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Few things inspire so much ire in the smartphone generation as the vertically-shot video. It's a sin against humanity! A creative gaffe! Totally unwatchable!
Or is it?
Electronic band Harrison just released a video for its new song, “How Can It Be,” that was purposefully made to be watched on your smartphone. More specifically, with your phone gripped vertically in your hand. Oh, and it’s pretty great.
The video, created by DTO Films, chronicles a text message thread between a young couple in the process of breaking up. It fills your phone's screen and drops you in the middle of the action, your phone’s screen replaced with that of Katy, the young seductress who’s breaking her hapless boyfriend’s heart. As text messages volley back and forth, you voyeuristically follow along like a hacker who’s gained access to a fictional stranger’s phone.
It's a simple but compelling concept designed specifically for those of us whose phones are permanently attached to our hands. It’s also just the most recent in a series of phone-first music videos that make the most of the small-screen format: check out Party’s brilliant – video for Namie Amuro’s “Golden Touch” and Jono Brandel’s – video for Kimbra’s “Carolina." It just goes to show that the smartphone isn't a creative restraint anymore—it's a whole new canvas.
