“Move Aside! I’m the Final Boss,” “Falling for My Ex’s Mafia Dad,” and “Go Away Stepmom, You Have it All Wrong” might sound like a list of Mad Libs or sleep talking, but they’re all actual titles in the new craze in short-form content: vertical dramas. Here’s the skinny on delivering great performances for the narrow mobile format.
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Everything you need to know about vertical dramas is right in the title—these short-form (usually under two minutes!) drama series are shot vertically, intended to be viewed only on an upright phone. Though the format was first popularized in China, it has now become a global sensation, with the United States making up the bulk of industry giant ReelShort’s viewership.
Much like their soap opera cousins, vertical dramas are over-the-top, bingeable, and designed to be addictive to viewers. Unlike soaps, however, vertical dramas love the addition of a supernatural element: Many feature werewolves, vampires, dragons, or some combination thereof, alongside more traditional tropes like office romances and super-rich people. These pithy melodramas (sometimes called mobisodes, or mobile episodes) are posted on a variety of platforms, including:
Mobisodes 101: What They Are + How to Get CastPay rates for actors in vertical dramas vary. Since these projects typically don’t employ union actors, there isn’t an industry standard when it comes to salaries, but it seems that most projects pay actors anywhere from $200 to $500 a day. While this may sound fairly decent (especially for nonunion work), actors should note that vertical drama filming schedules can be grueling, often requiring hours of content to be shot in about a week’s time.
Here are a few veterans of the vertical drama industry to keep an eye on, as they ably demonstrate the hallmarks of the vertical drama acting style.
1. Jeff Violette
With credits in six vertical dramas in 2025 alone, Violette is one of the genre’s favorite faces, and it’s easy to see why. His casual, just barely over-the-top affect lends itself to the kind of cool, bad-boy character the medium seems to love. One of Violette’s strengths seems to be taking admittedly clunky dialogue (the genre is chock-full of it, for whatever reason) and committing to it in a way that makes it just another party of the fun, campy experience. In “The Divorced Housewife Turned CEO,” Violette, playing unfaithful husband Martin, turns to his wife, Sharon, at one point and says, “Sharon, is Teddy a nickname for Edward? Is…he the Teddy that you’ve loved this whole time?” Clunky? Sure. But Violette delivers the lines as if they’re the best ones he’s ever been given.
2. Noémi VanSlyke
Another recurring face in the vertical-drama-sphere, VanSlyke has starred in dozens of productions, including “Tangled Ties and Tipsy Vows,” “Billionaire Heiress vs. Her Murderer Husband,” and “Falling into the CEO’s Embrace.” If you’re looking for a great example of the hyperbolic physicality that vertical dramas often call for, look no further than the aforementioned “The Divorced Housewife Turned CEO.” Playing wife Sharon, VanSlyke is pushed into a door frame, hits her face, and then slides down the door frame…all in slow motion. VanSlyke hams it up without actually portraying any intense pain, keeping the scene dramatic but unserious.
3. Kasey Esser
The star of popular dramas including “Fated to My Forbidden Alpha” and “Undercover Heiress,” Esser is the “breakout star” of the vertical drama world, according to Rolling Stone—and it’s easy to see why. He personifies everything the genre demands in terms of a physical, exaggerated (but not ridiculous) performance. This is especially evident in “The Secret of My Billion Dollar Marriage.” The series’ first episode ends with Esser’s character having a drink thrown on his face. The actor reacts accordingly—mouth agog and just a little too horrified—before beginning the second episode by catching the drink thrower in a dramatic (nay, romantic) dip. Again, it’s a lot, but Esser rides the line without letting things slip too close to goofy.
If you’re hoping to be cast in a vertical drama, you’re in luck! They’re extremely popular at the moment, with dozens shooting in L.A. and beyond at any given time. Beyond the traditional routes (posted auditions and agent/self-submissions), keep your eyes peeled for open calls—ReelShort hosted one as recently as last year. And, as always, our own audition callboard is a great place to start.
Whether you’re prepping for an audition or you’ve already been cast, here are a couple of things to keep in mind.
1. Embrace the style.
An over-the-top quality is the hallmark of the vertical drama, from the premise and dialogue all the way to the camera work. So, own it! The best way to excel in the medium is to lean into its delightful, addictive corniness—especially because that seems to be exactly why people enjoy watching these series.
2. Use your whole body.
The nature of the vertical drama also seems to mean that actors’ entire bodies are being shot more often than not (as opposed to just from the waist up in a more traditional aspect ratio). While that might feel jarring at first, it’s actually a gift stylistically—the more theatrical nature of acting in these dramas reads best when you get to see the entire actor.
3. Get comfy with the cliffhanger.
While any actor who’s worked on a TV show knows that you sometimes have to cut to commercial, vertical dramas take things to the next level: Approximately every two minutes, there’s a cliffhanger designed to get audiences to click on the next part of the story (and, sometimes, pay money to do so). That can be a lot of starting and stopping (not to mention dramatic gasping!) for an actor, so prepare yourself for that and, like everything else in the genre, learn to love it.
4. Own the archetypes.
It isn’t just plot points that seem to recur over and over in vertical dramas; it’s also the characters. Rich CEO. Evil Sister. Adorkable protagonist (you know she’s dorky—she has glasses!). While it may feel counterintuitive to your acting training to play a worn-out archetype, it’s what the genre calls for, so take it in stride and enjoy getting to keep things relatively one-dimensional.
12 Common Character Archetypes You Should Know5. Get your memorizing hat on.
Most film jobs require sharp memorization skills, but vertical dramas will test your powers. Actors should be expecting to film entire hour-long projects in relatively little time. Stressful? Sure. But it’s also a great challenge, and a way to ensure that your next TV gig feels easy by comparison.
6. Build your reel.
One of the biggest benefits of starring in a vertical drama is that you get a lot of well-shot footage, all for about a week’s work. So give a performance you’re proud of—it may earn a starring spot on your demo reel.