<![CDATA[Behind the Verticals]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.comhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pTmf!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0e9fef3d-6354-4564-9913-4f39835fc975_500x500.pngBehind the Verticalshttps://www.behindtheverticals.comSubstackFri, 12 Jun 2026 10:20:46 GMT<![CDATA[ReelShort's Bound by Love: Behind the Scenes]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/reelshorts-bound-by-love-behind-thehttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/reelshorts-bound-by-love-behind-theTue, 09 Jun 2026 13:50:24 GMTToday’s interview with screenwriter Abby Dzeng is all about what it takes to adapt an original book into a vertical drama. After the success of Bound by Honor, the sequel Bound by Love is out now on ReelShort.

But first, this week’s global vertical drama news…

man reading a book
Credit: Behind the Verticals

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🎙️ Interview with Abby Dzeng

How did the original book adaptation collaboration come about? Why was Bound by Love chosen to be adapted?

Bound by Love was a natural fit for ReelShort because Cora Reilly’s stories already have a deeply passionate global fanbase and the kind of emotional intensity that translates incredibly well into vertical storytelling.

At ReelShort, we look for stories with strong tropes, high emotional stakes, tension-driven pacing, and cliffhangers that keep audiences wanting the next episode immediately. Cora’s universe already had that built in organically through the books and fan community.

After the success of Bound by Honor, it became clear there was strong audience demand to continue expanding the world onscreen. Bound by Love allowed us to build on that momentum while bringing fans deeper into the universe in a way that feels immersive. Fans grew attached to not just the story but the characters being portrayed by the same actors, and it’s been great bringing them back on set.

Were there any challenges when adapting the books into a vertical drama that you don’t usually experience when writing an original vertical drama script or localizing one?

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]]><![CDATA[Interview with a Vertical Drama Casting Director]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/interview-with-a-vertical-drama-castinghttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/interview-with-a-vertical-drama-castingTue, 02 Jun 2026 02:43:47 GMTJigar Shah is a Toronto-based Casting Director specializing in vertical dramas and mobile-first series. Over the past two years, he’s cast 30+ productions across Canada, China, and Europe for platforms including ReelShort, ShortMax, ByteDance, and Vigloo, working alongside companies like Ottawood Film, Union Film Group, and Archipelago Productions.

A key voice in shaping the industry’s foundations, Jigar recently helped draft ACTRA’s new Microdrama Agreement and cast the first Canadian vertical produced under the IPA. In today’s interview we talk casting trends, talent discovery, and where the global vertical market is heading.

But first, this week’s global vertical drama news…

Hollywood
Credit: Behind the Verticals

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🎙️ Interview with Jigar Shah

You’ve cast 30+ vertical productions in two years across Canada, China, and Europe. What’s the biggest misconception people in traditional casting still have about this format and how does the audition process actually differ?

From what I see, the biggest misconception is that verticals are just ‘lesser’ versions of traditional TV - like we’re just making normal content but cropping the sides off. Traditional casting often looks for that slow burn, the subtle subtext, and the long pause. In a vertical, we’re going for faces that hold attention, so if an actor pauses for five seconds to ‘find the emotion,’ the viewer has already swiped.

The audition process definitely differs. I’m not just casting for talent. I’m casting for immediate magnetism. Casting tends to be appearance-driven, so I often have models and influencers self-taping. I’m looking for actors who can hook an audience within the first 5 seconds, and memorize 14 pages of dialogue a day because shoot schedules are ridiculously fast!

You helped draft ACTRA’s Microdrama Agreement and cast the first Canadian vertical under the IPA. Does union recognition change how talent and agents perceive this work and do you think union productions will become the norm?

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]]><![CDATA[Best of Behind the Verticals (a Selection)]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/best-of-behind-the-verticals-a-selectionhttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/best-of-behind-the-verticals-a-selectionTue, 26 May 2026 15:11:58 GMTOn December 2, 2025, launched to the world and what a six months it’s been. Thanks to your support, we’ve steadily climbed Substack’s Film & TV trending and bestseller lists, hosted a community webinar, appeared in academic research and on industry panels and podcasts, featured interviews with writers, directors, producers, actors, managers, and more, and watched vertical drama go from niche to mainstream, with major studios, streamers, brands, and industry conferences all taking notice. Excited for what’s to come. We already have some exciting things for you in the editorial pipeline.

But first, this week’s global vertical drama news…

hearts and phone
Credit: Behind the Verticals

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]]><![CDATA[DramaShorts: From Book to Screen]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/dramashorts-from-book-to-screenhttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/dramashorts-from-book-to-screenTue, 19 May 2026 14:40:37 GMTThis week, is excited to share with you a recent interview with Leo Ovdiienko, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of DramaShorts. Find out more about their book-to-screen business model, what role AI plays, what’s next for DramaShorts and the industry, and what really matters if you want to make it in the vertical drama space.

But first, this week’s global vertical drama news…

Credit: Behind the Verticals

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🎙️ Interview with Leo Ovdiienko

Leo, your book-to-screen pipeline is a unique part of your business model. What global trends are you seeing emerge from that system, and which genres and storylines are consistently performing best?

Leo Ovdiienko
Credit: DramaShorts

Having AlphaNovel in the same ecosystem means we’re not developing from gut instinct — we’re watching reader behavior in real time and making decisions based on that data. That matters more than people realize, because this space moves fast. What performed six months ago might feel oversaturated today. And what nobody’s touching right now? It could come back stronger in three months.

Werewolf romance was huge for a while—Luna Lola: The Moon Wolf, Alpha Rick—some of our strongest-performing titles came directly out of AlphaNovel’s catalog. Currently, CEO romance, mafia storylines, and fantasy are driving serious engagement. But the honest answer is: we don’t predict trends, we track them. Our analytics tell us where audiences stay, where they leave, and what brings them back — and that’s a much more useful signal than any trend report.

The pipeline matters because it collapses the distance between a reader finishing a chapter at midnight and us making a greenlight call. When the next wave builds — and it always does — we’re not scrambling to license something that’s already peaked. We’re already there.

business model
Credit: DramaShorts

What has been the most surprising insight your data has revealed about what audiences actually connect with, and how has that changed the way you greenlight or shape content?

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]]><![CDATA[What the Data Says About Microdrama Right Now]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/what-the-data-says-about-microdramahttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/what-the-data-says-about-microdramaTue, 12 May 2026 15:12:36 GMTFollowing a recent guest post, got to sit down with Pankaj Uniyal, Business Development Manager and Microdrama expert at SocialPeta, a data platform that tracks advertising and creative trends across 80+ ad channels, to get a clearer picture of where the vertical drama industry actually stands.

But first, this week’s global vertical drama news…

globe
Credit: Behind the Verticals

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🎙️ Video Interview with Pankaj Uniyal

A few highlights from the video interview include:

  • The US remains the single most important market for monetization, but China is still the one setting creative trends. Most apps, regardless of where they are built, launch a US version because the combination of spending willingness and retention is unmatched anywhere else. About 60% of content is still marketed toward female audiences, and romance continues to dominate the charts.

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  • Europe and the UK punch above their weight creatively. Despite lower monetization numbers, SocialPeta sees the highest volume of creative iteration coming from that region, which Pankaj attributes to competition, diversity, and a deep bench of experienced entertainment professionals already in the market.

  • Big players entering the space is a net positive. With companies like Disney and TikTok moving in, the conversation is shifting away from pure user acquisition and toward content quality and standards. Professional generated content is expected to crowd out the repetitive, low-effort stuff. That is good news for artists and for brands looking to integrate cleanly into the format.

  • Brand integration is already happening quietly. Short episodes of 60 to 90 seconds actually create a lot of natural placement opportunities, and the smarter producers are treating it the way Hollywood has treated product placement for decades.

The full video is below for paid subscribers.

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]]><![CDATA[Matt Shepley on Managing Vertical Talent]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/matt-shepley-on-managing-verticalhttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/matt-shepley-on-managing-verticalTue, 05 May 2026 14:13:46 GMT spoke with Matt Shepley of Select Management Group about what traditional entertainment experience brings to the vertical space, and where the industry is heading.

But first, this week’s global vertical drama news…

People on cell phones
Credit: Behind the Verticals

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🎥 Video Interview

Matt Shepley did not stumble into vertical drama. He made a deliberate move.

After years working in traditional Hollywood representation, Matt watched the industry lose momentum through a combination of consolidation, strikes, the pandemic, and the LA fires. When he started noticing a non-union space quietly producing at volume with real consistency, he paid attention. By early 2025, he was actively encouraging his younger clients to get involved.

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Now, at Select Management Group, his work centers on representing vertical actors (such as Royce Lundquist, currently appearing in the much-buzzed-about vertical musical Playback), directors (such as vertical OG Danny Farber and Kristen Brancaccio, who just directed Screen Time for Issa Rae’s HOORAE Media), and writers, while also exploring new vertical production opportunities and genres.

In the video interview below, Matt touches on the need for skilled vertical writers and fresh content ideas, union work, actor reels and education, Hollywood actors entering the space, where the industry is headed, and his take on how anyone can break into the vertical world right now.

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]]><![CDATA[Going Indie in the Vertical Space]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/going-indie-in-the-vertical-spacehttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/going-indie-in-the-vertical-spaceTue, 28 Apr 2026 14:50:49 GMT sat down with actor, writer, director, and producer Julie Bruns to talk about pulling off an ambitious pirate-themed vertical drama with no studio safety net.

But first, this week’s global vertical drama news…

Hollywood
Credit: Behind the Verticals

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🎥 Video Interview with Julie Bruns

When an Instagram post about pirates sparked genuine fan excitement, Julie Bruns did not wait for a traditional producer to figure out the budget math. She figured it out herself.

Beneath Crimson Sails is the first independently produced pirate-themed vertical drama, already available on MuVpix. The project is a case study in what is possible at the indie level when the creative ambition outpaces what the standard vertical budget structure is built to support.

Traditional producers expressed interest but could not make the numbers work for a story this unconventional. So Bruns and her team self-financed, leaned on an indie filmmaking background built around ambitious period pieces on tight budgets, and got creative. Reg Rozee, who appears in the series as Floron, happened to know someone with a boat. Early funding arrived as David Aboussafy of Generativity Productions, renowned for his support of Vancouver indie film, took a bold leap of faith into the vertical space, and got production underway. Carin Smolinski came on as co-executive producer to help with finishing funds, while crew members invested their own labour in the project as well taking deferred pay and back-end points to keep costs contained.

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Distribution, often the hardest part for independent projects, came through Smolinski’s networking at the vertical drama market. Bruns credits the story itself as doing a lot of the heavy lifting: when you are making something people already want to see, the pitch is easier.

To find out what Julie’s advice for anyone entering the indie vertical space is and what’s next for her, watch the full video interview below.

You can also follow Julie on socials (Instagram, TikTok, and Threads) and learn more about Beneath Crimson Sails on Instagram and TikTok.

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]]><![CDATA[Meet a Vertical Drama Family]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/meet-a-vertical-drama-familyhttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/meet-a-vertical-drama-familyTue, 21 Apr 2026 15:50:46 GMTToday, journalist, writer, Substacker and occasional vertical drama writer and actor (The Billionaire's Fake Wife, A Virgin's Deal with Her Sugar Daddy) Chris Cannon interviews his sons, Max (12) and Tristan (9), for on what it's like being on a vertical set as a child actor. The Cannons are something of a vertical family unit. All three have appeared together on screen, frequently alongside Carin Smolinksi, with casting typically handled by Monika Dalman.

But first, this week’s global vertical drama news…

boy jumping
Credit: Behind the Verticals

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🎙️ Video Interview

Max Cannon has so far appeared in three verticals (Saving Nora, Princess Returns, Billionaire Twins) and Tristan in four (he appeared in Billionaire Twins alongside his brother Max, as well as in Desire Dies Hard, I Fell in Love with My Boyfriend’s Father, and alongside his real-life dad in A Virgin’s Deal with Her Sugar Daddy).

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The young actors usually play younger versions of the lead actor, and in the Billionaire Twins production they play neighbour kids, where Tristan’s character is kidnapped because he is mistaken for Max’s character.

You can watch the full video interview below.

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]]><![CDATA[Interview with Jimmy Wu]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/interview-with-jimmy-wuhttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/interview-with-jimmy-wuTue, 14 Apr 2026 15:40:43 GMTRecently, had the opportunity to visit one of cinematographer-turned-vertical-producer Jimmy Wu’s sets in Vancouver and also do a follow-up interview with him.

But first, this week’s global vertical drama news…

Credit: Behind the Verticals

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🎙️ Interview with Jimmy Wu

Jimmy didn’t plan on pivoting to verticals. As a TV movie cinematographer, he had a career, a crew, and a pipeline. Then the industry-wide strike brought everything to a halt. When the phone stops ringing for a freelancer, he says, it etches itself into your brain.

In December 2023, he was approached to shoot the first vertical production to take place in Vancouver. The budget was low, the format was new, and he didn’t think much of it at first. But in the months that followed, he dug deeper and realized he was looking at a real, growing market.

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“That’s when I knew I needed to make my pivot,” he says. “Not just for me, but for the people I work with.”

He hasn’t looked back. Today, Jimmy has around 30 vertical shows to his name and a growing reputation for bringing a cinematic eye to a format that hasn’t always demanded one.

Jimmy’s tip for those looking to enter the space: LinkedIn.

We talked about AI in vertical drama production, IP ownership, Vancouver as a filming location, and the current and future state of the industry. Read more below.

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]]><![CDATA[Guest Post: A Different Approach to Vertical Drama Production and Distribution]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/guest-post-a-different-approach-tohttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/guest-post-a-different-approach-toThu, 09 Apr 2026 13:11:39 GMTExcited to share with you a guest post authored by filmmaker and producer Eli Shell. You’ve likely heard of his In-House vertical (@inhouse_show on Instagram and TikTok).

If you’d also like to contribute a guest post, feel free to get in touch via hello@behindtheverticals.com.

women on phone
Credit: Behind the Verticals

I Made a Workplace Comedy About a Failing Aromatherapy Brand. It Got 2 Million Views. Here’s What I Learned.

Nobody greenlit In-House.

No development deal, no network, no brand partner writing checks before we rolled camera. Just a thesis I couldn’t let go of:

Ads get skipped, stories get followed.

So we made it ourselves. Vertical mockumentary, eight episodes, 2 million views. Now we’re in development on Season 2. Here’s what I learned.

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]]><![CDATA[From Romance Novels to Verticals]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/from-romance-novels-to-verticalshttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/from-romance-novels-to-verticalsTue, 07 Apr 2026 15:36:39 GMTDuring a recent trip to Vancouver, had a chance to meet up with Donna Barker, a romance novelist turned aspiring vertical drama writer. Below, you can read the free interview but first, this week’s curated global vertical drama news.

Credit: Behind the Verticals

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]]><![CDATA[Guest Post: Building a Solution for Fast Vertical Drama Production]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/guest-post-building-a-solution-forhttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/guest-post-building-a-solution-forThu, 02 Apr 2026 12:14:45 GMTToday, we have another free guest post from Nick Harty from Storiara.

If you’d also like to contribute a guest post, feel free to get in touch via hello@behindtheverticals.com.

lightbulb
Credit: Behind the Verticals

Vertical Production Moves Fast. The Tools Didn’t. So We Reinvented Them.

Vertical drama has become one of the fastest-moving parts of entertainment, but the production infrastructure around it still feels stuck in another era. Teams are working on tight timelines, lean crews, and constant turnaround, yet prep still often happens through spreadsheets, text threads, late-night schedule reshuffles, and someone trying to manually keep the whole thing from falling apart.

That disconnect stood out to us. For a format built on speed, volume, and small teams, almost nobody seemed to be building infrastructure specifically for vertical creators like us.

And for people coming into vertical from more traditional production roles, that gap becomes obvious quickly. The workflows they’re used to were…

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]]><![CDATA[An Inside Look at Visonary Vertical Productions]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/an-inside-look-at-visonary-verticalhttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/an-inside-look-at-visonary-verticalTue, 31 Mar 2026 13:45:46 GMTYuliia Vyshnevska is co-founder at Visionary Vertical Productions out of Vancouver, Canada. got to chat with her about all things vertical drama production.

But first, a roundup of this week’s vertical drama news…

Credit: Behind the Verticals

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🎥 Video Interview with Yuliia Vyshnevska:

Our conversation explores how Yuliia went from a single “wild west” experience on a vertical set to co-founding one of Vancouver’s fastest-growing vertical drama production companies. She talks about what it actually takes to run a lean, high-speed production and why treating your crew with respect isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s what keeps a fast-moving set on track.

Yuliia also shares how her and co-founder are thinking about AI, integrating it deliberately into post-production for things like product placements and VFX cost reduction, while making sure actor consent remains central to any use of the technology. And she offers her predictions for 2026, a year she believes will be “super, super fruitful” for verticals, with more platforms, more talent, and the first real signs of union involvement and major industry players entering the space.

Watch the video interview below.

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]]><![CDATA[Guest Post: Why Companies Are Launching Multiple Apps Overseas]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/why-companies-are-launching-multiplehttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/why-companies-are-launching-multipleThu, 26 Mar 2026 11:25:40 GMTKicking off our guest post series is an article by the team at SocialPeta.

If you’d like to contribute a guest post, feel free to get in touch via hello@behindtheverticals.com. Guest posts will go out as an occasional additional free newsletter on Thursdays

world map
Credit: Behind the Verticals

The Matrix Era of Short-Drama Platforms: Why Companies Are Launching Multiple Apps Overseas

Over the past six months, a subtle shift has appeared in global short-drama app rankings. While familiar leading platforms remain at the top, a growing number of new apps have quietly entered the charts. Although they come with different names and icons, their product designs often look strikingly similar.

At first glance, this may seem like a wave of new competitors. However, a closer look reveals that many of these apps are launched by the same companies. Rather than simple market expansion, this trend reflects a structural upgrade in the global strategies of short-drama platforms.

Instead of relying on a single flag…

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]]><![CDATA[Interview with Carin Smolinski]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/interview-with-carin-smolinskihttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/interview-with-carin-smolinskiTue, 24 Mar 2026 13:31:34 GMT recently got to meet with Carin Smolinski in person in Vancouver. Shortlisted in the 'Matriarch of the Year' category at the 2025 Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards, co-founder of the newly announced ThirdWave Entertainment, and with ‘Tides of Desire’ premiering on April 1 on MuVpix as part of its launch slate, Carin is keeping busy these days.

But first, this week’s global vertical drama news…

Credit: Behind the Verticals

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🎙️ Interview with Carin Smolinski

Carin didn’t come to vertical production looking for a side project. She came looking for a way to tell stories she actually wanted to watch, work alongside her son, and prove that independent creators could forge their own path in a space largely controlled by platforms. She is an actress, writer, director, and producer, often all on the same project, and she has been making verticals since before most people took the format seriously.

“Back then people really looked down on it,” she says. “But we were working. We were being paid to do the work we wanted to do and getting far bigger roles than we would have gotten anywhere else.”

That early commitment has shaped everything since.

Carin Smolinski
Credit: Carin Smolinski

Tides of Desire and the Costa Rica Shoot

Carin’s first vertical series, Tides of Desire, started as a small idea and grew into something much larger. She shot it in Costa Rica over ten days, working around a rainy season that brought near-monsoon conditions. The solution was a 5:30 a.m. start, a break through the hottest part of the day, and a return to set in the afternoon. Not ideal. Worth it.

The location was a deliberate choice. There had never been a tropical surf vertical before, and Carin wanted to do something different. She brought one actor from LA, kept the rest of the cast Canadian, and made a point of hiring locally in Costa Rica as well. The result was a cast with a range of skin tones, accents, and backgrounds that reflected where the story was actually set.

“Diversity is one of our key points,” she says. “And hiring locally connected us to the community instantly.”

The production was built around a different kind of set culture too. There was a cook preparing fresh food on location. A massage therapist came in for cast and crew. Boat trips through the mangroves. Surf lessons if anyone wanted them. Everyone, from the driver to the director, was treated with equal respect.

Some of this was possible because the production was independent. Some of it was just a philosophy. Either way, Carin is clear that it sets the tone.

“You have to treat people well,” she says. “And I would do it that way regardless.”

Directing While Acting

On her productions, Carin writes, directs, and acts simultaneously. The system that makes this work is built on preparation and clearly defined roles. She and her son Indiana, her director of photography, go through every shot in advance. They know the plan before they arrive on set. When she is in a scene, her first AD calls action. She calls cut. Indiana handles the technical read. She handles the performance.

Read the full interview below.

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]]><![CDATA[Interview with Monika Dalman & Alicia Read]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/interview-with-monika-dalman-andhttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/interview-with-monika-dalman-andTue, 17 Mar 2026 13:56:35 GMTMonika Dalman and Alicia Read are two trusted resources and pioneers in the vertical drama space. sat down with them to discuss their various ventures and the state of the industry.

But first, the roundup of the weekly vertical drama news.

Credit: Behind the Verticals

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🎙️ Video Interview

From co-founding the Vertical Film & Short Series Alliance (VFFSA) and running Type Eh Media, to Monika Dalman's work in vertical casting and Alicia Read's work as a vertical actor, these two are leading by example and have generously shared tips, tricks, and insights in the video interview below. Some takeaways are:

  • The Alliance exists because no one else was going to build it. When the vertical space started gaining traction, it came with a lot of skepticism about whether it was a legitimate industry at all. Monika and Alicia founded the Alliance to answer that question with action.

  • Canada is more central to this industry than most people realize. The nexus of film and TV isn’t only Hollywood anymore. Vancouver in particular has become a serious hub, and Monika was instrumental in facilitating the first performers’ union agreement for vertical content there which was a global first. Navigating tax credits across provinces is its own challenge, but the infrastructure is being built, including outreach to government officials about what this industry actually is and what it needs.

  • The primary vertical drama audience is women aged 30 to 65 and the industry is only starting to act like it. They’re the decision-makers for household TV consumption. And yet, as Monika pointed out, they’re rarely the ones producers and networks are calling. Most writers in the space are women. Most senior executives are not. That gap is the whole conversation.

  • Women accept the posted rate. Men negotiate up. When roles go out, rates are a starting point, not a ceiling. Monika has watched this pattern play out consistently: female talent and their agents accept what’s offered or ask for less, while male talent pushes for more. Part of the Alliance’s work is changing that culture, both by setting minimum rates and by encouraging women to be more selective about what they sign on for.

  • The male lead problem is real. There’s no shortage of talented women for lead roles. There is a shortage of suitable male actors which paradoxically makes it easier for clients to walk away from female leads who push back on rates, because the pool of replacements is larger. Monika was direct about this: knowing your negotiating position matters, and the math isn’t always in women’s favor.

  • It’s not that older women get paid less, it’s that there are almost no lead roles for them. A clarification worth making: age-related pay gaps in this industry aren’t typically about lower rates for older actors. They’re about older women being funneled into supporting villain roles while lead roles go to younger talent. The problem is access, not just compensation.

Watch the full interview below.

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]]><![CDATA[Self-Funding a Vertical Drama]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/self-funding-a-vertical-dramahttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/self-funding-a-vertical-dramaTue, 10 Mar 2026 15:55:44 GMTShannon K. Dunn and Ena Rodriguez O’Rourke from TripleLife LLC are actors who met in an improv class, booked a film together, and eventually decided they had more to offer than just showing up to someone else’s set. So they self-financed their own vertical thriller. In Colorado, on their own dime, without a platform deal or a studio green-light.

The result is My Husband Led a Triple Life, a suspense drama with 40+ episodes in Season 1, a Season 2 scripted and ready to shoot, and active distribution negotiations underway.

But first, the vertical drama news of the week.

Credit: Behind the Verticals

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🎙️ Video Interview

Shannon K. Dunn and Ena Rodriguez O’Rourke navigated SAG before there was even a vertical contract. As union actors, they needed formal approval before filming. Since an official vertical agreement didn’t exist yet, they applied under a new media contract. This meant forming an LLC, submitting a partnership agreement, and going through the full SAG-AFTRA process. It worked. If you’re a union actor thinking about producing your own vertical, the path exists. It just requires paperwork.

Watch the full interview below to hear how Shannon and Ena navigated SAG contracts, intimacy on set, funding, and what comes next for their vertical drama.

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]]><![CDATA[Chera TV Launches Soon With Creator-First Model]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/female-led-vertical-app-chera-tvhttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/female-led-vertical-app-chera-tvTue, 03 Mar 2026 17:05:29 GMTIn the rapidly evolving world of vertical content, female-led Chera TV is preparing to shake things up. The Los Angeles-based app, launching next month, is betting that audiences are ready for something different: cinematic quality vertical content with diverse storytelling that breaks free from the usual tropes.

Recently, had the opportunity to sit down with the team behind the highly anticipated new vertical app.

But first, a roundup of this week’s vertical drama news…

Credit: Behind the Verticals

👀 Spotted

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]]><![CDATA[The Acting School Teaching Vertical Drama]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/the-acting-school-teaching-verticalhttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/the-acting-school-teaching-verticalTue, 24 Feb 2026 08:02:25 GMTWhile much of the conversation recently has focused on studios, streamers, and celebrities entering the space, a quieter shift is happening upstream. In acting education to be exact. One of the earliest adopters is D’Arcy Smith, an actor, director, and professor at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where he now runs a vertical drama acting program embedded directly into the school’s BFA conservatory training. One of the productions is now also nominated for a Vertical Drama Love Fan Award.

But first, this week’s vertical drama news and some more ideas from our matchmaking trial. If you are interested in connecting with the writers, just hit reply and will put you in touch.

Actors
Credit: Behind the Verticals

👀 Spotted

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🤝 “Matchmaking Service”

Evidence Left Behind

Logline: When a meticulous crime-scene cleaner discovers a piece of evidence the police missed, keeping it puts her and her small crew into a deadly cat-and-mouse between a ruthless killer and the lead detective obsessed with solving the case.

Bound to the Person I Hate

Logline: After a reckless Ouija ritual meant to bury their guilt over the death of someone they both loved, Anna is magically bound to Leo, the man she hates most, and who hates her back. If they move more than ten meters apart, their bodies shut down. Forced to live side by side, the curse escalates with every lie and accusation, turning survival into an exercise in unwanted intimacy. To break the spell, Anna must uncover the truth of the night that made them enemies, and learn to trust the last person she ever wanted to need.

Blood Moon Heiress

Logline: She’s half wolf, raised in the wild and hunted by the crown. He’s the cursed prince of Paradise End, forbidden to love her. Under the blood moon, their forbidden love could break an ancient curse and reveal a secret that could ignite war… or unite a kingdom.

🎙️ Interview with D’Arcy Smith

The change didn’t come from trend-chasing. It came from students.

About a year ago, D’Arcy Smith met with recent graduates in Los Angeles and asked how auditions were going. Their answer surprised him: nearly all of their auditions were now for vertical projects. At the time, Smith admits he barely understood the format. But once he began reading sides and watching the content, the need for formal training became obvious.

Vertical drama, Smith says, isn’t simply traditional acting reframed. The phone-sized image compresses physicality, intensifies emotion, and demands immediate clarity. Pacing is faster, scenes are shorter, and cliffhangers are essential.

Credit: D’Arcy Smith

“Even just switching from landscape to vertical changes performance,” Smith explains. “It changes how emotion reads, how bodies exist in the frame, everything.”

Read the full interview below.

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]]><![CDATA[Vertical Drama in the UK Webinar]]>https://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/vertical-drama-in-the-uk-webinarhttps://www.behindtheverticals.com/p/vertical-drama-in-the-uk-webinarThu, 19 Feb 2026 17:01:09 GMTYesterday, we hosted our first webinar. Thank you all for attending! If you couldn’t make it or just want to revisit the highlights, below you can find some of the takeaways, resources as well as the replay.

​This webinar couldn’t have come at a better time, with both Channel 4 and The Guardian covering vertical drama in British mainstream media this week.

A big thank you also to our all-female panel (lovingly I referred to us as the Vertical Spice Girls 🇬🇧 #girlpower) consisting of Samantha Sun from ReelForce, Marina Elderton from EMC Productions and Tattle TV, as well as Octavia McKenzie and Liyanne Marie from ONSET Octopus.

This makes me excited for March, where we will be highlighting even more amazing women in the vertical drama industry around International Women's Day.

Credit: Behind the Verticals

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