In a faux castle atop a Los Angeles hill, a small film crew with their cameras flipped sideways squeeze into a bedroom and shoot a raunchy affair scene under the gaze of their Chinese producer.
This is the brave new world of “vertical dramas,” a multi-billion-dollar industry that has taken Hollywood by storm in just two years, churning out algorithm-driven movies that are watched in addictive 60-second installments on smartphones.
With kitschy plots about werewolves and billionaires, budgets of just a few hundred thousand dollars, and breakneck filming schedules, this format from China is radically changing—and, some say, saving—a struggling industry.
Vertical dramas are like a “soap opera on cocaine,” says producer Vincent Wang.
“In 30 days, we can get a show together. Hollywood takes two years. We have already made 500 shows by the time they make their first. Who is the future?”
Vertical dramas emerged in China in the 2010s, initially shot by amateurs and shared on TikTok.
Big companies swept in, recognizing the potential for rapid financial returns when hastily and cheaply produced micro-dramas go viral.
While similar efforts like Quibi flopped in the United States, verticals became an $8 billion industry. Since 2023, Chinese-run platforms like ReelShort, DramaBox, and FlareFlow have set up in the United States, hiring thousands of filmmakers and actors affected by Hollywood’s slowdown.
“I honestly think it’s the future,” says actor Zachary Shadrin, who stars in FlareFlow’s Love Through All Seasons. Like many peers, he was initially skeptical of vertical dramas, known for fast shoots and toxic themes, but joined after finding the rom-com’s story “sweet.”
Actors say they’ve been impressed by the professionalism on set. “Everyone’s a good sport and treats it seriously—because there’s money behind it,” says Nicholas McDonald.
Vertical dramas compete less with Netflix than with TikTok and YouTube. Platforms lure viewers with free mini-episodes, then charge for more. Each minute-long installment packs emotional twists, often using familiar tropes like vampires and werewolves.
Studios rely on viewing data and even AI to churn out shows quickly, often starting production before scripts are done. The vertical format also cuts costs by requiring fewer sets and crew.While most productions are non-union, SAG-AFTRA recently approved a new contract for the genre.
For many actors, the format offers steady work after years of industry shutdowns. “I can ditch my side gigs and just act,” says McDonald. “Vertical dramas are creeping out from the shadows.” AFP
