Today’s episode features a conversation from our 2025 Q4 Short Drama Forum with Cypress Bai — founder of Storypod Studio, former Head of Content & Production at DramaWave, and one of the key writer-producers shaping the English-language vertical drama landscape.

In this interview, Cypress shares how she first entered the vertical space, how she approaches adapting Chinese and English web novels, and why structure, rhythm, and emotional clarity matter even more in short dramas.

We also talk about character design, cliffhangers, book-to-series adaptation, and how Hollywood’s three-act storytelling translates into vertical formats.

It’s a sharp, practical conversation for anyone writing, producing, or studying micro-dramas.

Let’s dive in.

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📘 Want to dive deeper into the storytelling logic behind global short dramas?

Check out my book — Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 126-page guide for producers, writers, and platform strategists.

👉 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

🌿 Just starting out or curious about how short dramas work?

Try my online course — Short Drama Writing 101 for Everyone — designed for grassroots creators and newcomers who want to understand short-drama storytelling in a fun, accessible way.

👉 https://payhip.com/b/oMALI

Today’s episode features a conversation from our 2025 Q4 Short Drama Forum with Jeebok Park — the founder of the global micro-drama platform Shortime and Shortime Studio.

Jeebok talks about what makes short dramas fundamentally different from film and TV, why emotional engagement matters more than any metric, and how BL/GL fandoms became the foundation of their global growth.

We also discuss how Shortime works with creators around the world, what types of stories travel best, and why he believes micro-dramas will become a mainstream global entertainment format.

Let’s dive in.

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📘 Want to dive deeper into the storytelling logic behind global short dramas?

Check out my book — Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 126-page guide for producers, writers, and platform strategists.

👉 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

🌿 Just starting out or curious about how short dramas work?

Try my online course — Short Drama Writing 101 for Everyone — designed for grassroots creators and newcomers who want to understand short-drama storytelling in a fun, accessible way.

👉 https://payhip.com/b/oMALI

Today’s episode features a conversation from our 2025 Q4 Short Drama Forum with Cypress Bai — founder of Storypod Studio, former Head of Content & Production at DramaWave, and one of the key writer-producers shaping the English-language vertical drama landscape.

In this interview, Cypress shares how she first entered the vertical space, how she approaches adapting Chinese and English web novels, and why structure, rhythm, and emotional clarity matter even more in short dramas.

We also talk about character design, cliffhangers, book-to-series adaptation, and how Hollywood’s three-act storytelling translates into vertical formats.

It’s a sharp, practical conversation for anyone writing, producing, or studying micro-dramas.

Let’s dive in.

--

📘 Want to dive deeper into the storytelling logic behind global short dramas?

Check out my book — Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 126-page guide for producers, writers, and platform strategists.

👉 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

🌿 Just starting out or curious about how short dramas work?

Try my online course — Short Drama Writing 101 for Everyone — designed for grassroots creators and newcomers who want to understand short-drama storytelling in a fun, accessible way.

👉 https://payhip.com/b/oMALI

Today’s episode comes from our 2025 Q4 Short Drama Forum,

Featuring Jen Cooper — founder of Vertical Drama Love, a global vertical-drama advocate, media commentator, and one of the most influential community-builders in the space.

In this conversation, Jen shares how she entered the industry as a fan and became a bridge between creators and audiences worldwide. We discuss fan behavior, global viewing trends, the rise of vertical-drama awards and festivals, and how fan feedback is shaping what gets made.

She also talks about shifts in storytelling, concerns around violence and AI-generated content, and why she believes women — and viewers who actually watch vertical dramas — have unique advantages in this ecosystem.

Let’s dive in.

📘 Want to dive deeper into the storytelling logic behind global short dramas?

Check out my book — Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 126-page guide for producers, writers, and platform strategists.

👉 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

🌿 Just starting out or curious about how short dramas work?

Try my online course — Short Drama Writing 101 for Everyone — designed for grassroots creators and newcomers who want to understand short-drama storytelling in a fun, accessible way.

👉 https://payhip.com/b/oMALI

Today’s episode features a conversation from our 2025 Q4 Short Drama Forum,

with Mauricio Osaki — filmmaker and creative director of Lupi Films, where he develops original short dramas and leads localization for multiple global platforms.

In this interview, Mauricio shares how he first entered the vertical-drama space, what makes mobile-first storytelling fundamentally different from film and television, and why he believes the essence of short dramas is a modern, mobile version of the soap opera.

We also talk about the craft behind directing: fixing cultural mismatches in localization, choosing actors who can carry emotional intensity in one-minute scenes, and shaping pacing through table reads and post-production. Mauricio offers practical advice for new actors and writers entering the industry, and discusses which genres — from sports to military to horror — are emerging beyond CEO romance.

Let’s dive in.

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📘 Want to dive deeper into the storytelling logic behind global short dramas?

Check out my book — Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 126-page guide for producers, writers, and platform strategists.

👉 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

🌿 Just starting out or curious about how short dramas work?

Try my online course — Short Drama Writing 101 for Everyone — designed for grassroots creators and newcomers who want to understand short-drama storytelling in a fun, accessible way.

👉 https://payhip.com/b/oMALI

Today’s episode comes from our 2025 Q4 Short Drama Forum,

featuring Max Jiang and Joy Quinn, co-owners of 9:16 Productions, one of the most organized vertical-drama teams in the U.S.

In this interview, they discuss how they approach performance, pacing, casting, and localization for mobile-first audiences—and why new genres like horror and thriller may be the next frontier in vertical dramas.

Let’s dive in.

📘 Want to dive deeper into the storytelling logic behind global short dramas?

Check out my book — Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 126-page guide for producers, writers, and platform strategists.

👉 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

🌿 Just starting out or curious about how short dramas work?

Try my online course — Short Drama Writing 101 for Everyone — designed for grassroots creators and newcomers who want to understand short-drama storytelling in a fun, accessible way.

👉 https://payhip.com/b/oMALI

Today’s episode features a conversation from our 2025 Q4 Short Drama Forum,

with Monika (Whitney) Dalman — a Casting Director, industry consultant, and producer who has worked on more than 80 vertical microdramas across multiple global platforms.

In this interview, Monika breaks down how vertical casting really works, what production teams often overlook when adapting film/TV workflows to microdramas, and why performance, safety, and communication matter even more in this fast-turnaround format.

We also talk about talent pipelines, the challenges of working with new vertical platforms, and how she supports productions from casting through delivery.

Let’s dive in.

📘 Want to dive deeper into the storytelling logic behind global short dramas?

Check out my book — Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 126-page guide for producers, writers, and platform strategists.

👉 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

🌿 Just starting out or curious about how short dramas work?

Try my online course — Short Drama Writing 101 for Everyone — designed for grassroots creators and newcomers who want to understand short-drama storytelling in a fun, accessible way.

👉 https://payhip.com/b/oMALI

Today’s episode comes from our 2025 Q4 Short Drama Forum, featuring Lucas Zhang, CEO & Founder of Daogu Entertainment and co-founder of Dramago.

Lucas has been at the forefront of China’s short-drama evolution — from live-action vertical series to AI-powered motion comics — and his teams have worked across the full pipeline: writing, production, post, distribution, and long-tail monetization.

In this conversation, he breaks down:

• what truly differentiates short dramas from traditional film & TV
• the rise of AI motion comics and their global potential
• future opportunities for creators, platforms, and IP owners

Lucas also shares candid insights on user acquisition, long-tail revenue, translation markets, and why AI is becoming an essential tool — not a threat — for short-drama creators.

Let’s dive in.

------

📘 Want to dive deeper into the storytelling logic behind global short dramas?

Check out my book — Short Drama Writing 101: From Industry Logic to Social Psychology — a 126-page guide for producers, writers, and platform strategists.

👉 https://payhip.com/b/K82oz

🌿 Just starting out or curious about how short dramas work?

Try my online course — Short Drama Writing 101 for Everyone — designed for grassroots creators and newcomers who want to understand short-drama storytelling in a fun, accessible way.

👉 https://payhip.com/b/oMALI