25Q4 | Vertical Dramas Aren’t TV: Kristen Brancaccio on Why Mobile Storytelling Is a New Medium

Today’s episode features a conversation from our 2025 Q4 Short Drama Forum with Kristen Brancaccio — a writer-director who has created 16+ vertical dramas across major U.S. platforms, and one of the emerging creative voices shaping the fast-paced directing language of vertical storytelling. In this interview, Kristen shares how she transitioned from TV pilots and YouTube into vertical formats, why pacing and emotional turns matter every 10–15 seconds, and how she balances genre tropes, production realities, and performance direction to craft addictive mobile-first stories. She also talks about working across platforms, adapting romance, mafia, and fantasy tropes for Western audiences, and why she believes vertical dramas open new doors for female creators. Let’s dive in. -- 📘 Future Playbook: China’s Short Drama Ecosystem and Insights for Global Business (35-page Light Version) — Available on Amazon 💰 Future Playbook: China’s Short Drama Ecosystem and Insights for Global Business (Full Edition) — Available here: https://payhip.com/b/jBRKF