DUANJU  NEWS

American director and choreographer Jenifer Yeuroukis is establishing herself as a rising star in vertical cinema. Coming from the world of dance, she has already created several duanju films in the United States, notably for the MyDrama and NetShort platforms. Her ability to combine direction, choreography, and intimate direction makes her one of the rare creators capable of giving the vertical format a true emotional grammar. Today, she is preparing projects shot in Europe, particularly in France. For her, duanju offers a new way of storytelling, faster, more mobile, and closer to the viewer. A transatlantic bridge for vertical cinema Jenifer Yeuroukis is currently developing several co-production projects to be shot in Europe, particularly in France, with local crews and American actors from short fiction platforms. The idea is to combine methods and talents to build a sustainable model. Europe, she explains, offers a production flexibility that the United States has partly lost under the weight of large unions. This new balance makes it possible to imagine lighter shoots, better adapted to the rhythm of the vertical format. "Each culture brings something valuable. None does everything perfectly," she summarizes. For the director, France could become one of the poles of this renewal, where American professionalism and the European tradition of auteur cinema would meet. Women at the heart of renewal This transnational approach is accompanied by a strong commitment to filming conditions and the place of women in the industry. Yeuroukis, who began as a choreographer before becoming a director and intimacy coordinator, defends a demanding but caring vision of the set. For her, respect for the body and human balance is inseparable from artistic quality. "There is economics, and there is pettiness: one builds an industry, the other destroys it," she reminds us. Through her technical rigor and directorial sensitivity, she embodies this new generation of female directors who are redefining the codes of filming: fast, precise, but deeply attentive to the human dimension of acting. Jenifer Yeuroukis illustrates the maturity of the vertical format. By seeking to unite Los Angeles and Paris, she traces the contours of a new cinema, more flexible, fairer, and resolutely global. Interview conducted by Maëlle Billant #MaelleBillant

American actor Michael Vaccaro discusses Game of Choice, a psychological thriller filmed for the Tallflix platform. In an interview with journalist Maëlle Billant, he recounts a demanding shoot that reflects the growing desire of creators to establish Duanju as a high-quality format capable of competing with cinematic productions. Filmed in Los Angeles with a crew and technical setup comparable to those of a feature film, Game of Choice illustrates a notable evolution in vertical filmmaking: greater resources, precision, and realism. Michael Vaccaro, who plays a priest facing extreme dilemmas, describes a shoot lasting several weeks, marked by physical and emotional intensity. "Some days I literally ended up on the floor, drained physically and emotionally," he confides. This demanding approach is evident on screen: the film, presented in Hollywood at a Halloween premiere, stands out for its meticulous direction, immersive sets, and the rigor of its performances. At the heart of the story is a game where the characters must confront impossible choices. Between love, family, and survival, Game of Choice explores the light and shadow within each of us. The script, which at times evokes Squid Game or Saw, distinguishes itself through its more introspective approach. "What I love is that there are no right or wrong answers," explains Michael Vaccaro. Game of Choice explores the gray areas of human nature, inviting each viewer to ask themselves: what would I have done in their place? For the actor, it is by further exploring the living and complexities of human nature that the vertical format can truly become an artistic space. "We're still at the beginning of Duanju, but if we want it to grow, we have to raise it to this level of intensity and emotion." Watch the series: https://st.tallflick.com/s/660ib5 Interview conducted by Maëlle Billant #MaelleBillant

In an interview with Maëlle Billant, Wenwen Han, producer and founder of the Short Drama Alliance, discusses her career and the release of her two seminal works: Short Drama Writing 101 and Future Playbook: China's Short Drama Ecosystem and Insights for Global Business . The latter, published on October 22, 2025, is available in English on Amazon in Kindle format (49 pages). A complete 143-page version is also available on Payhip . These two complementary books are aimed at writers, producers, and investors alike, all eager to understand the new economics of short dramas. In Short Drama Writing 101 , Wenwen Han shares a writing method adapted to this new narrative territory. She reminds us that Duanju is not a segmented film, but a format born for mobile screens, with its own grammar and constraints: accelerated pacing, short duration, and a focus on attention. The first ten episodes, free of charge, serve to test the audience's reaction before the paywall kicks in. The writing must therefore rely on immediate hooks, cliffhangers, and constant emotional tension. "The short drama should be considered an emotional product, not an educational one," she explains. The goal is not to impose a message, but to elicit a quick reaction and maintain the desire for more. Wenwen Han encourages screenwriters to start with the genres that already structure the platforms, CEO romances, rebirth stories, fantasy, before integrating their own universes. This approach is directly inspired by Chinese web novel culture, where authors constantly engage with their readership. This direct link between creator and audience, she believes, is the true strength of Duanju. Her second book, Future Playbook , is aimed more at producers and investors. In it, Wenwen Han provides a detailed map of the Chinese short drama ecosystem, which is currently two years ahead of the rest of the world. She explains that most of the major platforms originate not from film but from advertising or web novels. In China, nearly 80 to 90% of budgets are allocated to advertising, compared to only 10 to 20% for production. This distribution shapes the entire creative process: each series is conceived as an evolving prototype, adaptable to the market. She also highlights the decentralization of production to second-tier cities, where costs are reduced without sacrificing quality. For foreign players, she warns against the cumbersome models inherited from traditional studios: success now hinges on agility, the ability to test and adapt quickly. Finally, Wenwen Han sees artificial intelligence as accelerating this transformation. With tools like Sora, she envisions a world of creation open to all, where everyone can produce and monetize their own stories. The Short Drama Alliance aims precisely to support this global opening by training a new generation of creators and trainers united by a shared vision of digital storytelling. Through her two books, Wenwen Han does not simply describe a phenomenon: she offers a real user manual for writing, producing and thinking about Duanju as a fully-fledged cultural language. Order the book: Amazon Full version on Payhip (143 pages): https://payhip.com/b/jBRKF Interview conducted by Maëlle Billant #WenwenHan #MaelleBillant

For years, DramaBox has ruled the micro-drama space with outrageous billionaire romances and supernatural love stories, but now, the Singapore-based platform is rewriting its script. In an effort to outgrow its “guilty pleasure” image, DramaBox is expanding beyond werewolves and wealth to embrace something broader and surprisingly wholesome. The app’s next act includes family stories, kids’ animation, and choose-your-own-adventure dramas, all still built for the vertical screen: fast beats, close-up emotion, and music cues that land instantly. Richard Zhou, DramaBox’s Head of Global Content, said the goal is simple but ambitious: “to become the most popular micro-drama platform for American users and partners.” That means rethinking not just what people watch, but who they can watch it with. The company’s U.S. strategy leans on collaboration and innovation. It’s opening a New York office and was recently selected for the Disney Accelerator, joining the same program that supported Epic Games and ElevenLabs. By working with Hollywood creators, like viral storyteller Dhar Mann, whom DramaBox execs recently met, the platform hopes to merge social media sensibility with studio-level craft. DramaBox, part of Singapore’s StoryMatrix, has already proven the model works. According to Sensor Tower, the app has pulled in $450 million in global in-app revenue, trailing only slightly behind rival ReelShort. With its new direction, DramaBox isn’t just chasing numbers; it’s chasing longevity. In a time when Gen Z prefers YouTube over television and Hollywood struggles to recover from labour strikes and shrinking budgets, micro-dramas offer a new kind of storytelling economy. They’re cheap to produce (around $100,000–$300,000 per movie) and designed for the device everyone already holds—the smartphone. As Shicong Zhu, DramaBox’s LA-based head of studio, put it: “We don’t want to replace Hollywood; we want to empower it.” That might be the real story here: a vertical screen once known for guilty pleasures becoming a shared space for families, creators, and filmmakers to rediscover what storytelling looks like in the palm of your hand. Source:  Business Insider Article Written by Blessing Azugama #BlessingAzugama

The Nikon Film Festival is an annual short film competition launched in France by the camera brand Nikon. Open to all, it invites filmmakers, students, and amateurs to create a 2-minute 20-minute film on a set theme. In addition to extensive online exposure, winners receive awards, some of which are funded by the French National Center for Cinema and the Moving Image. Presented as a springboard for young talent, the festival nevertheless relies on a model where marketing sometimes seems to benefit the brand more than the creators themselves. Each year, thousands of films are produced and screened under the festival's name, organized by Nikon France. On paper, the initiative seems virtuous: a brand that celebrates creativity and gives new filmmakers a chance. But upon closer inspection, several gray areas remain. The regulations do not specify whether the works broadcast can generate monetization, nor whether creators benefit from any revenue sharing. The lack of transparency on this point raises questions, especially since the festival's cumulative audience directly contributes to the brand's visibility and communication. Each film thus becomes a vehicle for Nikon's notoriety: an artistic showcase serving its image, fueled by the volunteer work of hundreds of authors. This mechanism, where the brand gains recognition thanks to independent creations, is similar to a form of disguised advertising. Added to this is another question: the role of public funding. By providing financial assistance to certain awards, the CNC indirectly supports a system run by a private company. A single brand, Nikon, benefits from a competition that mobilizes public funds intended to encourage diversity and plurality of cultural initiatives. This concentration of support calls into question the very logic of collective funding placed at the service of a single commercial player. The paradox lies here: participants bring considerable symbolic and media value to the brand, but remain isolated from the potential economic benefits. The event draws on their creativity, their networks, and their audience, without any clearly defined redistribution. Should we therefore rethink this model? The Nikon Film Festival has undoubtedly helped to reveal real talent, but the question remains: who benefits most from this operation? The creator, or the brand that presents itself as a patron of creation? Article written by Guillaume Sanjorge #GuillaumeSanjorge Source : • Nikon Festival , 2025 • FilmFreeway , 2025 • Mediakwest , April 2025

While the micro-drama format remains largely unexplored by French critics, some observers are beginning to approach it with curiosity and openness. In an article published on Konbini, Delphine Rivet analyzes the rise of these vertical fictions born in China, designed for phone screens and consumed at high speed. She describes an ecosystem where storytelling adapts to the logic of contemporary uses: very short episodes, often mass-produced, but capable of generating strong emotional involvement. A lucid reading of the new rhythm of the series The journalist examines the ongoing transformation in detail: the compression of narrative, the effectiveness of dialogue, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in the creation and distribution processes. She emphasizes that these micro-fictions, far from being simple products of the algorithm, reveal new forms of writing adapted to mobile devices and the fragmentation of attention. This analytical perspective brings a welcome nuance to the debate surrounding the transformation of the serial format. In conclusion, Delphine Rivet calls for a renewed creative demand: " Let's demand series that challenge us, intellectually or emotionally! " A call to artists and authors: invest in this new territory, seize it with sincerity and ambition, and make duanju not just a simple format, but a space of expression where short, powerful and fully artistic works can be born. Source : • Konbini , October 15, 2025

Xiaomi has officially entered China’s booming short drama market with the quiet release of its new ad-free app, Watch Short Dramas (WeiGuan Duanju). The app, now available exclusively on Xiaomi’s own app store, promises “massive short dramas for free without advertisements” and has already drawn over 20,000 downloads since launch. Developed by Chengdu Share Information Communication Co., Ltd, a company wholly owned by Xiaomi Group, the app reflects the tech giant’s deeper move into entertainment distribution. Currently limited to Xiaomi and Redmi devices, Watch Short Dramas offers a lightweight, phone-native experience with a 23MB installation size. Its catalogue spans more than 20 genres, including romance, revenge, urban life, family, and CEO dramas. Built-in charts, comments, and community features hint at Xiaomi’s intent to create a more interactive storytelling ecosystem. This launch follows Xiaomi’s earlier experiment in July, when its Redmi brand collaborated with TikTok and Wanhe Tianyi to co-produce the short drama Partners in Time and Space. That project was primarily a marketing initiative, but the new standalone app marks a strategic pivot from using short dramas as promotional tools to building a full-fledged content platform. The timing is strategic. China’s short drama market continues to surge, valued at 50.4 billion yuan in 2024 and projected to reach 68.6 billion yuan in 2025, with more than 662 million users spending an average of 101 minutes daily watching micro-dramas. Major players such as Bytedance, JD.com, and Alibaba have already established strong positions in the space. Xiaomi’s entry underscores how consumer technology companies are expanding beyond hardware into content distribution, seeking to own both the device and the entertainment experience. However, the competition is fierce. The market suffers from content homogeneity, urban romance accounted for over 60% of the top short dramas in 2024, and regulators continue to raise the bar on quality and compliance. To succeed, Xiaomi will need to pair its design-driven philosophy with stronger storytelling and sustainable monetisation models. Still, this move represents more than just a new app launch. It’s a signal that short dramas are no longer a niche experiment but a defining frontier in mobile entertainment. As brands like Xiaomi step in, the line between tech and storytelling continues to blur, turning every phone screen into both a stage and a cinema. Article written by Blessing Azugama #blessingAzugama Sources : • Securities Times , October 15, 2025 • The Standard , October 16, 2025 • Futu News , October 15, 2025

When a legacy studio like FOX Entertainment turns its gaze toward a startup built on 9:16 storytelling, it’s a sign of how far vertical drama has come and how fast it’s growing. This week, FOX Entertainment announced that it has taken an equity stake in Holywater, a Ukrainian-born vertical video platform that’s rapidly becoming a creative hub for microdramas, AI-enhanced storytelling, and bite-sized emotional worlds. The deal marks more than a financial investment, it’s a creative alliance. FOX will produce over 200 vertical titles for Holywater’s flagship app My Drama over the next two years, joining forces across original series production, ad sales, and brand partnerships. In the words of FOX Entertainment CEO Rob Wade, the move represents a deliberate step toward “building a modern studio for the future.” And the future, it seems, is vertical. Rewriting the Frame: From TV Screens to Phones For decades, FOX has been synonymous with primetime television hits, Empire, Glee, 9-1-1, and more. But the next chapter unfolds on a very different canvas: the smartphone screen. The partnership with Holywater isn’t just about scaling digital IP; it’s about adapting Hollywood-grade storytelling for the fast-scrolling, emotionally charged world of microdramas series that run anywhere from 30 seconds to five minutes per episode. Unlike traditional short films, vertical dramas rely on tight pacing, expressive close-ups, and emotionally resonant sound cues that pull viewers in within seconds. The form thrives on intensity and immediacy and Holywater has mastered that rhythm. Founded in 2020, Holywater already boasts over 55 million users and a family of platforms, including My Drama, its main vertical streaming hub, FreeBits, an ad-supported vertical app, My Passion, a digital publishing platform for independent books, and My Muse, a space where creators produce content supported by generative AI. Together, these ecosystems reflect Holywater’s mission to merge technology with imagination, what co-founders Bogdan Nesvit and Anatolii Kasianov call “the art of AI-driven creativity.” FOX’s Studio-Grade Ambition FOX’s entry into the vertical video space is not just reactive it’s strategic. The company plans to develop its own slate of microdramas, beginning with Billionaire Blackmail and Bound by Obsession, both already in production in Atlanta. These titles will likely set the tone for what “studio-grade verticals” can look like, polished cinematography, recognisable talent, and writing that compresses emotional arcs into high-impact beats. The partnership also integrates FOX’s massive IP portfolio, spanning Studio Ramsay Global, Bento Box Entertainment, and the network’s scripted and unscripted divisions. That opens the door to vertical spin-offs of existing FOX properties, from crime thrillers to reality formats, condensed into the mobile-first style that’s dominating attention spans globally. For Wade, the deal is about flexibility and speed. “Innovation in digital storytelling is shaping the future of entertainment,” he said. “Holywater is at the forefront of this evolution, skillfully using technology to fuel creativity. This partnership is all about finding different, innovative ways to tell stories and inspire creators.” Holywater’s Vertical Revolution In a market where short-form video is often dismissed as disposable content, Holywater has pushed for narrative depth. Their flagship app My Drama features addictive vertical series like The Shy Beauty and the Billionaire Beast and Pregnant Cinderella titles that combine the melodrama of soap operas with the visual intimacy of TikTok storytelling. But behind the click-worthy titles lies a serious mission: to prove that vertical storytelling can carry real emotional weight. Holywater’s founders say the collaboration with FOX will help “raise the bar on quality and widen the genre slate,” blending high production value with the immediacy of mobile engagement. “We’ve been focusing on storytelling depth to prove that verticals can carry premium drama, thriller, romance and more not just a narrow set of tropes,” said Nesvit and Kasianov. “Our partnership with FOX validates that vision and gives us the scale and creative firepower to accelerate it.” A Market in Motion The move comes as the global vertical video industry valued at nearly $8 billion enters a new growth phase. Platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Kuaishou have already trained billions of users to consume vertical content daily. But what Holywater and FOX are betting on is not just engagement it’s longevity. They’re imagining a new entertainment ecosystem where a five-minute vertical series can achieve the same emotional and commercial impact as a 45-minute TV episode. It’s a future where storytelling becomes platform-fluid: a show might begin as a vertical teaser on My Drama, expand into a short series on Hulu, and spin off into a feature-length adaptation all within the same narrative universe. Bridging Creativity, Technology, and Distribution FOX brings Hollywood infrastructure experienced showrunners, talent rosters, and international distribution muscle. Holywater brings the tech, the data, and the audience. Together, they’re not just producing content; they’re redefining what “premium short-form” means. For creators, it could open a new pipeline: studio-backed projects that still retain the freedom, intimacy, and experimentation that made vertical dramas so viral in the first place. The partnership also reinforces a growing global trend where traditional studios look East and into emerging creative markets (like Ukraine and China) to tap into faster storytelling models, mobile-first strategies, and new formats for monetization. A New Frontier for Storytellers For storytellers, this moment is both a challenge and an invitation. The screen is shrinking but the possibilities are expanding. As FOX and Holywater prepare to roll out their first wave of productions, all eyes will be on how they balance cinematic craft with mobile-native energy. The real test will be whether studio-grade vertical dramas can sustain the emotional depth audiences expect and still thrive within the algorithmic heartbeat of digital platforms. Either way, the vertical revolution has found its most powerful ally yet. Article written by Blessing Azugama #BlessingAzugama Source : • The Wrap , October 9 2025 • Deadline , October 9 2025 • Variety , October 9 2025 • Hollywood Reporter , October 9 2025 • C21 Media , October 9 2025 • World Screen , October 9 2025

Across China, the once chaotic boom in micro-short dramas, those fast, emotional, and vertical-screen stories designed for phone viewers, is entering a new era of structure. Platforms and regulators are now setting formal rules for what began as a digital gold rush. From runaway hits like Escape from the British Museum  to countless “rebirth,” “hidden identity,” and “CEO love” plots, micro-dramas have captured the attention of hundreds of millions. But with this success has come a reckoning: how to balance the thrill of fast storytelling with the responsibility to uphold cultural and aesthetic values. China’s new standard: “Fun, but in moderation” According to Zhang Yanli, Executive Deputy Director of the New Perspectives Center for Radio, Film, and Television, short dramas must remain enjoyable but avoid “vulgarization.” The challenge now, she says, is to pursue excitement without losing cultural depth or artistic quality. The government’s approach is both administrative and creative. As Ye Mingrui, Vice Dean at the Communication University of China, explains, regulators are defining clearer boundaries of acceptable storytelling including content lists, review mechanisms, and incentives for creators to tell richer, more positive stories. The message is clear: China doesn’t want to stop the short drama boom it wants to shape it into a cultural export with defined moral and aesthetic standards. Ethics, payment, and the youth audience Beyond creative content, oversight is tightening around business models too. Authorities are scrutinizing misleading pay-per-episode tactics like hidden auto-renewals and “0.9 yuan unlocks,” which have drawn consumer complaints. Platforms are being urged to rebuild trust and transparency, echoing reforms in China’s long-form streaming sector. Another key area is youth protection. Regulators and scholars alike stress the need for youth modes, parental controls, and content filters that promote positive storytelling. Micro-dramas, they argue, must inspire not mislead young audiences about success, relationships, or morality. Europe’s window of opportunity While China writes the rulebook, Europe stands at the frontier of creative experimentation. With platforms like ReelShort and TikTok opening new avenues for monetized micro-storytelling, European creators have the chance to define their own auteur style intimate, experimental, and emotionally intelligent without the heavy moral regulation seen in China. The global rise of vertical drama is no longer just a trend; it’s a format demanding craftsmanship, policy, and purpose. China’s playbook may be strict, but it sets the foundation for the medium’s longevity one that Europe can learn from, even as it shapes its own voice. Article written by Blessing Azugama #BlessingAzugama Sources: Guangming Online , August 29, 2025 Reuters , February 5, 2025

In the article “When AI Invades the Seventh Art”, published in Le Point on August 10, 2025, by Philippe Guedj, generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, DALL·E, Sora, or Veo 3 can now produce special effects sequences at a cost up to ten times lower than traditional methods. Whereas months of work by graphic designers, digital stunt performers, and technicians were once required, today only a few days are needed to create scenes that were previously reserved for large-scale productions. It is worth remembering that long before the digital era, Georges Méliès, through his inventions and visual tricks, had already paved the way for this kind of technical and narrative feat. At the end of the 19th century, the French filmmaker revolutionized cinema by introducing the first special effects. He made actors disappear, moons explode, and fantastic creatures appear on screen, all this well before the invention of digital effects. His approach: pushing the limits of reality, opening the door to imagination, and giving cinema the power to make audiences dream. A shared desire to inspire wonder across different centuries, a continuity acknowledged by contemporary French actor Christian Clavier. Interviewed by the media outlet Brut in April 2025 about his latest film, which incorporates sequences generated by artificial intelligence, Christian Clavier responded to a question about the concerns this technology raises in the film industry. On the contrary, he sees it as a natural continuation of the history of the seventh art: "People are always amazed by artificial intelligence. But when cinema was born, we were already dealing with magic. (…) You could make a guy jump and he would disappear." His remarks draw a parallel between Méliès's artisanal special effects and the special effects generated today by artificial intelligence. A reminder that, from the very beginning, cinema was built on technical wonder. The idea of continuity between the original special effects and contemporary uses of artificial intelligence was also illustrated during the screening organized on June 14, 2025 in Paris by the Studio Phocéen association . Several works in the Duanju format were presented there, some of which incorporated generative AI technologies. Studios like Sanjorge Production are using these technologies to design digital sets and fantasy characters. These technologies are particularly appealing to smaller production companies, which can now tell their stories without the colossal resources of major studios. They help rebalance production relationships: with modest budgets, creators gain more freedom, and narrative boldness can take precedence over technical resources. Artificial intelligence thus becomes a valuable resource for maintaining a high level of visual quality, even within a constrained framework. Check out the trailer for the June 14, 2025 event, dedicated to the Duanju format, where the use of artificial intelligence is visible: Source : • Brut , April 4, 2025 • Fiveable , 2023 • Britannica , 2024 • Le Point , August 10, 2025