microdra.ma / Journal
Stories, craft, and the future of vertical entertainment.
The full masterclass recording, with practical takeaways for your PilotRush pilot.
Full recording and key takeaways from the PilotRush community call with Yael Tamar and Tal Dahabani: story, hooks, cliffhangers, AI production and how entries are judged.
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Six steps we use at microdra.ma to decide whether a vertical drama can carry a series, before anyone writes episode one.
Six steps we use at microdra.ma to decide whether a vertical drama can carry a series, before anyone writes episode one.
Read articleThursday, October 29 at 11am ET - live with microdra.ma and AdArena.
Join microdra.ma and AdArena live on Thursday, Oct 29 at 11am ET to learn how microdramas work and what wins PilotRush, the global AI microdrama pilot contest.
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Show what happens after the final frame, and why the story can keep moving.
Turn your pilot into a clear series pitch with a one-line logline, a five-episode development arc and a direction for season one. PilotRush creator tip #7.
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Make every shot feel like the same person having the same difficult day.
Keep AI characters recognisable with character sheets, fixed reference images and shot-by-shot checks of faces, wardrobe and lighting. PilotRush creator tip #6.
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Make the story work silently, then give sound a reason to be there.
Make your microdrama readable without sound using clear visual actions and burned-in captions, then add sound design that rewards unmuting. PilotRush creator tip #5.
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Build the shot for a phone, rather than rescuing a widescreen composition later.
Compose your microdrama for 9:16 with readable faces and hands, caption and interface safe zones, and shots built for a phone. PilotRush creator tip #4.
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Give the viewer a specific reason to need the next episode.
Build microdrama cliffhangers with a reveal, threat, choice or arrival, and cut a beat before the answer to keep viewers watching. PilotRush creator tip #3.
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Give your viewer someone to follow before you give them a world to understand.
Give your microdrama protagonist a clear episode-one want, establish stakes in the first 20 seconds and build concrete story beats. PilotRush creator tip #2.
Read articleTip #1 for PilotRush creators: the jury watches on a phone, with the sound off at first.
Win the first three seconds of your microdrama pilot: open on conflict, make your hook work without sound, and frame for the phone. PilotRush creator tip #1.
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As AI drives down production costs but monetization and IP ownership remain major challenges, Vertical Future launches a global creator search to discover original stories with the potential to become commercially valuable entertainment franchises.
Vertical Future is rethinking microdrama's business model through original storytelling, AI-powered production, clear IP rights, brand partnerships and distribution, starting with the global PilotRush creator search.
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Through microdra.ma, selected pilots are positioned for commercial opportunities with brands, publishers and entertainment platforms.
Press release: Vertical Future and AdArena launch PilotRush, a global competition to discover original AI-native microdrama concepts and turn promising pilots into commercially viable franchises.
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Can you make someone need Episode 2 in less than 80 seconds?
Submissions are open for PilotRush by microdra.ma and AdArena. Create an original 50-80 second vertical pilot, compete for $5,000 in prizes across 40 winning places, and submit by November 12.
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5 Ingredients Every Creator Needs to Know
AI can help you create an entire series. But what makes audiences need episode two? Discover the five storytelling ingredients that turn a beautiful video into compelling original IP.
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An inside look at the creative process behind Microdra.ma
Yael Tamar shares her creative workflow for turning an idea into a cinematic AI-powered series, from scripts and believable characters to video, editing, music and voices.
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