🎧 Today’s episode features director Mauricio Osaki, a Brazilian-Japanese filmmaker bringing Chinese-style short dramas to global screens.

Working with platforms like ShortMax (China) and Vigloo (South Korea), Mauricio directs both localized adaptations of Chinese hits and original stories inspired by the emotional pacing of vertical drama.

He shares how he rewrites scripts for Western audiences, softens over-the-top tropes, and focuses on emotional clarity over spectacle.

For Mauricio, short drama is a powerful new format — blending cinematic storytelling with cultural nuance.

Let’s dive in!

🎧 Today’s episode features a conversation from our YouTube channel, Short Drama Decode, with Jacqueline “Jaxx” van Eijk — a Netherlands-based talent coach and strategist known as The Vertical Godmother, guiding actors through the emotional and professional complexities of short-form drama.

In our conversation, Jaxx shares how a coaching request from an LA-based actor led her into the fast-moving world of Chinese-style vertical dramas. Drawing from years of experience in performance coaching, she now works with actors to overcome self-doubt, develop expressive tools like micro-expressions and voice, and navigate career choices in an industry where typecasting and cultural gaps can be real challenges.

We talk about the tension between platform data and audience psychology, why over-reliance on metrics can limit creativity, and how regional culture shapes what stories resonate. Jaxx believes vertical drama isn’t just about speed—it’s about emotional impact, cross-cultural nuance, and creating rewards for everyone involved.

Let’s dive in!

In this exclusive episode, Canadian director & producer Steph Tablizo brings us into the sizzling world of vertical short dramas. With 15+ years in the film and TV industry, Steph now crafts stories that blend romance, fantasy, and edge — all in under five minutes.

From mafia affairs and BDSM dynamics to queer empowerment and spicy CEO fantasies, Steph shares how she localizes Chinese short drama scripts for Western audiences, while keeping the heartbeat of the story alive.

💡 What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Her first steps into vertical storytelling (and why she stayed)
• Popular genres: why North America is ready for BDSM and queer plots
• How to create “urgency and intimacy” in 30 seconds
• The cultural nuances of adapting Chinese dramas for Western screens
• Why short drama is a format, not a fad — and who’s getting it right

🎬 “Urgency and intimacy — that’s the essence of short drama.” – Steph Tablizo