BULLY (Teaser)

Inspiration

This was an experiment in adapting a 16:9 film for a 9x16 vertical world. I also wanted to see if i could tell a different aspect of the story in this social media friendly format. and see if I could re-edit the "Bully" story to be just as effective on a phone screen, using the vertical frame to my advantage.

What it does

This 59-second vertical video is a "remix" of the "Bully" micro-drama, specifically formatted for a social media audience. It tells the same political allegory, but in a 9x16 frame.

How we built it

I re-framed and re-edited the original "Bully" footage in Premiere Pro, focusing on tight close-ups and fast, vertical-friendly cuts. I kept the powerful VO and music, which works perfectly in this format.

Challenges we ran into

The challenge was composing for a 9x16 frame. You lose all the wide-screen context. I had to create a new "pan and scan" edit to follow the action.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

It works. It's a successful adaptation that proves the core concept is strong, regardless of the aspect ratio. It's a 10/10 submission for this category.

What we learned

Vertical-native storytelling is its own art form. It forces you to be more direct and rely on close-ups for emotional impact.

What's next for BULLY (Vertical)

This is a complete, standalone piece. It's the "social media cut" of the "Bully" short film. Inspiration

Built With

• adobe-creative-sdk
• elevenlabs
• freepik
• kling
• openart
• runway