Vertical screen in the digital world: New narrative form of vertical short films

Technology has affected the way cinema is produced and consumed. One of these effects is the transfer of film production and consumption to mobile devices. Mobile phones with vertical screens are not only a means of communication but are also involved in film production and consumption. Given this situation, visual content production for the vertical screen has also increased. This study examines the field of short films produced with vertical framing, which has been increasing, especially in the last decade. For this purpose, the content, form, and characteristics of vertical narrative in short films are revealed by analyzing short films in online festivals organized in the field of vertical short films. The study analyzes the common features of fifty short films and discusses the effects of digital transformation on short films as vertical narratives in the context of narrative form, framing techniques, and camera movements.