Vertical Drama in the UK Webinar
Webinar replay, takeaways, & resources
Yesterday, we hosted our first Behind the Verticals 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.
📝 Takeaways:
The UK is caught in the middle, but has real advantages. Production costs here are significantly higher than in China, making it hard to compete on budget alone. But the UK’s edge lies in storytelling, cultural richness, humor, and global appeal. British accents, British stars, and British narrative craft are genuine selling points, and there’s a huge audience in America already primed for them.
Brands could change the financial equation. The first branded vertical dramas appeared over the last few months With viewers spending 60 to 90 minutes engaged within apps, the format offers brands a compelling and interactive space. If brand partnerships scale up, it could shift the financial model toward something far more sustainable for creators.
AI is a tool, not a replacement. The panelists were largely aligned on this. AI has a useful role in post-production VFX and repurposing older IP, but it shouldn’t be writing scripts or replacing human performance. The emotional core of vertical drama depends on a human voice and presence. Protecting actors’ likenesses from unauthorized AI use is also becoming an urgent concern that the industry needs to take seriously.
The space is creating real opportunity for creatives. At a time when writers’ strikes and industry contractions have left many without consistent work, vertical drama is opening doors, particularly for emerging actors who might not otherwise get in front of casting directors. The panelists are actively working to raise standards and ensure fair pay as the industry matures.
There’s a strong desire to see the format move away from toxic relationship dynamics toward content that reflects greater diversity, inclusivity, and more nuanced storytelling. The audience is already asking for it.