Your phone may be the next movie studio, and the proof is hiding in plain sight: vertical series built from 90-second episodes that people binge in public, then happily pay to keep watching. We’re joined by Mier Liu, an international producer who’s building real momentum in the verticals world and producing at a pace traditional Hollywood rarely matches.
We talk about her journey from actress and author to producer, and the moment she stopped letting casting outcomes define her path. Mier shares what it looks like to “create your own yeses,” how she discovered the micro-drama boom in Asia, and why this is more than a trend report. You’ll hear how vertical storytelling is designed for mobile viewing, how the “before paywall” model drives retention, and why speed, clarity, and emotional hooks matter even more in short-form content.
We also get practical about the craft and the business: what “viral actors” are, how casting differs from traditional film and TV, and which genres are winning right now, especially YA romance and bingeable soap-style drama. Finally, we zoom out to a five-year forecast, including why mainstream players like Netflix and major studios may accelerate the adoption of vertical video into the global entertainment mainstream.
If you’re a producer, writer, actor, or creative entrepreneur looking for new pathways, press play, then subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a rating and review so more storytellers can find the show.
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