How streaming platforms have changed film equipment demands

The rise of streaming platforms - not just Netflix, Amazon and Disney+, but TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and short-form apps - has reshaped the way content is shot, delivered and consumed. One of the biggest shifts is the move towards vertical shooting (9:16) and mixed-aspect content, which has changed the equipment creators and production teams rely on.

At Kit Cabin, we support shoots across commercial content, branded films, social campaigns and documentary projects. Here’s how streaming trends are influencing the production kit people now hire and the equipment that will matter most on your next shoot.

Smartphones popularised vertical 9:16 video, but professional productions now use cinema cameras for vertical-first content to get:

• better low-light performance

• cleaner colour

• higher dynamic range

• interchangeable lenses

• professional audio

• greater flexibility in post

This shift means crews increasingly hire camera bodies that can be rigged vertically with minimal complication.

What Kit Cabin supplies for vertical-friendly shooting: 

• Sony FX3 / FX6 — compact, lightweight, ideal for 9:16 mounting

• Sony A7S III / Mirrorless series — perfect for handheld vertical content

• Canon R5 / Mirrorless series — adaptable for social and streaming deliverables

• Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera — light enough to rotate on a cage or gimbal

• GoPro systems — native vertical capture for dynamic shots

Many of these bodies can be mounted in vertical cages, paired with compact gimbals or balanced to support 9:16 framing without major rig changes.

Lenses are changing too - compact, lightweight and fast

With social content shot on the move, lens choices are leaning towards:

• lighter primes

• fast apertures for available-light shooting

• compact wide-angle options for close-up framing

• lenses with character to stand out in crowded feeds

Relevant Kit Cabin lens options:

• Zeiss Distagon/Planar EF set — ideal for giving vertical content character

• Sony G-Master primes — reliable autofocus and clarity for hybrid shoots

• Canon EF L-series — versatile, robust options for interviews and lifestyle content

• Sigma Art lenses — tack sharp, great for high-resolution vertical edits

Vertical content is often viewed on small screens, which means lenses with strong micro-contrast and good close-focus ability become even more important.

Streaming-driven shoots often work under tight deadlines, mobile setups and multiple aspect ratios in the same day. Lighting needs to be:

• portable

• quick to rig

• battery-capable

• LED-based for cool, efficient use

Kit Cabin lighting options suited to streaming workflows

• 300W  LED fixtures — punchy, bi-colour and portable

• Nanlite LEDs — lightweight panel and tube options

• Portable power stations for off-grid LED lighting

• Compact softboxes and diffusers for mobile creatives

Even commercial teams producing content for TikTok, YouTube Shorts or Reels will now carry a tighter, more flexible lighting kit than a traditional 16:9 shoot.

Sound requirements have shifted to match changing formats

With more handheld and run-and-gun content, productions need lightweight audio setups that can move fast.

Kit Cabin audio solutions connected to streaming needs

• Sennheiser G4 wireless kits for single or multiple speakers

• Sennheiser 416 shotgun mics for clean, directional audio

• Compact recorders for mobile crews

• Boom kits that allow fast repositioning on multi-speaker shoots

High-quality sound matters just as much on social and streaming content as it does on traditional broadcast - sometimes even more, given how much content is consumed on headphones.

With shoots happening anywhere — stairwells, rooftops, city centres, moving cars, event spaces — crews rely on portable power stations to run:

• LED lighting

• battery chargers

• monitors

• wireless systems

• laptops and DIT kit

Kit Cabin supplies fullycharged portable power stations, delivered nationwide, allowing small teams to shoot freely without mains access - especially important for social-focused productions.

Streaming platforms expect content in:

• 9:16 vertical

• 1:1 square

• 16:9 horizontal

• 4:5 and 2:1 variants

• clean plates

• caption-safe versions

• localised audio variants

This means:

• more emphasis on framing flexibility

• more reliance on cameras with high-resolution sensors for cropping

• more need for stabilisation systems that can handle different orientations

• more focus on efficient, lightweight rigs

Kit Cabin supports this by offering adaptable rigs, lightweight cages, and lens sets that perform consistently across formats.

• Vertical-first cameras and cages

• Lightweight primes and compact zooms

• Fast LED lighting

• Portable power

• Simple, reliable audio

• Multi-format DIT needs

• Gimbals that support vertical mounting

• Cameras that excel in low-light conditions

• Lenses with character that stand out on feeds

Modern productions don’t just shoot for one screen anymore - they shoot for all of them.

Whether you're producing vertical social content, YouTube documentaries, Netflix-style interviews or mixed-format branded campaigns, Kit Cabin can supply the kit you need. We offer:

• Camera hire (Sony, Canon, Blackmagic, GoPro)

• Lens hire (Zeiss vintage, G-Master, L-series, Sigma Art)

• Microphone hire (Sennheiser G4, 416)

• Lighting + portable power hire

• Accessories for vertical and multi-format shooting

All delivered anywhere in the UK - ready to roll straight out of the case.