“Zero Point” Vertical

Zero Point is a vertical sci-fi thriller that follows Dr. Avery Sloane, a former physicist drawn back into a world she left behind after a string of mysterious murders targets the scientists connected to her groundbreaking research. As she uncovers a conspiracy surrounding a revolutionary clean energy equation, Avery must race against time to stop a discovery capable of reshaping, or destroying, the world. Blending suspense, science fiction, and mystery, the series explores the cost of knowledge and the dangers of unchecked ambition.

Zero Point was my first experience shooting a vertical micro-drama, and it completely changed the way I thought about composition. We mounted the Sony FX9 vertically so we could utilize the full sensor without sacrificing resolution, which gave us the freedom to embrace the 9:16 frame rather than treating it as a crop. I found there was far more creative potential in the format than I expected, from using foreground objects to build depth, to composing wider on actors so their body language became just as expressive as their faces.

With no focus puller on set, I operated A-cam and pulled my own focus throughout the production. It's a workflow I've actually enjoyed because it lets me feel the rhythm of a scene more intimately; you can anticipate an actor's movement or sense the exact moment to push in because you're physically connected to the camera.

Despite an aggressive schedule of nearly nine script pages a day and sets with eight-foot walls that often limited camera placement, my gaffer and I focused on building lightweight, adaptable lighting setups that kept us moving efficiently without compromising the look. It was one of the faster paced productions I've worked on, and one that left me genuinely excited to explore the visual language of vertical storytelling further.