As it is, on smartphones, short-form viewing is popular. These dramas are called ‘TV for the Tik Tok ‘ generation. They are developed on clickbait themes to lure the audiences. They focus on stormy love triangles, dialogues laden with double entendres and overwhelming conflicts. Some episodes are offered free before a subscription is demanded. Mostly these are spicy vertical dramas or romantasy — combination of romance and fantasy. There are episodes with cliffhangers at the end.
The entertainment industry is primed for innovation in short-term content. They may not get the same number of eyeballs as a TV format or on streaming platform. But they reach their audience through this format. Since film production is expensive, new writers, filmmakers and actors get opportunities in this vertical format. They have several new faces, in acting as well as writing. They pull audiences in acting as well as writing. Therefore, the scope for vertical dramas is expanding. They will further branch out across genres.
These dramas hold attention for a minute and half. They tickle the fantasies of Mills and Boon. They are palatable and accessible. They are widely viewed on social media and Instagram. There are Instagram channels creating vertical dramas. The medium is also used for advertising, Bite-sized episodes provoke the itch. The content can be consumed anytime.
The titles are provocative by design. There are channels such as dramabox, my.fave.show and CandyJarTV. These channels have good number of followers.
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