WEEKLY.
ReelShort, Neymar, and Viu: the industry answered with money and air time
Showbox, Albertsons, and Neymar walked into vertical drama this week.
Real Reel
Editorial lead at SHÙ Studio. Decoding Vertical Drama, mobile-first production & short-form storytelling.
BKSTG.
Formula 1 Without Formula 1
Inside the LED volume and AI pipeline that turned one retired racing car into a full Formula 1 championship.
WEEKLY.
Bradley Bell, Jamie Oliver, and the Vertical Turn
Bradley Bell founded a microseries studio. Jamie Oliver Group enters vertical production. Brands commission microseries at Cannes Lions.
Obs.
SAG-AFTRA Verticals Agreement: Five Key Aspects You Need to Know
Here's what SAG-AFTRA's Verticals Agreement actually covers.
WEEKLY.
TikTok, Fox, and the Week AI Entered the Casting Room
TikTok partners with Sundance on microseries writing. AI replaces US microdrama actors while India produces vertical-native stars.
EVNT.
Real Reel × UCLA: Inside UCLA's Vertical Storytelling Night
The three-second hook, the emotion-first principle, and why data will never tell you to make Star Wars.
WEEKLY.
Festivals, Franchises, and the YouTuber Who Beat Star Wars
ABFF adds a competitive microdrama section. Screen Time hits 150M. Vertical drama's franchise era has arrived.
Obs.
TikTok Is Not a Vertical Drama Platform. But It's Working On It.
TikTok signed Issa Rae, launched PineDrama, and is paying out $15M a month in drama revenue. Here's what that means...
EVNT.
LA Vertical Drama Market 2026: Edition 2.0 Recap
LAVDM 2.0 wrapped with 400 attendees, the Apollo Awards, and a move to semi-annual, the same week every major streamer went vertical.
WEEKLY.
India Goes Global, Vertical at Cannes, and China's AI Factory Gets a Reckoning
TikTok signs its first Indian microdrama distribution deal. ByteDance's Seedance 2.0 enters Cannes' Marché du Film.
RID Interviews
Interview · R:ID ╳ Tommy Harper ❘ Hollywood Isn't Late to Vertical, it's Choosing to Watch the Train Leave
A $6B box office producer enters the microdrama space, and argues the vertical industry doesn't need better content.
Obs.
The Psychology Behind Vertical Drama: Why It's So Hard to Stop Watching
A breakdown of the psychological mechanics behind microdrama's compulsive format, from dopamine loops to frictionless autoplay.