Is "The Frame" Dead?

Something interesting just happened.

I was reading on Peli and found an article talking about the new Hexed trailer. It was mentioned how the trailer's images seemed to focus on the centre of the screen. This is presumed to be because Disney wants fans to create fan edits for social media to help promo the film.

After watching the trailer, I see what they're saying.

This got me thinking…. Is the frame dead?

Usually, movies are praised for their use of the frame — that being the space that a director has to work with within the permeters of the camera's shot. Now, with so much of our content being consumed vertically, there is reason to believe that the two-thirds of the frame that are outside of the centre will be neglected because they're bound to disappear in the TikTok edit.

Maybe we're jumping the gun here, but I think it's interesting to think about. Our consumption of media has changed and movies must change with it to stay relevant. Will this become the norm? Will wide shots with a double focus go the way of the Dodo? 

I'm not happy about this development or this idea. It goes against one of my fundamental loves for cinema — that being the use of frame as canvas. It's reminds me of that news from a few months ago about Netflix asking for more expository scripts to accommodate two-screen watchers. 

What do you think? With the changing of the media landscape and our consumption methods, is the traditional movie frame dying? Why go to theatres if our stories aren't designed for that aspect ratio anymore? Is this an abomination or a natural progression? Lmk in the comments.