By: Max Warchol
When up-and-coming producer and casting director Tiffany Zhao graduated from film school in 2024, Hollywood was at a standstill. The dual strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA had brought nearly all scripted production to a halt, traditional entry-level jobs were evaporating, and studio belt-tightening left few options for young filmmakers. Tiffany, like many of her peers, thought she might face a long, uncertain stretch before getting her first real job.
Instead, she found herself producing and casting over ten scripted projects within her first year out of school, not in traditional film or television, but in a fast-growing space that many hadn’t fully considered just a year before: vertical dramas.
Designed for mobile viewing, vertical dramas are feature-length limited series typically told in rapid-fire episodes of two minutes or less. They’re consumed on phones, often through platforms like ReelShort, and they move quickly, both in terms of plot and production. Once dismissed as experimental or even disposable, vertical content is now being watched by millions and gaining mainstream coverage from outlets like The Guardian, The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and NPR. Behind the scenes, it’s increasingly becoming a lifeline for early-career talent and seasoned professionals alike.
For Tiffany, the rise of vertical storytelling has meant something even more personal: a way into an industry that otherwise seemed difficult to access.
“I really didn’t expect to find consistent work so soon after graduating,” Tiffany says. “But verticals changed that. They gave me my start—and not just as a PA or assistant, but as a creative and leader with real responsibility.”
Photo Courtesy: Ying Fan / Tiffany Zhao
Unlike traditional paths in Hollywood that often require years of shadowing, interning, and fetching coffee before getting a shot at meaningful creative input, vertical sets are moving fast and staffing up quickly. The result is a sink-or-swim environment that, for Tiffany, became an intensive training ground.
“We regularly shoot 10 to 12 pages a day,” she explains. “There’s minimal rehearsal time, few chances for retakes, and post-production turns episodes around in days. It’s demanding, but that intensity can help you adapt and learn at lightning speed.”
Tiffany quickly moved from helping coordinate productions to casting actors, supervising entire sets, managing and writing scripts, and working directly with directors and cinematographers. In many ways, it’s a return to an older model of career development—one that used to happen in the world of soap operas and long-running daytime television.
“There’s this misconception that verticals are shallow or gimmicky,” Tiffany says. “But that’s changing. We’re starting to see more ambitious storytelling projects that are emotionally resonant and narratively rich, not just clickbait.”
That evolution is partly out of necessity. As more viewers tune into vertical content, the bar is rising. Audiences are expecting not just surprise twists and addictive pacing, but characters they can invest in and stories with thematic weight. Tiffany sees this as an opportunity, not a constraint.
“You’re working within tight time limits, yes, but that encourages creative discipline,” she states. “What’s the most essential thing in this scene? How do we hook people in ten seconds without sacrificing story? These are the kinds of questions that can help you grow as a filmmaker.”
Tiffany has brought that mindset to every project she’s touched. Her goal is to push the vertical format forward—not just with slick production, but with better writing, better performances, and a deeper respect for the audience.
She’s not alone. On her sets, Tiffany works with veteran Production Designers, Costume Designers, and DPs—many of whom spent decades on studio features and prestige television. In a difficult economic climate, these professionals have found steady work in the vertical space, bringing their experience and craft to a format that demands efficiency and precision.
“What’s been amazing is seeing how much knowledge gets transferred,” Tiffany says. “You’ve got recent film school grads working alongside people who’ve lit scenes for Oscar-nominated films. Everyone’s learning from each other.”
Photo Courtesy: Ying Fan
That spirit of collaboration—and opportunity—is what Tiffany believes makes vertical production particularly valuable right now. It’s filling a critical void at a time when studio productions are scarce, union negotiations are ongoing, and many industry workers are still recovering from the financial fallout of the strikes.
And unlike the wave of runaway productions that have drawn major projects out of California, vertical content is largely being made in Los Angeles. That proximity has been crucial for Tiffany and other young professionals who may not have the resources to relocate for work.
“Staying in L.A. has helped me build a foundation,” she says. “I’ve been able to meet people, stay close to the center of things, and work consistently. That’s not always possible when you’re chasing jobs across the country.”
Still, Tiffany acknowledges that vertical storytelling isn’t a perfect system. Budgets are often low, union protections are still developing, and some platforms rely too heavily on shock value to drive viewership. But she’s optimistic that improvements are possible—and believes the industry has a responsibility to shape that evolution.
“We’ve seen what works. Now it’s time to raise the bar,” Tiffany maintains. “We need better scripts, stronger direction, and a real investment in quality.”
For Tiffany, that investment starts with treating vertical content not as a stepping stone or side gig, but as a legitimate arena for innovation and storytelling.
“It’s not a replacement for film or television,” she says. “But it’s not going away either. And if we take it seriously, it has the potential to become one of the most exciting creative spaces in media today.”
As graduation season approaches and another wave of young filmmakers prepares to enter a shaky industry, Tiffany hopes her path offers a new kind of roadmap.
“The question isn’t just ‘How do I break in?’ anymore,” she remarks. “It’s ‘Where can I make something now?’ Vertical dramas gave me that answer. They gave me a beginning.”
One year in, Tiffany is just getting started. But already, she’s demonstrating that the future of Hollywood could be vertical—and the next generation of storytellers is ready to meet it head-on.
Published by Steven S.
