Hannah Stocking Stars in and Executive Produces TikTok Thriller Player
TikTok and Made By Us Studios announced Player, a romantic revenge thriller starring Hannah Stocking, who also holds co-story and executive-producer credits.
Industry News
Reporting on vertical production, from the association that sets its standards.
Hollywood Starlet Pairs Daytime Pedigree With Vertical Stars
Eric Guilmette and Bella Mraz lead Hollywood Starlet, a vertical series from The Bold and the Beautiful creator Bradley Bell, joined by Molly Anderson.
Vertical Drama Actor Noah Fearnley Named Among Guest Stars for All's Fair Season 2
PEOPLE lists Noah Fearnley among the guest stars of Hulu's All's Fair Season 2, a new example of vertical-drama performers building careers across formats.
Paris Hilton, Mario Lopez and Jesse Tyler Ferguson Go Vertical in aTwist's October Slate
aTwist's three-title 'To Die For' slate puts established Hollywood names on both sides of the camera, the clearest sign yet that vertical drama is drawing talent that could work anywhere.
Chera Draws a Line: Abuse Against Women Is Not Entertainment
The platform says its original stories will not normalize women being slapped, beaten or abused. VPAA asks whether every vertical platform should adopt the same standard.
'Night of the Living Dead' Is Being Rebuilt for the Phone
Room418 is developing a vertical reimagining of George A. Romero's 1968 landmark as part of a larger horror slate. Can cliffhanger episodes carry slow dread?
Issa Rae's Hoorae Brings Scripted Reality Dating to Vertical
'The Compatibility Experiment' premieres October 14 on TikTok and PineDrama, hosted by Jana Craig and starring Tajh Bellow and Loren Sharice.
Talent Highlight: Fulop Budavari
From prime-time television in Hungary to ten vertical drama leads in Los Angeles, Budavari is one of the format's most visible faces and a model for how an international career crosses into vertical.
At TheGrill, Hollywood Stops Treating Microdrama as Taboo
David Oyelowo, Nate Moore, Shortical's Guy Shimoni and aTwist's Jana Winograde discussed how revenue, speed and shrinking traditional pipelines are moving vertical into the center of the business.
Forty Dramas, 25 Pages a Day and a Pay Gap: Vanessa Schwarz on Vertical Fame
The actress told PEOPLE that vertical recognition is real but that male leads often earn more. VPAA asks whether productions should publish rate ranges.
Introducing The Vertical Desk
The Vertical Production Association of America launches its newsroom. Reporting on casting, platforms, standards, and the business of 9:16, from the body that sets the format's standards.
Margot Robbie Is Not Making a Vertical Series. Her Old 'Neighbours' Scenes Are Being Recut Into One
Two archival storylines are being repackaged into roughly 150 minutes of vertical episodes. That distinction raises consent, credit and compensation questions for the original cast.
Are Vertical Villains Becoming More Memorable Than the Leads?
Sarah Moliski and Felix Merback have made a specialty of antagonists audiences cannot ignore. In a format built on conflict, the villain may be the real star.
What Counts as a View? Vertical Needs One Measurement Standard
Autoplay, three seconds, a completed episode, or a paid impression. When view counts shape casting and pay, talent deserves transparent, consistent reporting.
Self-Tape Studio: An AI Reader That Is Ready When You Are
Upload your sides, choose your role and start reading. The association's self-tape tool removes the scheduling problem from audition prep, with a free first week.
When Does Dark Romance Start Normalizing Abuse?
Vertical drama thrives on obsession and jealousy. When control is presented as proof of love, the line between romance and manipulation gets harder to see.
California Requires Disclosure of AI Performers in Ads. Is Disclosure Enough?
Governor Newsom signed SB 1050, requiring disclosure when video and audio ads use AI-generated performers. For vertical, the bigger question is how actors' faces are protected.
VPAA Calls on Productions to Deliver Actors Their Footage
Actors should not chase their scenes for months or years. The association is asking filmmakers, producers and platforms for usable scenes, a delivery timeline and reel permission.
Cliffhanger or Con? When Every Episode Ends Before the Payoff
Vertical dramas are built on hooks. A cliffhanger should raise the stakes, not leave the audience feeling tricked into paying to finish a sentence.
Four Female Leads Defining the Format, and the Protections They Deserve
Nicole Mattox, Mariah Moss, Savannah Coffee and Meg Bush are among the faces building vertical drama. Visibility is not enough; growth should mean fairer pay, safer sets and consent over likeness.
Vertical Actors Step Into the Producer's Chair With 'Love in the Hamptons'
Shorts and FMA Productions launch the FMAxShorts collaboration with a romantic microdrama produced in part by the actors who built the format.
Actors Say AI Ads Put Their Faces in Scenes They Never Filmed
Tess Din, Faith Orta, David Eves and Haley Lohrli told Business Insider that AI-generated promotions placed their likenesses in sexual scenes. Permission to promote a show should not erase consent.
Four Male Leads to Watch in Vertical Drama Right Now
Fulop Budavari, Noah Fearnley, Jesse Morales and Seth Edeen are each building a distinct presence. Who gets the billionaire, the mafia boss, the forbidden ex and the alpha?
Los Angeles Votes to Explore a $5 Million Microdrama Support Program
The city council directed staff to develop a proposal including funding, reduced permit costs and faster approvals. It is a proposal, not yet an application process.
U.S. Microdrama Audience Hits 66 Million Monthly Users, Up From 26 Million
Omdia data reported by Reuters shows the audience more than doubled in a year, with U.S. revenue projected at $1.5 billion. At what point does 'niche' stop applying?
Nico Tortorella Joins ReelShort's 'Lyonesse' Adaptation. Good for the Industry, or Bad for Rising Vertical Actors?
The 'Younger' star joins vertical leads Jake Lively and Katelyn Rose in Crazy Maple Studio's adaptation of Sierra Simone's trilogy, beginning with 'Salt Kiss.'
Would You Pay $19.99 a Week for Microdramas? ByteDance Tests LimeShorts Pricing
ByteDance's U.S. test of LimeShorts offers limited free episodes before a paywall. The price point tests how much the format can charge.
Take 20 and Don't Sweat It: The Self-Tape Studio Reader in Action
Paste your sides, and the studio casts every other character and reads opposite you, on cue, while you tape. A short demonstration from the association.
aTwist Launches With 10 Original Microseries and a Hollywood Founding Team
Led by Jana Winograde and Lloyd Braun with a third co-founder, and drawing on experience across Showtime, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. Television, ABC and WME, aTwist is another major bet on vertical.
ReelShort on Course for $1.05 Billion in 2026 Revenue
Deadline reports the Crazy Maple Studio platform is tracking toward a billion dollars. As revenue grows, what should improve first: talent pay, production value or working conditions?
James Franco Headlines a 50-Episode Shortical Microdrama Under SAG-AFTRA's Verticals Agreement
'Love, Lies & Frank' is a notable crossover of established talent into mobile-first scripted content, and one of the early productions operating under the union's new vertical terms.
Nico Tortorella Goes Vertical With a Queer Microdrama Trilogy on ReelShort
'Salt Kiss,' 'Honey Cut' and 'Bitter Burn' adapt Sierra Simone's Lyonesse series across three September premieres, with Tortorella as billionaire Mark Trevena opposite Jake Lively and Katelyn Rose.
Vertical Drama Gets Its Own Upfront: Inside Microdramas Brings Brands to the Format
VIRTUE Asia, V47 Entertainment and COL Group announce the first upfront dedicated to microdrama, as VerticalDrama.tv tracks 3,804 titles across 34 platforms.
WWE Partners With ReelShort for an Original Live-Action Vertical Series
One of the world's largest entertainment brands enters vertical drama, another signal that the format is attracting major global companies.
TikTok Tests LimeShorts, a Dedicated Paid Microdrama App for the U.S.
ByteDance is reportedly testing a standalone paid microdrama app, a strong signal that the company sees vertical drama as a business rather than a content category.
To the Vertical Community: We Hear You
The response to the association's call for vertical actors was larger than expected. The conversation is not ending; it is starting.
VPAA Seeks Vertical Actors to Refer for Marvel Studios Opportunities
As Marvel's search for young, unknown talent continues, the association is identifying vertical performers it can put forward.
What Producers Look for When Casting a Vertical Lead
Screen presence, chemistry, reliability, audience appeal and the ability to deliver on a compressed schedule. In vertical, the right lead makes the difference.
Why Los Angeles Is Becoming the Capital of Vertical Entertainment
Not for the reasons most people assume. Speed, cost, the deepest talent pool in the world, and a state tax credit expanded to $750 million are pulling the format to LA.
Talent Highlight: Miah Green
One of the most recognizable female leads in vertical entertainment, Green has earned audiences with charisma, emotional range and a growing body of standout work.
What Actually Drives Success in Verticals? Writing, Acting, Marketing or Distribution
Platforms are listening to audiences. The association asked which of the four levers matters most.
Most AI-Generated Vertical Dramas Won't Last. Here Is Why
Industry insiders across major platforms report a shift back toward live-action. Viewers are not paying for AI shows at the rate they pay for human-led stories.
Who Is Making the Most Money in Vertical Right Now?
The format has become a multi-billion-dollar business. Actors are the most visible, but producers, writers, platform executives, studio owners and investors all have a stake.
Peacock Makes Its Move: Licensed ReelShort Titles and Original Verticals With Bravo Talent
The NBCUniversal streamer has launched microdramas using licensed ReelShort series while developing originals with Bravo personalities. Which streamer is next?
Pride Month: LGBTQ+ Microdramas Are Becoming a Bigger Part of Vertical
New stories, new voices and new audiences are arriving in the format. The association asked the community for its favorites.
Why Do Female Leads in Vertical Drama Still Earn Less Than Male Co-Leads?
The genre's most successful productions are driven by female audiences and centered on female protagonists. If a female lead drives the hit, should her pay reflect it equally?
Netflix Tests the Waters With a 20-Episode Microdrama
'Between Father and Son' arrives in 7-to-10-minute episodes, bringing the format to the world's largest streaming platform. Is this the beginning of a bigger shift?
Hollywood Is Finally Paying Attention to Vertical: What Peacock Licensing ReelShort Means
A major streamer licensing vertical dramas could mark a turning point for creators and actors who built audiences in the format first.
The Next Generation of Major Producers May Come From Vertical First
As Fox, Crazy Maple Studio and former network executives move into the format, the producer career path is being rewritten.
AI and Vertical Are Merging Faster Than Hollywood Expected
As studios race to lower costs and increase output, many insiders believe AI-generated vertical storytelling could become one of the industry's biggest disruptions. The association is less sure.
A Correction on Noah Fearnley, and What the Reaction Showed
VPAA has formally retracted its earlier report on a Noah Fearnley deal over sourcing standards. The response to it proved something the association did not expect.
Report: Noah Fearnley Signs Exclusive Multi-Series Deal
Editor's note: VPAA has retracted this report. It did not meet the association's sourcing standards. It is preserved here with this correction.
Taye Diggs Launches Microhouse Films and Stars in Its First Vertical Series
A-list talent is no longer dipping a toe into the format. Diggs is building a production company around it.
Disney+ Goes All-In on Vertical Drama With a Dedicated 'Verts' Feed
Disney+ has launched a vertical drama feed with original series including 'Locker Diaries: Zombies.' One of the largest studios is embracing the format.
Talent Economics: Vertical Drama Is Creating Real Careers
$90,000 to $180,000 a year is now common for consistent performers in the format. A new middle class of working actors is forming around it.
Former NBCU President Susan Rovner Launches MicroCo
Rovner's new venture brings 'joy scrolling' and the spirit of classic soaps and romances to the vertical format, as more senior traditional executives enter the space.
National Enquirer Archives Become Vertical True-Crime Microdramas
GammaTime is turning decades of tabloid true-crime into phone series, starting with the Drew Peterson case. Tabloid drama in short episodes is a natural fit for the format.
'Star Wars' Producer Tommy Harper Launches VeYou, the 'HBO of Microdramas'
Backed by Google Ventures, the premium platform aims to raise the bar for vertical content.
DramaBox Reports $120 Million-Plus in Q1 Revenue
Vertical drama is not just growing; it is profitable. A single quarter at this scale establishes the format's business model.
Issa Rae Officially Enters Vertical Drama Through a Hoorae and TikTok Partnership
New series launch this month under the deal. Hollywood stars are betting on the format.
Viewers Spend More Daily Time on Microdrama Apps Than on Netflix
ReelShort users average 35.7 minutes a day against Netflix's 24.8. The phone is winning the attention contest.
Cal State LA and DramaBox Launch the First U.S. Microdrama Course
The vertical boom is getting academic training. A university course built with a platform is a sign the format expects to be around for a long time.
Google Enters the Microdrama Market Through a Range Media Partnership
Big Tech is now eyeing the vertical drama boom. The landscape is shifting fast.
DramaBox Secures a $100 Million Funding Round
Hollywood's vertical investments are accelerating as the format goes mainstream.
DramaBox's 'Midnight Sins' Shatters Day-One Records
The platform's most forbidden series to date opened to the largest first-day numbers in its history.
ReelShort Drops Its Most Provocative Series Yet
Forbidden desire is the format's growth genre. ReelShort's newest release pushes further than anything the platform has shipped before.
ReelShort Releases 'Breaking News,' a Forbidden-Romance Series
The latest in the platform's run of high-tension romances.
DramaBox Reaches 44 Million Monthly Active Users
The vertical leader is beating major streamers on engagement as the format reshapes mobile entertainment.
Coachella 2026 Goes Vertical: YouTube Adds a Dedicated 9:16 Feed
The livestream includes a vertical feed for the Quasar stage shot on Google Pixel phones, plus multiview and creator commentary. Vertical production reaches the world's biggest festival.
Fulop Budavari Reportedly in Talks for Fox's 'Baywatch' Reboot
The vertical drama lead is reportedly being considered for a major role. From Hungarian television host to the red shorts, the crossover is becoming real.
'The White Lotus' Season 4 Assembles Its Biggest Cast and Heads to the French Riviera
Helena Bonham Carter, Vincent Cassel, Steve Coogan and Kumail Nanjiani lead a reported ensemble for HBO's fourth season, shooting on the Côte d'Azur through October. Why a prestige casting round matters to vertical talent.
Telemundo Goes Vertical: 'Armas de Mujer' Gets a 123-Episode ReelShort Adaptation
The hit series, known in English as 'Till Jail Do Us Part,' becomes a mobile-first microdrama in a major move by Spanish-language television into the format.
TikTok Jumps Into Microdrama With 'TikTok Drama' Casting Call
The platform is casting soap-opera-style vertical series that blend social virality with short-form serialized storytelling.
'Single's Inferno' Star Park Min-Kyu Makes His Acting Debut in Vertical
The Netflix reality favorite takes his first scripted role in 'One Year Love' on FlareFlow, premiering April 9. The crossover era of vertical drama has begun.
Vertical Drama Gets Its First Awards Show, and Hollywood Is the Venue
FlareFlow presents the Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards at the El Portal Theatre on April 23. Every winner chosen by fans, with no jury and no industry gatekeeping.
An Oscar-Qualifying Festival Adds a Dedicated Vertical Film Award
Cash prize, studio access and global submissions. The festival circuit has gone 9:16.
Gleb Savchenko Shot an Entire Vertical Role in One Day. That Is the Format's Problem
No trailers, no green rooms, 600 lead roles cast a year. The fastest-growing format in Hollywood has no rules, and the 'Dancing With the Stars' pro's experience shows why that matters.
ReelShort Is Now CAVCO Certified in Canada. Vertical Just Unlocked Film Tax Credits
Government certification means vertical short drama qualifies for Canadian production incentives. It is a nationally recognized film industry now.
Hollywood Is No Longer Watching From the Sidelines
Fox bought equity in MyDrama. Disney selected DramaBox for its accelerator. Paramount, Lionsgate and Hallmark are in. The gold rush is over; the industry has arrived.
Microdrama Apps Overtake Netflix and Disney+ in Daily Time Spent
The format's apps now command more daily minutes than the two largest streaming services. It is the clearest sign yet of where mobile attention is going.
ReelShort Commits to 400 New Vertical Series in 2026, All Shot in Los Angeles
The platform's production commitment is more original scripted content than most networks make in a decade. Leads earn $600 to $1,000 a day; seasons shoot in seven to ten days.