Inside Vertical Short Dramas

Today’s episode features a conversation from our 2025 Q4 Short Drama Forum with Cypress Bai — founder of Storypod Studio, former Head of Content & Production at DramaWave, and one of the key writer-producers shaping the English-language vertical drama landscape.

In this interview, Cypress shares how she first entered the vertical space, how she approaches adapting Chinese and English web novels, and why structure, rhythm, and emotional clarity matter even more in short dramas.

We also talk about character design, cliffhangers, book-to-series adaptation, and how Hollywood’s three-act storytelling translates into vertical formats.

I...

Today’s episode comes from our 2025 Q4 Short Drama Forum,

Featuring Jen Cooper — founder of Vertical Drama Love, a global vertical-drama advocate, media commentator, and one of the most influential community-builders in the space.

In this conversation, Jen shares how she entered the industry as a fan and became a bridge between creators and audiences worldwide. We discuss fan behavior, global viewing trends, the rise of vertical-drama awards and festivals, and how fan feedback is shaping what gets made.

She also talks about shifts in storytelling, concerns around violence and...

Today’s episode features a conversation from our 2025 Q4 Short Drama Forum,

with Mauricio Osaki — filmmaker and creative director of Lupi Films, where he develops original short dramas and leads localization for multiple global platforms.

In this interview, Mauricio shares how he first entered the vertical-drama space, what makes mobile-first storytelling fundamentally different from film and television, and why he believes the essence of short dramas is a modern, mobile version of the soap opera.

We also talk about the craft behind directing: fixing cultural mismatches in localization, choosing acto...

Today’s episode comes from our 2025 Q4 Short Drama Forum,

featuring Max Jiang and Joy Quinn, co-owners of 9:16 Productions, one of the most organized vertical-drama teams in the U.S.

In this interview, they discuss how they approach performance, pacing, casting, and localization for mobile-first audiences—and why new genres like horror and thriller may be the next frontier in vertical dramas.

Let’s dive in.

📘 Want to dive deeper into the storytelling logic behind global short dramas?

Check out my book — Short Drama Writi...

Today’s episode features a conversation from our 2025 Q4 Short Drama Forum,

with Monika (Whitney) Dalman — a Casting Director, industry consultant, and producer who has worked on more than 80 vertical microdramas across multiple global platforms.

In this interview, Monika breaks down how vertical casting really works, what production teams often overlook when adapting film/TV workflows to microdramas, and why performance, safety, and communication matter even more in this fast-turnaround format.

We also talk about talent pipelines, the challenges of working with new vertical platforms, and how she supports prod...

Today’s episode comes from our 2025 Q4 Short Drama Forum, featuring Lucas Zhang, CEO & Founder of Daogu Entertainment and co-founder of Dramago.

Lucas has been at the forefront of China’s short-drama evolution — from live-action vertical series to AI-powered motion comics — and his teams have worked across the full pipeline: writing, production, post, distribution, and long-tail monetization.

In this conversation, he breaks down:

Lucas...

Today’s episode features a conversation from our 2025 Q4 Short Drama Forum with Kasey Esser — an actor and producer recognized by Rolling Stone as one of the breakout stars of the vertical drama industry.

Kasey shares how he entered the U.S. vertical-drama space early on, what he’s learned from starring in viral hits like Fated to My Forbidden Alpha and Love in the Shadows, and why pacing, romance, and emotional clarity matter so much on a mobile screen.

We also talk about the rise of action-adventure verticals, how to hook v...

From the Short Drama Forum 2025 Q4

In this episode, we share a conversation from our 2025 Q4 Short Drama Forum with Jenny Rosen —

Junior Development Executive at DramaBox, vertical drama screenwriter, and traditionally published author.

Jenny’s vertical dramas and web novels have generated over 70 million views across ReelShort and Wattpad/WEBTOON Studio, with her work featured in The Guardian, The Times, ITV, and Der Spiegel.

In this interview, Jenny discusses:

📘 New release: Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 36-page practical guide on short dramas. Covers audience psychology, social trends, scriptwriting methods, paywalls, and ad-driven business models.

Available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese

👉 Get your Eng copy here: 🔗 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

👉 Available in multiple languages: payhip.com/ShortDramaAlliance

In this episode, we speak with Jeannie He, a short drama producer with over 8 years of experience in content development and production. As a platform-side producer, Jeannie offers a rare behind-the-scenes perspective on how global short d...

📘 New release: Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 36-page practical guide on short dramas. Covers audience psychology, social trends, scriptwriting methods, paywalls, and ad-driven business models.

Available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese

👉 Get your Eng copy here: 🔗 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

👉 Available in multiple languages: payhip.com/ShortDramaAlliance

Christy Wang is a PGA producer, angel investor, and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Tiklatam, a cross-border MCN focused on short drama production and influencer-driven storytelling across the U.S., Mexico, and Brazil.

In this e...

📘 New release: Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 36-page practical guide on short dramas. Covers audience psychology, social trends, scriptwriting methods, paywalls, and ad-driven business models.

Available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese

👉 Get your Eng copy here: 🔗 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

👉 Available in multiple languages: payhip.com/ShortDramaAlliance

In this episode, we talked with Brandan Dennehy, a pioneer in serialized audio and vertical storytelling, and the founder of Stratagem Content. With over a decade of experience shaping the future of scripted entertainment, Brandan has le...

📘 New release: Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 36-page practical guide on short dramas. Covers audience psychology, social trends, scriptwriting methods, paywalls, and ad-driven business models.

Available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Turkish.

👉 Get your Eng copy here: 🔗 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

👉 Available in multiple languages: payhip.com/ShortDramaAlliance

This episode comes from the Short Drama Forum 2025 Q3 Edition, a global roundtable connecting short drama creators from across cultures.

🎤 Our guest is Kunlin Wang — a bilingual director who transitioned from a...

Today’s episode features Chris Wicke, a 25-year veteran of the film and TV industry and the founder of Embr Entertainment.

Chris has been producing vertical mini dramas for platforms like ReelShort and Salty TV, with hits such as Truth or Dare (which ranked #4 on Salty TV) and Married to the Assassin. Before founding Embr, he produced vertical dramas at Be Here Media and has since built Embr Entertainment to focus exclusively on short drama production.

With a background spanning film, television, and digital formats, Chris brings both traditional production expertise an...

In this episode, we feature a conversation from the Short Drama Forum 2025 Q3 Edition with Steph Tablizo, a Toronto-based multi-hyphenated director and producer reshaping vertical storytelling with cinematic flair, emotional depth, sharp pacing, and a no-compromise approach to short-form drama.

With nearly 15 years in film and media, Steph entered vertical dramas two years ago and has since worked on multiple series across Canada. She brings both creative and critical perspective, especially on how female creators can shape content in ways that resonate with predominantly female audiences.

Together, we discuss:

In this episode, we feature a conversation from the Short Drama Forum 2025 Q3 Edition with Emma Wang, Executive Producer and Head of Content, and Ben Pengilly, CEO and Founder of On Set Octopus.

Emma Wang is the Executive Producer and Head of Content at Onset Octopus, where she leads the project-based writer team and oversees the full process from development to release. As an award-winning screenwriter, she has created multiple hit vertical dramas and brings strong bilingual expertise in both storytelling and execution.

Ben Pengilly is an award-winning bilingual producer with 15 years of...

📘 New release: Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 36-page practical guide on short dramas. Covers audience psychology, social trends, scriptwriting methods, paywalls, and ad-driven business models.

Available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Turkish.

👉 Get your Eng copy here: 🔗 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

👉 Available in multiple languages: payhip.com/ShortDramaAlliance

In this episode, we sit down with Leonid (Leo) Ovdiienko, Co-Founder and CEO of Drama Shorts, one of the fastest-growing vertical drama platforms outside of Asia.

Leo started with Alpha Novel, a...

📘 New release: Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 36-page practical guide on short dramas. Covers audience psychology, social trends, scriptwriting methods, paywalls, and ad-driven business models.

Available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Turkish.

👉 Get your Eng copy here: 🔗 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

👉 Available in multiple languages: payhip.com/ShortDramaAlliance

Today’s episode features a conversation from the Short Drama Forum 2025 Q3 Edition, where I interviewed Dana Protsyshak, a Los Angeles-based filmmaker, former screenwriter, and founder of VertIGo. After years of writing and producing vertic...

📘 New release: Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 36-page practical guide on short dramas. Covers audience psychology, social trends, scriptwriting methods, paywalls, and ad-driven business models.

Available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese

👉 Get your Eng copy here: 🔗 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

👉 Available in multiple languages: payhip.com/ShortDramaAlliance

Kate HE is a multidisciplinary storyteller born in Hangzhou and trained in both the U.S. and U.K., with a background in film, theatre, psychology, and mythology. She brings emotionally rich narratives to life across screen and stage, wit...

In this episode, we talk with Daniel Jongma, the founder of @actingvertical, based in Sydney, Australia. Daniel actively explores performance in vertical storytelling, with experience spanning acting in lead and supporting roles, as well as casting, writing, and producing vertical dramas.

In our conversation, Daniel shares his journey of entering the short drama industry and his insights on:

· How he approaches performance and storytelling designed specifically for vertical formats

· The opportunities and challenges for actors in the growing short drama ecosystem

· His perspective on global audience engagement and the fut...

📘 New release: Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 36-page practical guide on short dramas. Covers audience psychology, social trends, scriptwriting methods, paywalls, and ad-driven business models.

Available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese

👉 Get your Eng copy here: 🔗 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

👉 Available in multiple languages: payhip.com/ShortDramaAlliance

In this special prelude to the Short Drama Forum 2025 Q3 Edition, I sat down over Zoom with Bogdan Nesvit, co-founder and co-CEO of MyDrama — the leading vertical streaming platform in the U.S. and Europe.<...

📘 New release: Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 36-page practical guide on short dramas. Covers audience psychology, social trends, scriptwriting methods, paywalls, and ad-driven business models.

Available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese

👉 Get your Eng copy here: 🔗 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

👉 Available in multiple languages: payhip.com/ShortDramaAlliance

「Roundtable」From Basics to Future Vision

What defines short drama in today’s entertainment world — and where is it heading next? In this exclusive roundtable, we bring together four leading voices from Los Angele...

In this episode of Inside Vertical Short Dramas from Short Drama Decode, we talk with Jennifer Cooper, a London-based entrepreneur and cultural analyst who unexpectedly became a devoted fan of Chinese vertical dramas.

Jen shares her unique perspective on why these fast-paced, emotionally addictive stories are resonating with Western audiences. We explore how short dramas bypass cultural barriers, the power of “domineering CEO” tropes, and what makes Chinese platforms distinct in shaping global viewing behaviors.

Jen is also the founder of Vertical Drama Love and Jennifer Cooper Timesaver, and has been feat...

Today’s episode of Inside Vertical Short Dramas from Short Drama Decode features Sarah Gomez, a short drama researcher and fan from the Philippines (IG: @escapismviaverticals). Sarah runs Escape Through Short Dramas, where she shares her love for the genre and global insights.

We discuss her journey as a viewer and her take on March 2025’s breakout hits—Baby, A Billionaire and I, Breaking the CEO’s Playground, and The Missing Master Chef. Sarah also reflects on how women worldwide are embracing short dramas as a cross-cultural trend.

If you want to know...

In this special in-person interview, recorded during Sam’s visit to China, we explore the rise of Dashtoon — an ambitious AI-powered platform redefining how visual stories are created and consumed.

This episode captures Sam’s reflections at the end of his China journey, where he met with short drama producers, creators, and platforms to explore opportunities for cross-border collaboration and storytelling innovation.

✨ What we discuss in this episode:

🎧 Today’s episode features director Mauricio Osaki, a Brazilian-Japanese filmmaker bringing Chinese-style short dramas to global screens.

Working with platforms like ShortMax (China) and Vigloo (South Korea), Mauricio directs both localized adaptations of Chinese hits and original stories inspired by the emotional pacing of vertical drama.

He shares how he rewrites scripts for Western audiences, softens over-the-top tropes, and focuses on emotional clarity over spectacle.

For Mauricio, short drama is a powerful new format — blending cinematic storytelling with cultural nuance.

Let’s dive in!

🎧 Today’s episode features a conversation from our YouTube channel, Short Drama Decode, with Jacqueline “Jaxx” van Eijk — a Netherlands-based talent coach and strategist known as The Vertical Godmother, guiding actors through the emotional and professional complexities of short-form drama.

In our conversation, Jaxx shares how a coaching request from an LA-based actor led her into the fast-moving world of Chinese-style vertical dramas. Drawing from years of experience in performance coaching, she now works with actors to overcome self-doubt, develop expressive tools like micro-expressions and voice, and navigate career choices in an industry where typecasting and cultura...

📘 New release: Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 36-page practical guide on short dramas. Covers audience psychology, social trends, scriptwriting methods, paywalls, and ad-driven business models.

Available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Turkish.

👉 Get your Eng copy here: 🔗 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

👉 Available in multiple languages: payhip.com/ShortDramaAlliance

In this exclusive episode, Canadian director & producer Steph Tablizo brings us into the sizzling world of vertical short dramas. With 15+ years in the film and TV industry, Steph now crafts stories that blend romance, fanta...

In this eye-opening episode of Inside Vertical Short Dramas, we sit down with Chris Wicke — a 25-year veteran of the film and TV industry and founder of U.S.-based short drama app Embr Entertainment.

Chris takes us inside the making of a $70,000 vertical short drama that helped generate over $10 million in app revenue, revealing the realities of cross-border production between China and the U.S. From adapting “dominant CEO” and “abuse-romance” scripts for Western audiences, to navigating cultural localization, ultra-low-budget filmmaking, and lightning-fast shooting schedules, Chris shares hard-earned lessons from the frontlines.

We al...

📘 New release: Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 36-page practical guide on short dramas. Covers audience psychology, social trends, scriptwriting methods, paywalls, and ad-driven business models.

Available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Turkish.

👉 Get your Eng copy here: 🔗 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

👉 Available in multiple languages: payhip.com/ShortDramaAlliance

In this episode of Inside Vertical Short Dramas, actor Cayman Cardiff shares his journey from aspiring physician to a rising star in the fast-growing world of international short dramas and vertical short-form storytelling. Discovered thr...

📘 New release: Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 36-page practical guide on short dramas. Covers audience psychology, social trends, scriptwriting methods, paywalls, and ad-driven business models.

Available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Turkish.

👉 Get your copy here: 🔗 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

👉 Available in multiple languages: payhip.com/ShortDramaAlliance

In our very first episode, host Maggie Han interviews Scott Brown — Emmy-nominated director, producer, and creative executive behind some of the internet’s most iconic content.

Scott has helped build online powerhouses, including:

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