022: Deep Dive with Michael V. Brown: What You Need to Know About Vertical Dramas

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We Interrupt This Broadcast

38 episodes

5 days ago

Your essential monthly round-up of the Australian screen industry, every third Tuesday of the month. Plus, weekly deep dive interviews on the Tuesdays in between! Hosted by Julie Eckersley and Kirsty Stark. Produced by Leonie Marsh.

TV & Film

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TV & Film

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022: Deep Dive with Michael V. Brown: What You Need to Know About Vertical Dramas

We Interrupt This Broadcast

41 minutes 11 seconds

3 months ago

022: Deep Dive with Michael V. Brown: What You Need to Know About Vertical Dramas

In this episode, Julie Eckersley sits down with commercial and narrative filmmaker Michael V. Brown, whose mobile-first micro-dramas have racked up more than 60 million views on platforms like ReelShort and PocketFM.

Michael shares his journey from indie filmmaking to mastering the vertical storytelling format - and why the rise of mobile-native content is one of the biggest opportunities for screen creatives today.

Whether you’re a filmmaker, producer, or content strategist, this episode reveals what it takes to succeed in the fast-growing world of short-form, vertical drama, and why this format may be the future of global entertainment.

Key Takeaways:

Vertical Is a Format, Not a Limitation - Michael explains how vertical storytelling demands new creative muscles, but rewards them with massive audience reach.
Treat Micro-Dramas Like Mini Features - Each short-form series is designed with tight structure, emotional hooks, and clear stakes, using traditional storytelling principles.
Audiences Want Drama on the Go - With millions tuning into high-stakes, bite-sized stories, Michael sees mobile-first storytelling as a major opportunity for filmmakers to monetise and build audience.
The Democratisation of Storytelling - Short-form vertical drama opens the door for underrepresented voices, new genres, and agile production models. It’s a playground for creators willing to experiment and iterate quickly.

More about Michael V. Brown:

Michael V. Brown is a commercial and narrative filmmaker who’s directed and/or produced campaigns for Merrell, CAT Footwear, Cisco, and Hershey’s, plus a growing slate of mobile-first micro-dramas that have pulled in over 60 million views across platforms like ReelShort and PocketFM.

He produced the indie feature Hayseed, now streaming on Tubi and Amazon Prime, and available for rent or purchase on Apple, Vudu, and Google Play.

Originally from Michigan, Michael was a film nerd and terrible athlete who didn’t realise making movies was a real job until college. Since then, he’s built a career blending intentional storytelling with sharp execution - whether on set or in a Google Sheet.

He’s currently developing filmmaker-focused tools to help indie creators forecast financial performance and avoid bad distribution deals, because he believes transparency shouldn't be a luxury in this industry.

Follow Michael and his work:

Website: www.michaelvbrown.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelvincentbrown/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/im.mvb

Lose You to Love Me:

https://pocketfm.com/episode/4b2de7f6c1e34bdab8e57ddb49f39b2f?campaign_name=

More Information on vertical dramas and jobs in the space:

Maple Studios: https://apply.workable.com/crazymaplestudio/

Pocket FM Jobs: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/pocket-fm-jobs-worldwide/?currentJobId=4239056060

Fast Company: Netlflix to add vertical video: https://www.fastcompany.com/91330227/netflix-app-ui-tiktok

This Deep Dive interview is hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Julie Eckersley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and proudly brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CrewHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Expanding Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!