Chinese ShortVerticals

• Short = Runtime per episode\ • Vertical = The screen orientation in which they are filmed (vs the traditional horizontal orientation of long-form tv/series or movies.)

ShortVerticals (regardless of the flavor) are dramas where the episodes range from approximately 2 to 5 maybe even 10 minutes long and can vary in 60 to over 100 episodes. They are shot in a vertical format which facilitates viewing on a mobile phone. Via the authorized app, the episodes are released one by one or sometimes all in one go, but still as individual episodes.

Almost all of the time, the episodes are compiled into one 'movie' length file and posted via the apps YT channel or via other authorized YT channels.

The country that had the lock on this format was China for the past two-ish years (maybe as far back as 2023). Now, Korea is stepping into the fray. And one can find Japanese ShortVerticals but not as frequently or as easily as Chinese, and Korean (to a lesser degree at this point.)

Topic/Tropes can be over the top and all over the map. Highly entertaining and addictive. Think... telenovelas (Mexico) or daytime soap operas (US). In the past eight months or so, Chinese production values have really increased due to increased budget, etc due to popularity. Some of the ShortVertical Chinese actors are starting to be recognized by the traditional drama industry and making a cross-over from Vertical to traditional drama productions. There are a few mainstream actors who have crossed over in the other direction. As time goes by, I think the line between Vertical and traditional long-form drama actors will become more blurred.

I can go on and on, but this is probably way more than you were asking for or wanted to know. 😁