How to create hit microdrama and vertical programming centre stage at Content London as sector booms

As vertical programming and microdramas surge in popularity worldwide, Kwai Brazil’s Claudine Bayma, Shortly’s Nikita Daniels, Service Street Pictures’ Sammie Astaneh and Charismatic.ai’s Guy Gadney are the first speakers announced in a strand dedicated to the sector at Content London.

Content London takes place from December 1-4. To find out more about the event and to register at the TIER 2 DISCOUNT RATE of £899, CLICK HERE.

Bayma, Astaneh, Daniels and Gadney will explore routes to entry for producers and creators; different shortform genres, including microdrama and microdocs; the tools available, such as generative AI; and offer tips and techniques to master the genre and create hits in this booming area.

Global downloads of vertical drama apps rose 460% last year, while monthly user numbers have reached nearly 600 million so far this year, up 131% on the same period in 2024, according to data from Sensor Tower.

“The explosion of microdramas and vertical formats is unlocking one of the biggest growth opportunities in content today. It’s a new production model built for scale, speed and global reach – and we’re just scratching the surface,” says Bayma.

Defined by fast-paced, punchy and melodramatic storytelling in bite-sized one- to two-minute episodes, microdramas have exploded in popularity on vertical platforms, with the trend originating in Asia, where leading platforms are based.

Claudine Bayma
General manager
Kwai Brazil
Bayma leads the platform’s national operations and drives innovation in shortform content. Under her leadership, Kwai has amplified culturally relevant storytelling and empowered creators across formats including vertical original microdramas. A standout success is TeleKwai, the mobile-first scripted format that surpassed 60 billion views in its second year.

Nikita Daniels
Business development officer
Shortly
Daniels oversees strategic partnerships and market expansion at the AI-powered vertical TV series platform, focusing on bridging the gap between technology and the entertainment industry. He is also responsible for building relationships across film, streaming and gaming with content creators, studios and IP holders.

Sammie Astaneh
Founder
Service Street Pictures
Astaneh develops, packages and produces feature films, documentaries, TV projects and vertical dramas for the international market. He recently produced China- and US-based microdrama platform GoodShort’s first vertical drama in Canada.

Guy Gadney
CEO and founder
Charismatic.ai
Charismatic.ai recently launched an AI-powered microdrama platform, turning prompts or even full advertising briefs into shortform animated episodes in under 15 minutes. It’s built specifically for agencies, creators and media brands grappling with shrinking budgets and soaring content demands.

More speakers will be announced for the Microdrama and Vertical Programming track shortly.

This year’s event will once again focus on helping executives working within the global entertainment business define their future in The New Content Economy, built around a set of core conference strands including Reaching Gen Z, Generative AI Decoded and How to Thrive in the Creator Economy.

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