Welcome to Vertical Drama Love
Vertical Dramas
Do you LOVE Vertical Dramas?
Are you wondering what they are all about? Well you have come to the right place.
This is the HOME of drama reviews, meet-the-creative interviews, my random ramblings about the vertical industry, and more.
It’s a celebration of the joy that vertical dramas have brought to me, and my attempt to shine a spotlight on this wonderful new industry. Enjoy!
Jen Cooper - ‘the first ever vertical critic’
(thank you to the director who called me that!)
As featured in
What are Vertical Dramas?
Vertical dramas are short-form video series specifically designed for vertical viewing on smartphones. The content is shot and edited in a vertical (9:16) format, making them ideal for watching on the go on your mobile phone.
The pioneers of this form of entertainment are Chinese, with this style of short series first appearing on drama platforms like iQIYI. Because the dramas have to grab the notoriously short attention span of mobile users, they tend to feature attention-grabbing storylines, a fast pace and recognisable characters and tropes.
Then at the end of 2023 it went global, with the set up of vertical production companies in the USA, Australia, Spain, the UK, Turkey and more. Have a look at your mobile phone app store now under entertainment, a lot of those names that you see alongside Netflix will be vertical streaming platforms, with perhaps the most well known one, Reelshort, dominating the charts.
So why do we love them? Well vertical dramas contain a lot of the tropes that BookTok readers and romance fans know and love: Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Contract Marriage, Secret Billionaires, Mistaken Identity, Werewolves, Vampires, Mafia, High School Romance and more.
But there is so much more to verticals than just the tropes we know and love: incredibly talented actors and actresses, production crews pushing creativity and innovation to the limit in 8-10 day shoots, and clever writers finding new ways to tell familiar stories. I really think that this is the future of entertainment, as verticals have an extraordinary way of connecting directly with the viewer, understanding what we like, and creating more of it! Verticals are here to stay.
REVIEWS
Looking for something NEW to watch?
Check out the review selection to find our pick of the very best.
Meet The Creatives
Get to know the Stars and Crews of Vertical Dramas
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![A woman with long dark hair, wearing a gray turtleneck and a black vest, sitting at a desk with a bouquet of red roses and a wrapped box in front of her, in an office setting.]()
Mariah Moss
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![Vertical Drama Actress Sofia Lopez]()
Sofia López
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Teig Sadhana
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![Vertical Drama Actor Jackson Tiller]()
Jackson Tiller
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![A young man with dark hair and light skin wearing a beige long-sleeved shirt, sitting with his arms crossed, looking at the camera with a slight smile against a gray background.]()
Nick Ritacco
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![Vertical Drama Actress Nicole Mattox]()
Nicole Mattox
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![A young man with curly brown hair, blue eyes, and fair skin wearing a brown jacket and a black shirt, looking directly at the camera against a plain, muted background.]()
Adam Santa Cruz
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![A woman with wavy brown hair standing outdoors with a scenic background of hills and trees, wearing a white and blue patterned dress and a small pendant necklace.]()
Kelsey Maskell
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![A young man with tousled brown hair wearing a beige sweater, leaning on his hand and looking at the camera with a slight smile.]()
Felix Merback
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![Close-up of a young woman with long, wavy blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a black top with silver clasps.]()
Kyra Wisely
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THE VERTICAL DRAMA LOVE FAN AWARDS
Independent Awards to celebrate the very best of all things Vertical. The first ever fan awards for vertical dramas - see the full list of winners for 2024
In proud partnership with:
Vertical Drama Love works in partnership with these amazing sponsors. Thanks to them, we’ve been able to grow this community and share more stories — but all opinions you read here are independent and my own.
Vigloo is the global home for micro-dramas, originating from South Korea. Designed for mobile-first, episodic storytelling under two minutes, Vigloo’s extensive library of over 300 titles spans genres such as romance, comedy, and thriller, all tailored for global audiences.
Vigloo develop original IP for the U.S., Korean, and Japanese markets, sourcing scripts directly from local creators and collaborating closely to ensure compelling stories are seamlessly adapted to the vertical format. Vigloo is set to release more than 100 original U.S. titles by the end of 2025. For more information, visit www.vigloo.com.
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We believe in the power of storytelling to connect, inspire, and drive change. That’s why we are committed to producing content that not only entertains but also challenges perspectives and fosters meaningful dialogue.
At Sparta Productions, we are proud to champion diversity and inclusion, both in front of and behind the camera. We are driven by a commitment to excellence and a belief in the transformative power of media. As a woman founded and led company, we are dedicated to empowering others, breaking barriers, and setting new standards in the industry.
Vertical storytelling is game-changing because it transforms how audiences engage with content - designed for the way we naturally hold our devices, it delivers impact with immediacy and intimacy. Its immersive, full-frame format creates a direct and personal connection that reshapes modern visual storytelling. We believe in the growth and power of this creative space.
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Who Are We? We are Sea Star Productions! A London based Vertical Production Company driven by bold storytelling and visual innovation. We create a range of vertical productions, from microdramas to branded vertical films, and cinematic content designed for the way people watch today: fast, mobile, and on the go.
Our roots are in high end cinema, television, and global campaigns. We’ve worked with visionary directors, writers, and creatives across feature films, series, and digital platforms. We’re passionate about high quality vertical storytelling, think of big scenes, big names and above all amazing quality productions.
As one of the leading vertical production companies in the UK we’re all about pushing the vertical industry forwards with new narratives that writers are eager to write and audiences want to watch. We would love to hear from vertical drama fans about which stories you are drawn to and how we can best make them for you.
We’re more than a production company. We’re a creative community. We build stories that move fast, stay memorable, and lead the shift in how the world watches.
Coming Soon
Get the latest updates about hotly anticipated upcoming vertical drama projects…
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Get In Touch
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Email Jen@verticaldramalove.com