VertiGals

The VertiGals sit down with Eli Shell - a Los Angeles-based writer, director, and producer and founder of Sidewise Studios, an independent micro-studio creating original series for vertical platforms. With a background in tech communications, messaging, and strategy, Shell has over 15 years of experience producing and leading high-output creative content teams. He now applies a startup mindset: rapid iteration, real-time audience response, and a willingness to experiment in public, to entertainment. His flagship vertical comedy, In-House, is a mockumentary workplace series available on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, blending documentary humor with the creative chaos of modern marketing. Season 2 is in development now, more characters, more chaos, and a lot more to say about what this format can be.

The VertiGals sit down with Jason Mayfield, Producer and Head of Casting & Development at SnowStory Productions to discuss his journey from Modern Dance, to Magic, to Stand Up Comedy, to MicroDramas. We also discuss the rise of MicroDramas, what makes them work and why, and how they are rapidly changing the entertainment landscape as we know it.

The VertiGals sit down with Senior Screen Writer for DramaWave, Astrid Carlen-Helmer. Astrid is a French-American screenwriter and a graduate of the London Film School. She began her career in development at Blackpills, a short-form series studio, where she contributed to the creation of young adult fiction intended for international distribution. She later became Head of Development at the Franco-American production company HKCorp, where she developed multicultural projects, including The Chef in a Truck (Netflix / Wild Bunch). After several years in development, Astrid transitioned into writing. She worked as an author for the Originals divisions of the digital publishing platforms Tapas Media and Wattpad: she wrote a romantasy duology for Tapas and later served as a ghostwriter and head writer for Wattpad on several titles. She is also the co-author of Space Cadet, a Hachette-published novel based on the Amazon Studios film of the same name. After working as a writer at ReelShort, writing hit titles such as Dr. Boss is My Baby Daddy and Claimed by my Ex’s Alpha Brother, Astrid is now a senior screenwriter for DramaWave.

The VertiGals sit down with Vertical Super Fan, Influencer, and industry thought leader Meagan Johnson of @realreeldrama to talk about what the fans love about Verticals, what makes this industry so fascinating, and everything that Meagan is building in the entertainment space.

The VertiGals sit down with multi-hyphenate Dana Protsyshak to discuss her journey from romance novelist to her career in Vertical Drama filmmaking. Dana Protsyshak is the founder of Dana Productions, Vert-I-Go Media and the LA Vertical Drama Market, the first industry event dedicated exclusively to vertical drama storytelling, and the creator of OtheR, a dystopian series in development across long-form and vertical formats. With experience across 30+ vertical projects in writing, development, and production, she is recognized for her expertise in mobile-first storytelling and regularly evaluates vertical content for festivals, studios, and platforms. Dana develops and directs original vertical projects with international teams, builds Vert-I-Go Media app and curates industry communities through her Vertical Mixers, helping advance the vertical storytelling ecosystem.

The VertiGals have the pleasure of interviewing the brilliant Rachel Zilberg, Lead Writer at "Shorts," the platform known for rom coms and feel good productions. Rachel got her start in romance based mobile gaming and took the natural next step into vertical drama writing. She has written several exceptional vertical dramas, not limited to "Love Switch: Billionaire CEO vs. Mafia King" which was the recipient of 2025 Hollywood Vertical Awards' 'Most Captivating Dual Identity'. In this episode, we discuss the world of romance based mobile gaming, what it's like to lead a team of writers at one of the industries leading platforms, and what the future of vertical storytelling holds.

Hollywood is evolving, and former screenwriter, legacy Film & TV producer, CEO of 3Pas Studio, and creator of the "Open Gardens" and "Vertical Bloom" sub stacks, Ben Odell, is at the forefront of that evolution. Ben joins the VertiGals to talk about how storytelling is evolving from Hollywood's perspective, the creator economy, the arrival of AI , and how digital media and legacy media have already converged, and will continue to.

The VertiGals have the pleasure of sitting down with inspiring MicroDrama writer and winner of ReelShort's Top Romance Prize, Dena Dizdar Plumer. After raising a family, Dena decided to move to Los Angeles from Texas to pursue her life long dream of being a screenwriter. As a former copywriter and Ad Exectuive, Dena talks about how her career in advertising influences her work in MicroDramas, how to become a MicroDrama writer at any stage in life, and what it's like to work as a writer in the age of AI.

The VertiGals have so much fun learning about Kristen Brancaccio's journey to conquering the vertical world. Having directed 17 verticals to date, Kristen has a lot of insight in the structure that works best in verticals and how the marketing and financing models around verticals will have to change for vertical story telling to be able to effectively evolve.

The VertiGals talk about Alison's hit release on MyDrama "LoveScore" and review a few other Vertical Dramas they enjoyed. They also talk about the experience of writing verticals from idea to production and what that's been like from a writers perspective. Thom Woodley joins them to talk about his experience working in digital content and vertical content since 2023 - past failures, current happenings, and where he thinks the Vertical industry is headed in the future.