How Vertical Dramas Are Reinventing the Studio System
Schedule
Sat Jan 31 2026 at 03:00 pm to 05:00 pm
UTC-08:00Location
5636 Melrose Ave | Los Angeles, CA
About this Event
Vertical dramas are more than a power shift. They are a symptom of the audience’s desire to escape and a return to the most essential promise cinema once fulfilled: entertainment. They also mark the return of the rom-com genre.
As the business model has proven itself, the vertical ecosystem has become an undeniable gold rush that no studio wants to miss.
This 2026 HAMA exclusive panel will gather experts from the vertical drama production world to discuss how vertical storytelling took the stage without waiting for permission, and what opportunities the current production slate represents for performers, as well as directors, producers, and independent filmmakers.
EXPERT PANELISTS
Lead Producer @goodshortdrama
Head of Talent and Casting @flareflowapp | Emmy Award Winning Casting Director
Jr. Development Executive at @DramaBox
Director of Studio for Performing Arts LA | Podcast host @lightscameraconversation
HOSTS
Actress - Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos - & Producer
Festival director
VENUE
The event takes place at the , 5636 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90038.
PROGRAM
2:45pm: Doors
3pm: Welcoming remarks
3:05pm: Opening short films
3:30pm: QnA
3:45pm: Scriptwriters Talk
4pm: Vertical Panel "Short, Creative, Profitable: How Vertical Dramas Escaped—and Are Reinventing—the Studio System"
Where is it happening?
5636 Melrose Ave, 5636 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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