When I began my writing career, I wrote five big dreams on a notecard. Seeing one of my stories come to life on the screen was one of those big dreams.
Guess what?
That dream is coming true!
The story so many readers have fallen in love with—the story that captured my own imagination over a decade ago and changed the trajectory of my career—is coming to life on the screen. The Gifting is being adapted for vertical film.
Cue all the excitement!
Now, if you’re anything like me, you might have paused over a particular word—vertical. When I was first approached about the opportunity, I had no idea what it was.
So, what is vertical film?
Unlike traditional film, which is shot horizontally with television screens in mind, verticals are shot vertically, designed specifically for smart phones.
While the scripts are feature-length in scale, the story is broken into bite-sized episodes lasting anywhere from 1-2 minutes with a total runtime of 90-100. For this reason, they’re also known as micro-dramas. And they have exploded globally.
Since they aren’t nearly as expensive or time-consuming to produce, they make for an excellent playground. If the vertical is successful, the chance of a feature film adaptation on the big screen becomes a very real possibility.
SQUEEEEEEE!
There is, however, an elephant in the room.
You might not know about it, but it’s there, especially in bookish spaces on social media. So please allow me to address this trunked pachyderm for just a brief moment.
Currently, the vertical industry has descended into the uncanny valley. AKA, it is overrun by AI. And I don’t mean AI tools and tech that are commonly used in the film industry (by Netflix, Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros, Universal, etc, etc). I mean AI-generated scripts. Even AI-generated actors. All for the sake of pumping out massive amounts of content as quickly as possible.
As a creative, I find this incredibly unsettling and disheartening.
So why in the world would I agree to have The Gifting made into a vertical?
Enter Vivian Yin, Y+X Entertainment, and LumiView.
In a space that is dominated by AI, one that prioritizes quantity over quality, they are zigging while everyone else is zagging.
Humans are writing the scripts. Humans are creating the art. Humans are producing, directing, acting, and voice acting. They are committed to high-quality, uplifting content with human creativity, emotional storytelling, and artistic integrity at the center.
Which is something I absolutely want to get behind.
Vivian Yin is an award-winning leader in global media & entertainment with over two decades of experience in the industry and some major street cred to her name. She’s also a lovely person and an incredible visionary.
She is the founder and CEO.
Y+X Entertainment is the company.
LumiView is the app—a cinematic vertical storytelling platform designed to scale verticals into wider entertainment franchises. They are producing animated verticals as well as live-action verticals. The Gifting will be live-action.
The app launches this fall.
I don’t have a release date yet, but the script is written. I get to read it soon. I mean, what in the world!? Actual screenwriters who read my book are putting the finishing touches on the script. Luka and Tess are coming to life on the screen!
I can’t wait to share more about this adventure as it unfolds!