the norm. And platforms, especially, TikTok have capitalized on this—not only for funny skits and viral dance trends, but for storytelling, too.
If you’re on the app and have spent a fair amount of scrolling, then you have probably come across those vertical Chinese microdramas—fast-paced series packed with zany plot twists and over-the-top acting, told in bite-sized episodes no longer than three minutes.
It’s a huge hit in China—in fact, a multibillion-dollar industry with revenues reportedly surpassing domestic box office earnings last year.
While vertical dramas are still an emerging trend here in the Philippines, it has been starting to gain momentum, with local media companies and creators starting to tap into its potential. Puregold pioneered this in 2022 with the romantic series “52 Weeks,” produced in partnership with Insight 360. Soon after, ventures from platforms like Cignal Play, Beetzee Play, and Cornerstone Entertainment followed.
Cliffhangers over plot twists
For director Dizelle Masilungan—who helms the new vertical boys’ love (BL) series “Got My Eyes on You”—adapting to change has become part of the creative process in an ever-evolving media landscape.
“We have to go with the flow. Adapting is part of the media mindset,” he tells Lifestyle Inquirer.
But adapting to change doesn’t—and shouldn’t—mean abandoning the fundamentals of storytelling. Though microdramas are designed for quick consumption and instant gratification, Masilungan and his team are mindful not to fall into the trap of over-relying on plot twists. Instead, they strive to build a cohesive narrative that holds up, whether watched episodically or binged in full.
“Views matter, of course, but the priority is staying true to the story and respecting the viewers,” stresses Masilungan, who won best director in the short film category of the 2024 CinePanalo Film Festival for “Kung Nag-aatubili.”
And in place of relentless—at times abrupt—twists are cliffhangers, which spark curiosity, help create continuity, and over time, build emotional investment. “The satisfaction comes from making people feel that there’s something to look forward to in the next episode. ‘Yung nakakabitin siya,” Masilungan says.
With new episodes dropping every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday on Puregold’s official TikTok account, “Got My Eyes on You” takes the viewers to a resort where two employees, Drew (Mikoy Morales) and Shawn (Esteban Mara), compete for a top managerial position, but end up becoming friends—and ultimately lovers.
But more than just romance, it also explores the circumstances of those juggling personal lives while being breadwinners.
Constraints of going vertical
The series is set in a picturesque resort—and therein lies one of the challenges of vertical storytelling. Capturing the beauty of the location while working within the constraints of a vertical frame required experimenting with blocking and camera work. While scenes were shot in landscape, the team used on-screen vertical markers to guide the framing.
For elements that fell slightly outside the bounds during shooting, they made adjustments in post—panning and sliding the frame left or right to recenter the subject within the vertical crop.
“Typical composition techniques, like the rule of thirds, still apply, but with much tighter margins. You also have to think about the characters and the milieu,” Masilungan says. “Our location was very beautiful, but vertically, you won’t see all of it. So we had to pull the camera back to make sure that when we crop the frame, the background still shows.”
Close-ups are usually avoided because a single face can fill the entire screen. But in scenes that call for intimacy—or those suited to vertical format, like video chat exchanges—a centered face feels natural and expected. While most scenes rely on traditional two-camera setups for medium and wide shots, Masilungan says there are moments—like the leads’ motorcycle scene—that deserve a more cinematic treatment with dynamic camera work.
“Once in a while, you find yourself wondering if what you did was okay or not,” the director admits. “But it’s an emerging format, so experimenting with it is part of the learning process and gaining experience.”
Needless to say, there are no lingering shots because on TikTok, every second counts. Each of the planned 36 episodes is capped at five minutes. As Masilungan puts it, “Kapag lumagpas siya, lulubog siya sa feed.”
When it came to acting, Morales initially assumed he needed to ramp up his expressions and movements—much like the heightened drama of afternoon soaps, but on steroids—to make an impact in as little time as possible. “But surprisingly, I didn’t have to do all that. I acted as if I were shooting a film,” says Morales, who won best actor at the 2023 Cinemalaya film festival for “Tether.”
“We just stayed true to character,” Mara adds.
The format is here to stay
Working on the series, the team says, made it increasingly clear that the vertical format brings not only new challenges, but also creative possibilities. For showbiz professionals used to traditional media like TV and film, this trend raises inevitable questions: Should we readily embrace it or approach it with cautious curiosity? Will vertical content eventually cannibalize other forms—or serve to complement and expand them?
“People’s preferences change, formats change, aspect ratios change—driven by the gadgets we use,” points out Insight 360 president Chris Cahilig. “Now, it’s mobile phones. I have a feeling that vertical content is here to stay, so it’s good that we innovate.”
“‘Di na maalis ‘yan—unless our phones become horizontal!” Morales says, laughing. “What we still need to figure out is how to really use this format. If this works, can it be a way to lead the people to your full-length feature films? Or will you put out something already chopped into pieces to cater to the attention span? Interesting times.”
“From TV to digital, from horizontal to vertical, who knows what comes next after?” Masilungan adds. “That’s the grind of the industry. You have to adapt. That’s how you stay in it.”
But as the vertical format gains ground, Mara reiterates not to lose sight of storytelling integrity. “Embracing innovation breeds new ways to be creative. And in that regard, I’m all for it —but not at the story’s expense,” says the actor. “The fast-paced nature of the format doesn’t mean the work behind it is rushed.”
