Interview · R:ID ╳ Alex Montalvo ❘ Hollywood’s First Serious Bet on Vertical Drama

From Algorithms
to Decisions,
Not Theory.

GammaTime Co-Founder & CCO Alex Montalvo
on Taste Infrastructure, Content Responsibility, and Scaling Without Dilution.

⁙
Opening

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While much of the industry is still arguing over whether vertical drama is a lasting medium or a temporary trend, GammaTime has stopped participating in that debate.

For Alex, microdrama is not a shortcut for compressed narratives, nor a compromise on quality. It is a format that demands intention, structure, and respect for audience behavior. His perspective is shaped by earlier experiments at Quibi, by close daily contact with viewer data, and by a belief that creative intuition still matters when placed in the right system.

In the conversation that follows, Alex speaks about how GammaTime makes greenlight decisions, how data and instinct coexist inside the studio, and why premium vertical content must satisfy both the moment and the full arc of a story.

⁙
Q&A

R:ID:
As Co-founder and Chief Content Officer of GammaTime, how do you describe your role and your day-to-day work?

Alex:

I’m part of an amazing team, the first Hollywood-backed, premium entrant into the microdrama space. I truly believe we’re delivering some of the most engaging and innovative content you can find on mobile.

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Day to day, I’m very lucky to work with some of the best talent from both the vertical drama world and the traditional media world. Together, we focus on delivering hyper-engaging, high-quality, premium content directly to consumers on their phones.

R:ID:
How did your previous experience at Quibi and in traditional production influence how you see vertical drama today?

Alex:

Quibi was the first real experiment in this kind of storytelling. Even back then, we were seeing the immense year-over-year growth in minutes and hours spent on mobile devices, and the general migration of consumers seeking content on their phones. That trend has become established behavior now.

Quibi wasn’t wrong, it was early, and now verticals are finding huge success.

But what stuck with me the most from that experience is the unbelievable potential in mobile storytelling: the wide variety of stories and genres you can tell, the A-list talent you can work with, the incredible innovation that’s possible, and the high level of quality you can deliver.

We have the same high aspirations at GammaTime.

▙ ▙

...it was a big “aha” moment for me. I felt right away this was a method of premium storytelling
...

R:ID:
Do you remember the first time you encountered vertical or microdramas?

Alex:

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I think the first time I saw a microdrama was around April 2024, and it was a big “aha” moment for me. I felt right away this was a method of premium storytelling. To me, this is the future of content.

The real “aha” for me was the freemium distribution model. It gives consumers multiple ways to engage with content and to pay how much they want. That behavior feels very mobile-native. Even though I didn’t think the early shows were necessarily very good, the opportunity to elevate this format was incredibly clear to me, and I dug in right away.

R:ID:
When did you and your partners come together to create GammaTime?

Alex:

We came together toward the end of 2024. I met Bill first and what I thought was going to be a 30 minute coffee meeting turned into a five hour conversation. It was immediately apparent that we should be working together.

We were then fortunate enough to bring in Slava, who is truly a superstar in mobile gaming. He previously served as Head of Mobile Gaming for Google in the Middle East and North Africa. He’s a true expert in this space, and he immediately saw the opportunity in vertical drama.

Throughout that entire early period, we kept looking at each other and hoping no one else from Hollywood would notice what was happening and beat us to market. Nobody did, and that’s how we knew we were working on something special and ahead of the curve.

R:ID:
GammaTime promises “premium vertical content anytime, anywhere.” What does that mean to you creatively?

Alex:

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To us, it means that regardless of genre whether true crime, romance, thriller, mystery, or crime the content must be hyper engaging, deeply satisfying, and produced at the highest possible level.

Every chapter needs to feel satisfying on its own, but the entire story also has to feel complete from beginning to end. We take a lot of pride in making sure that even well past the paywall, we put in the work and the care to make sure the story is good and maintains quality.

R:ID:
How does your greenlight and decision-making process work?

Alex:

Ultimately, we’re a demand-response company. We have a direct relationship with our consumers, and we see their tastes and behaviors every single day through data. That data plays a central role in how we make decisions.

We also lean heavily on advanced evaluation tools at the top of the decision-making process. Our senior advisor, David Stiff, and his company Vault allow us to assess concepts not only against our internal data but also against broader audience preference data across media. With a high level of confidence, we can determine whether we’re producing something our audience truly wants.

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By leaning on data throughout the entire process, we believe we’re only putting forward content that is ROI-positive and directly aligned with audience demand.

R:ID:
How do you personally balance data with creative intuition?

Alex:

I think this is ultimately our superpower. No one else in the market has the combination of data tools we do alongside decades of experience delivering award-winning hits.

We’re able to lean on our creative experience and intuition while combining it with what the data is telling us. That combination allows us to deliver something truly special to the audiences we’re connecting with.

R:ID:
Is there a project you’re especially proud of selecting based on this process?

Alex:

I honestly cannot choose just one. Every show currently on our platform and everything rolling out next year has gone through the same process. Each project is something we believed was special and creatively differentiated both in story and in genre.

The data also showed that it was unique in the marketplace. That gives us real confidence in what we deliver and the audience response has reflected that.

R:ID:
How do you approach genre selection and expansion?

Alex:

It’s always a combination of creative intuition and data. That approach has given us a very clear roadmap for genre expansion.

We believe this expansion allows us to reach underserved audience segments in the United States, including African American audiences, Latin American audiences, and faith-based audiences, just to name a few. Ultimately, we want to be a broader and better option than anyone else in the market right now.

R:ID:
Will GammaTime expand into genres like romance, horror, or fantasy?

Alex:

We’d be foolish not to look at how successful romance has been in this space. We believe we can approach it with our own unique perspective while still delivering what the broader microdrama audience wants.

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True crime remains a continued focus for us, along with crime, mystery, and thriller. We’ve already launched thrillers on the platform, and it’s very clear to us which genres we’ll continue expanding into through 2026.

R:ID:
Have you drawn inspiration from China’s vertical drama ecosystem?

Alex:

The platforms that emerged out of China absolutely paved the way for this industry. They developed a clear playbook, and it would be foolish not to study and learn from what they’ve done.

We’ve applied parts of that playbook to our own work, while also developing our own version. That combination has been working extremely well for us.

R:ID:
How does your diverse investor background influence GammaTime?

Alex:

We have investors from entertainment, gaming, and technology. That combination of expertise is a huge positive differentiator for us.

Having some of the brightest and most successful minds across these industries involved sets us apart and positions us strongly for long-term success.

R:ID:
Is GammaTime open to collaborating with independent producers and creators?

Alex:

Yes, absolutely. We’re very open to collaborations with outside producers.

We’ve already proven this with our partnership with Anthony Zuiker. He’s delivered multiple shows on the platform, with more coming. He immediately saw the potential of this format and has given us beautifully gripping content. He’s just the beginning of many high-profile partnerships we’re excited about.

R:ID:
What advice would you give creators entering the vertical drama space?

Alex:

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My advice is to embrace the new format. This is not a fad. It is a new medium.

There are structural principles like hyper engagement strong hooks and delivering satisfying moments in every chapter but there is also tremendous opportunity to push creatively and elevate the form. The creators we have worked with so far have genuinely enjoyed that freedom.

R:ID:
Are you working with TikTok-native creators or digital influencers?

Alex:

Yes, we are. We see ourselves as a blend of traditional Hollywood and digital-native storytelling.

Creators from TikTok and the broader digital world bring invaluable knowledge about what works in short-form content. By commissioning premium content, we’re giving them a much larger creative toolbox. The results have been very exciting.

R:ID:
How do you envision GammaTime in the next few years?

Alex:

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We want GammaTime to be a brand synonymous with enjoyment and quality. We want to be a platform that audiences habitually open every single day, confident they will find something they will like and that’s better than anything anywhere else.

For filmmakers and creators,
we want to be known as innovative, collaborative, and talent-friendly,
a place where great ideas can truly thrive.

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R:ID Epilogue

For Alex, Quibi was not a failure to move past, but a system to understand.
It clarified how ambition breaks when distribution and behavior are misaligned.
GammaTime builds from that clarity, treating vertical drama as a decision environment, not a content rush.

The future of the format will belong to those who know when data should speak,
and when it should not.

About Alex Montalvo

Alex Montalvo is a media executive and co-founder of GammaTime, a Hollywood-backed premium micro-drama platform, where he serves as Chief Content Officer. Previously, he held executive roles at Warner Brothers Discovery and Quibi, the short-form mobile storytelling venture, and has experience developing original programming for television at Done and Dusted and All3Media. At GammaTime, Montalvo combines creative insight with data-driven audience analysis to shape vertical drama content for mobile viewers. His work focuses on elevating serialized short-form narratives with high production value and strategic distribution. Prior to GammaTime, his career included content leadership that bridged traditional media formats with emerging digital platforms.

R:ID #02
╳ Alex Montalvo

R:ID™ is Real Reel’s interview column
on creative identity in the algorithm age,
studying not the work,
but the makers and the identities
shaped through their practice. ☻