Vertical Film School

Studios pay $5,000 per episode. Sophia Xing does it for $10

Vertical Film School | Episode 2: Studios Pay $5,000 Per Episode. She Does It for $10. | Sophia Singh, Plot Party Most vertical drama studios are still budgeting like it's 2022. Crews, locations, casting, post-production. The math is brutal and the output is slow. Sophia Singh is operating in a different reality. She is the founder of Plot Party, an agentic AI platform built for vertical drama production. Studios using her platform produce five episodes per person per day at less than 10% of traditional costs. A one-minute AI-generated episode runs $10 to $75. The equivalent with a real cast and crew? Several thousand dollars minimum. Sophia is a Princeton Computer Science graduate, former Head of Product at InWorld AI, and former Product Manager at Google. She has spent the last year studying microdrama closely enough to understand not just what the space is, but where it is heading and why it is getting there fast. In this episode we cover: How Plot Party works. You bring an idea. The AI agent builds the episode: characters, sets, shots, voiceover. You step in wherever you want to adjust. Everything inside one canvas. Cost reduction versus genre expansion. Any shot without a live actor can be automated. More importantly, horror, sci-fi, period drama, and heavy action are wide open because they cost too much to film in person. AI removes that barrier entirely. Why everyone keeps making billionaire romance and why that is becoming a problem. The formula is getting saturated. The studios going into underserved genres now will have a real advantage in licensing fees. Localization beyond dubbing. Sophia's take: it is faster to build a culturally native drama from scratch with AI than to adapt every frame of an existing one. Where the models are heading. Longer generation windows, more granular control, and local models trained on regional demographics are already outperforming globally trained ones for specific markets. The shift in how Hollywood thinks about AI. A year ago the conversations were existential. Now people are asking how it helps them. Sophia believes that shift hits Hollywood mainstream within six months. Try Plot Party free at plotparty.ai. Reach Sophia at sophia@plotparty.ai [sophia@plotparty.ai]. Join 700+ vertical drama professionals at VerticalDramaJobs.com. Get your Microdrama Summit ticket at microdramasummit.com. June 24 to 26, 2026. Fully virtual. Vertical Film School is hosted by Chi Odogwu. New episodes drop weekly.

Nobody Can Out-You You: Kent Kasper's Guide to Breaking Into Vertical Drama

In this inaugural episode of the Vertical Film School podcast, we sit down with Kent Kasper, one of LA's top acting coaches and a pioneer in vertical drama coaching. With nearly 40 years as a working actor, 20 years as a national headlining comedian, and a former career as a New York City Assistant District Attorney, Kent brings a unique perspective to the rapidly growing vertical drama industry. What You'll Learn The Kent Kasper Story:How Kent went from street comedian in New York (passing the hat for three summers) to Assistant DA in the Bronx. The unconventional interview that landed him his DA job (hint: it involved jumping on a conference table). Why he transitioned from law back to entertainment and never looked back. Breaking Into Vertical Drama:Why verticals are the "best on-the-job training in the world" for actors. How Kent's students have collectively booked 75-100 vertical dramas. One student who booked 35+ verticals in under two years. The simple strategy to get started (iPhone photos and improvised monologues). The Vertical Drama Opportunity:Why this is a gift for actors: earn your rent while acting (not driving Uber). Potential audience reach: 3+ billion people across China, India, and beyond. Major players getting involved: Anthony Zuiker (creator of CSI), Taye Diggs, Kim Kardashian. Pay rates: $900-$1,200/day for leads, though lower for supporting roles. SAG is developing contracts ($450+ for 12-hour days). Critical Success Strategies:"Nobody can out-Kent me" - Don't try to out-act your competition; be the best version of YOU. Master your type, don't fight it. The importance of proper branding for different roles (doctor, lawyer, billionaire, etc.). Why you should jump on this NOW before AI takes over. How to get direct bookings without auditioning (for experienced actors). Common Mistakes to Avoid:Dismissing verticals as "not professional" or "just porn" (they're not). Waiting for traditional TV/film when half the LA studios are empty. Not understanding your type and branding yourself incorrectly. Spending thousands on headshots when iPhone shots can work for verticals. The Reality Check:Verticals feature intimacy coordinators and professional production values. Sets can be in $55 million Bel Air mansions with professional crews. These are 1-3 minute clips in portrait mode, not landscape. Themes: billionaires, doctors, lawyers, romance, power, health. Yes, the titles are cheesy ("The Billionaire Married the Nanny"), but the opportunity is real. Key Quotes "Nobody can out-Kent you. They might out-act you, but they can't out-Kent you." "There's no competition. Forget about it. If you can master who you are, you got a shot." "You want to be an actor? Don't listen to anybody telling you can't do it. Put on blinders." "This is a gift from God for actors. How can you turn down earning your rent as an actor?" "Jump on this before AI takes it over. In a few years, you'll look back and say 'damn, I could have jumped on that train.'" The Numbers Kent has been coaching for 18 years with 500+ testimonials. Nearly 40 years as a working actor. 8-10 vertical dramas booked personally. Students have collectively booked 75-100+ verticals. One student: 35 verticals in roughly 1.5 years. Another student: 75 auditions and 6-7 bookings in one month from just iPhone photos. 17 auditions for Monk before booking on the 18th. 8 auditions for Yellowstone shows (still ongoing). Resources and Contact Kent Kasper:Website: kentcasper.netEmail: kentcaspercoach@gmail.comInstagram: @kent_casperFacebook: Kent Kasper CoachLinkedIn: Kent KasperBooks available on Amazon Vertical Film School:Website: verticalfilmschool.comJob board: verticaldramajobs.com Podcast produced by Vertical Film School. Sponsored by Vertical Drama Jobs.

Vertical Film School Intro

This is the intro episode to launch the podcast. Our first episode launches shortly.