Our Short-form Series Perform Better Than Netflix. Here's How we Film Them

While Netflix asks, "Are you still watching?" vertical short-form series are now transforming the audiovisual market. People aren't just watching; they're watching till the end.

In traffic, at lunch, at the gym, and between work meetings, people watch short videos to entertain themselves and forward them to friends. That's what I do, and I bet you do, too.

And here's the kicker: In 2024, the use of vertical videos is set to skyrocket by more than 50%. Why? Because they work. Vertical videos boast a staggering 90% watch completion rate compared to their horizontal counterparts.

I caught this trend in 2023, seeing this format evolve in the Asian market. My partner Anatolii Kasianov and I quickly ran a pilot project and raised investments.

Now we are making short-form series that steal screen time from traditional streamers. Here's how it works.

Picking a trendy story topic

Choosing the right content is crucial in creating video dramas. Since we are developing a mediatech company, we have much data at our fingertips. For instance, our book platform has millions of monthly users. This gives us plenty of insights into audience interests.

We also pay close attention to user feedback. When readers ask about character motivations or plot choices, it shows us what engages them. We also track market trends. Netflix's success with "Bridgerton" wasn't just a hit –– it was a lesson in what works.

Our analysis shows clear patterns:

• The fast pace of market trends is critical, as demonstrated by Netflix's "Miller's Girl," which set off a trend for age gap series on TikTok. Swiftly creating shorts series based on these trends is vital for success.
• Audiences in different countries prefer distinct genres and tropes. Paranormal themes often find more popularity in Europe, while the billionaire genre is particularly popular in the US.
• Successful series often hinge on book adaptations. With books having strong fan bases, it's crucial to grasp their essence. Even making significant changes, like 70% of the storyline, can prove advantageous.

The US is our primary market. We use this data to inform our vertical drama concepts, ensuring we create content that resonates with our target audience and fits the short-form, vertical format.

Collaboration with book authors

Our journey from page to screen starts with a unique partnership with book authors. When we find a promising book, we contact its author with an offer: a share in the series' profits. This isn't just a licensing deal — it's a collaborative effort.

The book undergoes significant revisions to fit our format. We work closely with the author to preserve the essence of their story while adapting it for short-form, vertical viewing. Authors sometimes give us full rights to the story, seeing the potential for a wider audience.

Authors benefit greatly from this collaboration. In addition to financial rewards, they receive the desired recognition as their stories reach a larger audience.

Creating a script

After signing all papers with the author, our team of screenwriters gets to work. Yes, we're still engaging human writers to craft the story to make it more real and tailored to the series' short-form nature.

Sure, they collaborate with our AI tools to structure the story, emphasising hooks and dramatic elements that work well in short, vertical episodes. This human-AI partnership allows us to maintain creativity while optimising for our unique format.

Filming vertical dramas

Our production process looks like a typical TV series shooting, but it costs us up to 10 times less.

A team of producers reviews the script, casts actors, and scouts locations. We attract professional actors for filming.

Currently, the entire process takes about 2 months. We're aiming to cut this to 1 month using AI. We already leverage AI in scripting and localisation (translation and dubbing). Our next big opportunity is to streamline post-production with AI tools.

What next?

With 65% user retention on day one and 44% after a week, we see proof of our vertical drama model. It's a good sign for the short-form content market.

Users love our pay-per-episode model. It's not just convenient; it's changing how people consume and pay for content. Just think of how many times you've had busy months where you didn't watch TV shows and were charged for your subscription. This flexibility is a crucial differentiator from traditional streaming services.

Our main goal is to build a Netflix for vertical series, the format that will be the most prevalent in the future. So now, our scaling plan looks like this:

• Expanding our production capacity by increasing the number of studios.
• Implement AI in post-production and reduce our production timeline.
• Exploring licensing deals, particularly with Asian content creators already succeeding in this format.

Our next big bet? AI-driven character interaction. Viewers are very interested in the characters and what will happen next. We are developing a feature that allows to continue communicating, even dating with the characters after the series ends.

But we’re not stopping here. We’re also working on content personalisation: changing voices, settings, and actors based on users' preferences. Imagine watching a series where a character looks and speaks according to your taste, or the action occurs in your favourite city! That’s the future of the content we are developing.