A new breed of short‑form storytelling, known as “vertical microdramas,” has exploded onto the entertainment landscape, turning smartphones into miniature stages and solidifying an $8 billion market that is largely driven by women. From the creators and executives behind the content to the audiences who binge‑watch them, women are at the heart of a sector that is expanding even as other parts of the film and tech industries contract.
These short dramas, optimized for mobile consumption in a 9:16 aspect ratio, have exploded in popularity on platforms like ReelShort and DramaBox, commanding significant viewership due to over 75% of all video viewing happening on mobile devices, held vertically 94% of the time.
Award-winning producer Zhiyan Li is carving a distinctive path in the global film industry, garnering international recognition for her innovative approach to filmmaking, her commitment to women-centered narratives, and her remarkable ability to elevate complex visual stories even with limited resources. From Oscar, BAFTA, and Canadian Screen Award — qualifying film festivals to the burgeoning world of viral vertical dramas, Li’s work bridges traditional cinematic artistry with the demands of new digital ecosystems.
As a female producer, Li is particularly dedicated to stories that explore women’s agency, perception, and autonomy. Her work consistently challenges traditional expectations, whether through psychological drama, experimental film, gothic reinterpretation, or the fast-growing vertical TV drama format, highlighting the complexities of modern womanhood. It makes sense, considering that 75% of vertical series viewers are women. Platforms like DramaBox and ReelShort are geared towards women. They’re referred to as “microdramas.”
Li is at the forefront of the rapidly expanding market for vertical films for women, which are soapy (soap operas) in nature. She has successfully adapted her cinematic storytelling to this mobile-first format, producing high-engagement series like The Mafia Boss’s Runaway Bride, The Rise of Ms. Lyra, Flash Marriage at 40: My Second Chance, and Mafia Daddy’s Surprise Sextuplets, which have collectively generated millions of views and substantial audience interaction.
While the soap opera and romance novel niche genres were dismissed for decades, they have both become massive global markets through vertical microdramas. “Soap operas taught us that serialized storytelling can be a daily habit, not just a weekly event,” said Li. “Vertical microdramas are the logical next step — compact, episodic narratives designed for the way we consume media on mobile devices.”
The rise of vertical microdramas echoes earlier cultural shifts. For decades, daytime soap operas and romance novels were dismissed as “women’s entertainment” and relegated to the margins of cultural prestige. Yet both formats evolved into multibillion‑dollar powerhouses, employing thousands of writers, editors, producers, and broadcasters worldwide.
Los Angeles-based Li emphasizes that emotional closeness does not come from spectacle. “It comes from detail, rhythm, and truthful expression,” she said. “As Chinese-American filmmaker Edward Yang suggests in Yi Yi, ‘cinema extends our lives because it lets us observe people more deeply.’”
Vertical microdramas are short, typically 1–5‑minute episodes filmed in portrait orientation for platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and the emerging StreamSnap app. The format’s low production costs and rapid turnaround have attracted a wave of independent creators, many of whom are women leveraging their personal networks and social media followings to fund projects via crowdfunding or brand partnerships.
According to data from Global Media Insights, the vertical microdrama market grew 48 % year‑over‑year in 2024, with women accounting for 61 % of the creator base and 68 % of the audience demographic aged 18‑34. Advertising spend on vertical microdrama content reached $1.2 billion in 2024, up from $820 million in 2023.
Industry insiders say the sector’s success is nothing short of a “female‑led renaissance.” In a recent panel at the Women in Media Summit in Los Angeles, several founders highlighted the ways women are shaping every layer of the vertical microdrama ecosystem, as female writers are crafting the stories that reflect a broader range of experiences, from queer romance to intergenerational family sagas. Venture capital firms like SheCapital and Lumen Ventures have
Funding: Venture capital firms such as SheCapital and Lumen Ventures have earmarked $350 million for women‑led microdrama startups abroad. Meanwhile, production houses like SheStory Studios and Nova Narrative report that over 75 % of their on‑screen talent and senior creative staff are women.
Advertisers are taking note of the audience. Brands are tapping into the format’s intimate, “talk‑to‑a‑friend” feel, with campaigns that place products directly into storylines, a strategy that resonates strongly with female viewers.
“Vertical microdramas are a space where women can own the narrative — from script to screen to distribution — without the gatekeeping that still exists in traditional Hollywood,” said Li.
Despite the rapid growth, a 2024 survey by EquityWatch found that 22% of women creators felt pressured to conform to “trendy” aesthetics that prioritize virality over authentic storytelling. Additionally, the short‑form nature of the medium can make it harder to secure long‑term employment for crew members.
“Scaling sustainably means we have to build career pathways, not just one‑off gigs,” said Li.
Netflix announced earlier this year that it is testing a vertical microdrama series pilot program targeting the platform’s U.S. and Latin American markets, according to TechCrunch.
As vertical microdramas continue to reshape the vertical media landscape, the industry’s trajectory appears tightly linked to women like Li who are driving its innovation. From the ground‑up development of compelling, diverse narratives to the directors, to the on-set women crew members, women are not a niche demographic — they are the market, the innovators, and the engine of growth.
“Respecting, understanding, and investing in the stories women have championed for decades is not just good ethics; it’s sound business,” said Li. “If we want sustainable expansion, we must keep women at the center of every decision — from casting to funding to distribution.”
The next wave of screen‑based entertainment may be short, vertical, and fleeting, but its impact on the global economy and on the representation of women’s voices in media could be lasting.
From vertical TV series to short films, Li’s role as a producer is consistently to “support the director in identifying what emotion the imagery needed to carry and then shaping the production process around that intention,” she says. “Women are at the heart of everything we do.
