Due to poor production conditions in Los Angeles, unemployed workers are increasingly drawn towards a format that is quicker, more concise, less expensive, and fundamentally challenges the traditional norms of the film and television industry.
Unlike the failed platform Quibi, these “vertical” content – short dramas ranging from 1 to 3 minutes, filmed vertically for mobile viewing in brief segments – don’t offer high-budget Hollywood production quality. Instead, they embrace a low-budget aesthetic, often incorporating soap opera-like elements, occasional adult content, and at times, confusing storylines. Common themes include billionaires, supernatural creatures like werewolves and vampires, pregnancies, and other intriguing topics. Some trending titles in this genre are The Alpha King and His Virgin Bride, Carrying His Babies, Stealing His Heart, and Mafia Daddy’s Surprise Sextuplets.
Despite the traditional dominance of film and TV, web series or “verticals” have emerged as a rapidly expanding format. This new trend offers opportunities to seasoned Hollywood professionals who’ve been affected by the industry’s shrinkage and studios moving towards less expensive locations. As one actress from a vertical production explained a year ago, “I used to think ‘I don’t want to do these, they’re awful.’ But now I find myself saying, ‘I just want to earn a living acting.'” Evan Brown, who stars in the series inspired by Luigi Mangione, “The Adjuster“, adds, “It’s refreshing to see actors working again after hearing so many tales of people leaving for so long.
It’s worth noting that Crazy Maple Studio, based in Sunnyvale, California, dominates the domestic market. Their platform, ReelShort, boasts over 55 million monthly active users, many of whom are women. In early 2023, the company was releasing approximately four projects a month; however, this number has now significantly increased to more than 30. The majority of their production work is carried out in Los Angeles, with other projects being handled in cities such as New York, Atlanta, and Toronto. According to Joey Jia, CEO of Crazy Maple Studio, Los Angeles still offers the most skilled talent and professional crew available.
Competing platforms similar to his are DramaBox, NetShort, and Goodshort, each of which is among the top 20 most popular entertainment apps available on the App Store.
Other media companies are eager to get in on the action.
TelevisaUnivision, a prominent Spanish-media conglomerate, introduced a collection of short-form dramas, referred to as “microdramas,” during its New York upfront in May. This move aims to apply the company’s telenovela prowess to mobile platforms via their ViX streaming service. The English-language media sector is equally excited about this development. A leading streaming executive revealed that their platform is actively investigating this area, either by adapting current content into bite-sized segments (a typical vertical series consists of 50 to 80 episodes) or by creating entirely new original content. Jia stated that his company has been approached by numerous entities for advice on this matter.
Working methods in these productions, characterized by an incredibly swift tempo, may not suit everyone. Typical workdays last twelve hours, filming a full-length script could take merely a week, and actors might only have three to five takes per setup to perfect their performances, according to insiders at The Hollywood Reporter. These productions aim to minimize costs (and thus wages), with budgets usually staying below $300,000 per project, and even dipping under $500,000 if the team is experimenting with a novel idea, as shared by Jia.
As a gamer, I’ve found myself immersed in a saga that often feels like it’s telling me everything rather than showing it. The storyline is filled with flashbacks and implausible situations that stretch the boundaries of my suspension of disbelief. Plus, there’s an overabundance of expository dialogue that seems to be explaining everything instead of letting the action unfold naturally. Some folks even describe the writing style as heavy on the telling, light on the showing.
Actors just starting their careers often find that the work provides a solid foundation or stepping stone for them. For instance, Lexi Minetree, who plays Elle Woods in Prime Video’s upcoming Legally Blonde prequel series, previously appeared in a short film. Some production companies are venturing into different genres now, such as ReelShort, which has branched out to include stories from young adult and drama categories.
union representatives are becoming increasingly aware of this format, with at least one leader considering its potential impact on their members. These members can work on both union and non-union projects, and they’re taking jobs in various industries. However, as IATSE Local 80 business manager DeJon Ellis points out, these productions typically have budgets ranging from $800,000 to $1 million, which keeps them operating relatively low-key within the union sphere.
Is vertical video content the wave of the future? That’s still up for debate, but Marc Cotter, star of NetShort’s “Love in the Fast Lane,” is hopeful. He states, “I think it’s rapidly evolving and will eventually reach the level that Katzenberg and Whitman with Quibi had anticipated – they were simply ahead of their time.” However, some individuals are merely engaged in this work for a steady income during a challenging period in the industry.
As a devoted admirer, I’m sharing the insights of Wes Bailey, the visionary CEO at SirReel Studio Services. His studios are strategically located in Sun Valley, Burbank, and Park City. He recently shared that vertical video shoots, which were once unheard of, have significantly increased to approximately 40% of all filming sessions on his soundstages. Incredibly, he predicts that this figure might even surpass 50%.
Bailey, along with others, established CA United with a goal to encourage traditional movie, show, and advertisement productions back to the state by offering incentives. However, he cautions against overlooking the expanding vertical market. He expresses his hope that Los Angeles and surrounding areas will welcome this emerging technology, positioning themselves as a leading hub for it too. In essence, he yearns to see more employment opportunities in the industry, with crew members and actors both staying busy.
Alex Weprin contributed to this report.
You can find this article in the June 11 edition of The Hollywood Reporter periodical. To stay updated, consider subscribing.
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2025-06-12 16:24