VertiGals

by Natalie Gergely & Alison Bonn

Performing Arts Drama

Season 1

How Platforms and Producers can work with the WGA with Joelle Sellner

The VertiGals chat with Joelle Sellner about her varied writing journey and how the vertical industry can start working with the WGA in a way that works for everyone. As an advertising copywriter, Joelle worked in various media including TV, print, digital and radio. This experience, and her passion for storytelling, has inspired her to become proficient across many genres in entertainment. Joelle has written several produced romantic comedies including Hallmark Channel’s Paris, Wine & Romance and AMC’s Saving Christmas Spirit, which was shot in the Scottish Highlands. Her most recent project is the pop musical vertical drama Playback, for Holy Water/Fox Entertainment. In addition to film and TV work, Joelle is an experienced comic book and videogame writer, with books published by Blizzard, DC, Lion Forge, Marvel, and Zenescope Entertainment. Graphic novels include a reboot of Saved by the Bell, and her most recent original YA graphic novel Werewoofs. She has also appeared as a superhero expert on the Minor Adventures With Topher Grace podcast. In addition to her comics work, Joelle has written for a variety of animated TV shows and web series, including DC Super Hero Girls, LEGO Friends, and Al Roker Entertainment’s Weather Hunters. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Joelle lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two very spoiled cats.

Elevating The Slap with Danny Farber

The VertiGals chart the evolution of verticals since 2023 with prolific vertical director, writer, and actor Danny Farber. Danny Farber is a director, actor, writer, and producer born and raised in Chicago, IL. With over a decade in the entertainment industry, Farber's diverse filmmaking portfolio includes vertical dramas, music videos, commercials, narrative projects, and branded content. Farber has a home base in Los Angeles, California but considers himself “globally local” after finding success working in various international markets as a Microdrama Vertical Director and actor. Farber has worked with countless big name brands and corporations, such as (but not limited to) Marvel, NBC, 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Universal Music Group, Warner Records, and Chance the Rapper. Over his career, his projects have garnered tens of millions of views across all social platforms. His work has been honored at various film festivals, winning awards such as Best Director, Best Dark Comedy, Best Short Film, and Best Supporting Actor. Since 2023, Farber has directed over twenty feature-length vertical dramas for various platforms including (but not limited to) ReelShort, Dramabox, Goodshort, Dramapops, KalosTV, etc. Farber works as a director on these vertical micro-dramas across the world. He has directed in Los Angeles, Istanbul, London, and Vancouver. Additionally, he wrote, directed, and starred in the award-winning short film "Thoughts and Prayers," executive produced by Amy Poehler. As an actor, Farber has appeared in critically acclaimed TV shows like "1923," “Chicago Fire,” and "Proven Innocent." He landed a five episode arc playing Lance Corporal Hoss in "A Grunt’s Life" and secured a strong-supporting role in the 90’s indie crime feature film, "The Eighth Day.” Farber has also starred in national ad campaigns for companies such as Chase, Home Depot, and Subway, and hosted the viral true-crime show "Killer Bites" on Facebook Watch. In digital comedy, Farber has performed in sketches for Cracked and has been featured on Funny or Die as well as The Onion. He has trained at Second City, The Groundlings, UCB, and iO (in Chicago). Powered by creative anxiety and restless ambition, Farber continues to act and direct in projects that he creates for himself.

The AIGC Gold Rush with (former) DramaBox Producer Kay Zhang

Kay Zhang is a director-producer and creative executive whose work has screened at Cannes and received honors from the Directors Guild of America and the Student Academy Awards. She began her career in independent film before moving into literary management at Range Media Partners, where she supported writers, creators, and screen-based IP. Zhang later emerged as a leading executive in the vertical microdrama space, serving as an executive producer at two of the category's leading platforms. At GoodShort, she produced four of the platform's ten most commercially successful titles. She most recently produced exclusively for Dramabox, where she has produced multiple hit series that have contributed to the platform's top-grossing performance through the first three quarters of 2026. Across her work, the titles she has produced have generated more than 2 billion combined views.

Interview with Chief Creative Officer of Inverted: Mat Raney

The VertiGals chat with Mat Raney about his journey as a writer in various worlds to Chief Creative Officer of InVerted. Mat Raney is a screenwriter, novelist, and the Chief Creative Officer of Inverted Media. He has written for network television, wrote the multi-award-winning vertical series Pizza Guys vs Vampires, and is the writer of the forthcoming indie animated feature RIVER. As James Matlack Raney, he is also the author of the Jim Morgan adventure series, the award-winning Lord of the Wolves, and his most recent novel, LAST.

From Running Production at Inkitt to producing "Screen Time" with Elizabeth Dell

The VertiGals were lucky enough to sit down with Production Exec, Producer, Consumer Tech Founder Elizabeth Dell. Elizabeth is a producer and consultant in vertical micro series, currently leading projects for Hoorae Media, including the recently released Screen Time, which garnered 130M+ views in less than a month, distributed exclusively on TikTok and PineDrama. As Head of Production for Inkitt (parent company of CandyJarTV), she oversaw 30+ vertical shows. She produced multiple indie features, pilots, webseries, commercials, etc. including Destination Wedding, starring Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves. Elizabeth is the founder of the romance and games couples app Amorus, co-founder of music and sensation product Groove Thing. She has a Masters in Public Health from UC Berkeley and an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Amherst College.

How to Write for Vertical Prodution with Austin Herring

The VertiGals talk about vertical writing pay rates and freelance writing, and sit down with Austin Herring to talk about the business of verticals, vertical production, and how to write for vertical production. Austin Herring is the founder and CEO of Snow Story Productions, one of the largest vertical production companies in the U.S. A veteran writer, producer, and director, he has been at the forefront of the microdrama boom, helping shape the future of short-form storytelling through hit series, innovative production models, and a commitment to raising the bar for the vertical format.

From writing Middle Grade Novels to writing Verticals with Jessica Burkhart

The VertiGals chat with the delightful Jessica Burkhart about transitioning from writing books to mobile games to verticals. Jessica Burkhart is a vertical drama screenwriter, author of over 30 books, and mobile game writer. She has written ten produced verticals for platforms including Shorts, ReelShort, and DramaShorts, and also works in localization and script doctoring. Find her at jessicaburkhart.com.

Independent Vertical Producing with Carin Smolinski & Julie Bruns

The VertiGals met up with writers, actresses, and producers Carin Smolinski & Julie Bruns at the May 2026 Vertical Drama Market. Carin Smolinski indpendently produced "Tides of Desire" now streaming on MuVpix and Inverted. Julie Bruns starred in (along with Carin) and independently produced "Beneath Crimson Sails" on MuVpix and CandyJar. Both ladies enlightened us with exactly how much work goes into producing a vertical independently and what creatives should know before endeavoring into independent vertical producing.

Elevating Vertical Series with Scott Brown & Stacy Howard of Second Rodeo Productions

The VertiGals meet up with Scott Brown and Stacy Howard at the May 2026 LA Vertical Drama Market to discuss the current state of vertical story telling, the data, and pushing the medium forward. Founder of Second Rodeo Productions, Scott Brown is an Emmy-nominated Director, Creative Producer, and Writer who has helped lead the digital entertainment revolution – guiding brands, studios and traditional celebrities into the creator-driven era with audience-first storytelling. Across his career, his work has generated over 1 billion organic views, transforming ambitious ideas into moments that shape internet culture. Stacy Howard works alongside Scott as Head of Development at Second Rodeo Productions. Through Second Rodeo, Brown works at the intersection of creators, brands, and media companies, with a particular focus on the fast-growing microdrama category, now fueling a $1.4B+ content economy. His breakout success, the award-winning vertical series, The Diamond Rose, became one of the category’s early proof points garnering more than 20 million views within its first 24 hours.

Can Comedy Work in Verticals? with Eli Shell

The VertiGals sit down with Eli Shell - a Los Angeles-based writer, director, and producer and founder of Sidewise Studios, an independent micro-studio creating original series for vertical platforms. With a background in tech communications, messaging, and strategy, Shell has over 15 years of experience producing and leading high-output creative content teams. He now applies a startup mindset: rapid iteration, real-time audience response, and a willingness to experiment in public, to entertainment. His flagship vertical comedy, In-House, is a mockumentary workplace series available on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, blending documentary humor with the creative chaos of modern marketing. Season 2 is in development now, more characters, more chaos, and a lot more to say about what this format can be.

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