These days, you might hear the popular saying, “There’s an app for that.” Well, ReelShort has become the app for short-form video content of the serialized variety. Owned by Crazy Maple Studio, ReelShort first gained popularity in China during the pandemic, bringing bite-sized drama straight to viewers’ phones. Now, the company wants to deliver similar content to an American audience, making relatively cheap features—according to the New York Times, each film costs no more than $300,000—available to the masses.
Viewers can access a certain number of teaser episodes via various other video entertainment apps like YouTube and TikTok; but eventually, that free content drives fans to the ReelShort app, where they can willingly pay for the rest of the given feature. And in a world where people are constantly pressed for time (and overloaded with content from all angles), that’s an amazing feat.
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Unlike traditional streamers, ReelShort specializes in vertical entertainment, producing content that is specifically optimized for smartphone viewing. Broken into episodic portions, each video in a given film series runs for about one minute—a strategy that appeases the shortened attention span of today’s average viewer—with one video flowing right into the next to hook the audience. And with each film rooted in soap opera–like drama, ReelShort leads with action, so viewers will want to keep watching (and ultimately pay money to witness the story’s outcome, or at least watch ads to unlock more episodes).
Titles such as “The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband” and “I Got Married Without You” bring spicy stories right to the user’s mobile device, allowing them to consume content in small chunks while on the go. So, whether you’re into the supernatural or wicked stepmothers, ReelShort has something for you!
"People love the crazy scenarios. I've played everything from a werewolf to a billionaire to a British prince," Luke Charles Stafford, an actor who has shot more than a dozen vertical videos with ReelShort, told Business Insider. "Right now, verticals are my primary source of income. It's the first time in my life that I've been able to lean completely on acting as a primary source of income — though I do still operate a fitness business, monetize my music, and regularly audition for other roles."
ReelShort producers:
As ReelShort expands into the American market, the platform has been on a casting spree, issuing many listings right here on Backstage. While some of the casting calls listed here have already expired, they feature valuable insight into the types of stories ReelShort tells and the sorts of characters it’s looking to cast:
- ‘I’m in Love With My Brother’s Best Friend?!’ casting call
- ‘When Love Comes Too Late’ casting call
- ‘Forgive Me, Forget Me Not’ casting call
- ‘How to Tame a Silver Fox’ casting call
- ‘Shotgun Wedding’ casting call
- ‘Positively Pregnant’ casting call
- ‘Wish You Were Mine’ casting call
You may even find a call for crew positions on Backstage, as the team for “My Ex Is a Navy Seal” issued calls for a studio teacher, intimacy coordinator, and sound mixer via our platform.
With a noticeably soapy edge to its current content, ReelShort has a flair for the dramatic. So, if you want to nail your next audition, check out this advice for bringing the heat:
- 8 Things You Should Know About Love (And How to Play It)
- Say Farewell to Shyness: 6 Steps to Break Out of Your Shell and Step Into the Spotlight
- 5 Tips From Intimacy Coordinators to Make You a Better Actor
- The Energizing Acting Technique You Need to Try
- Dirty Talk: Seven Monologues About Sex
- 10 Types of Villains, From Dastardly to Diabolical
- How to Convincingly Slap Your Costar
- The Villain Archetype and the Role of the Baddie
- How to Take Your Acting to the Next Level
