In a world where vertical videos are becoming increasingly present through social media such as TikTok and Instagram, we wanted to break new ground as a film production company. Our short film The King's Sacrifice is a work deliberately tailored to the vertical format that is intended to set new standards in terms of aesthetics and storytelling.
Nowadays, many people consume video content primarily on their smartphones - usually without orienting the device horizontally. However, high-quality film productions are still heavily geared towards the horizontal format. Often the material is subsequently cut for vertical platforms, which leads to a loss of quality in the narrative and visuals. Our aim was not to compromise and to create a short film that is perfectly adapted to the vertical format, both visually and in terms of content.
The King's Victim combines the genres of drama, crime and thriller in a suspenseful story. The action takes place in a prison, where an intense interrogation takes place. A chess game serves as a central symbol for power imbalances and psychological duels. These elements were deliberately chosen as the vertical format can intensify feelings of constriction and pressure.
The development of the screenplay presented us with major challenges, as the story not only had to be exciting, but also visually perfectly matched to the vertical image format. After intensive research and several script revisions, a story emerged that met these requirements exactly.
Finding a suitable location was not easy. As a real prison was out of the question for security reasons, we found an alternative location: a disused prison in Meilen. Despite limited shooting times and logistical challenges, we were able to capture the atmosphere authentically.
Technically, we relied on professional camera equipment, in particular the Sony FX6, to achieve the desired cinematic quality. In order to use the camera optimally in vertical mode, we had a special mount made. The reduced setup enabled an efficient shooting schedule, as we only had three days of shooting available.
Post-production was a long and intensive process. The editing was reworked several times to make the narrative as precise and gripping as possible. The film was originally 10 minutes long, but was shortened to 7 minutes to preserve the essence of the story.
The color grading gave the film a cool, greenish mood that underlines the oppressive atmosphere of the story. The sound design was a particular challenge, as the reverberation in the prison rooms was difficult to control. However, we were able to create an impressive sound image through extensive post-production and subsequent dubbing in the sound studio.
With The King's Sacrifice, we have shown that the vertical format can be more than just a trend for social media. It can be a fully-fledged medium for cinematic stories. Our film deliberately sets itself apart from conventional social media content and demonstrates how, with thoughtful planning and professional execution, impressive works can be created in this format.
We are proud of the result and look forward to submitting our film to international festivals. Our project should also serve as an inspiration for other filmmakers and content creators to break new ground in filmmaking. The vertical format is not an obstacle - it is a creative opportunity.