VertiGals with Astrid Carlen-Helmer

VertiGals 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.

The VertiGals with Jason Mayfield - Producer and Head of Casting & Development at Snow Story Productions

The VertiGals sit down with Jason Mayfield, Producer and Head of Casting & Development at SnowStory Productions to discuss his journey from Modern Dance, to Magic, to Stand Up Comedy, to MicroDramas. We also discuss the rise of MicroDramas, what makes them work and why, and how they are rapidly changing the entertainment landscape as we know it.

VertiGals with Astrid Carlen-Helmer

The VertiGals sit down with Senior Screen Writer for DramaWave, Astrid Carlen-Helmer. Astrid is a French-American screenwriter and a graduate of the London Film School. She began her career in development at Blackpills, a short-form series studio, where she contributed to the creation of young adult fiction intended for international distribution. She later became Head of Development at the Franco-American production company HKCorp, where she developed multicultural projects, including The Chef in a Truck (Netflix / Wild Bunch). After several years in development, Astrid transitioned into writing. She worked as an author for the Originals divisions of the digital publishing platforms Tapas Media and Wattpad: she wrote a romantasy duology for Tapas and later served as a ghostwriter and head writer for Wattpad on several titles. She is also the co-author of Space Cadet, a Hachette-published novel based on the Amazon Studios film of the same name. After working as a writer at ReelShort, writing hit titles such as Dr. Boss is My Baby Daddy and Claimed by my Ex’s Alpha Brother, Astrid is now a senior screenwriter for DramaWave.

VertiGals with Meagan Johnson

The VertiGals sit down with Vertical Super Fan, Influencer, and industry thought leader Meagan Johnson of @realreeldrama [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCQn7GKN5LvD1kyiTkXbAHAQ] to talk about what the fans love about Verticals, what makes this industry so fascinating, and everything that Meagan is building in the entertainment space.

VertiGals with Dana Protsyshak

The VertiGals sit down with multi-hyphenate Dana Protsyshak to discuss her journey from romance novelist to her career in Vertical Drama filmmaking. Dana Protsyshak is the founder of Dana Productions, Vert-I-Go Media and the LA Vertical Drama Market, the first industry event dedicated exclusively to vertical drama storytelling, and the creator of OtheR, a dystopian series in development across long-form and vertical formats. With experience across 30+ vertical projects in writing, development, and production, she is recognized for her expertise in mobile-first storytelling and regularly evaluates vertical content for festivals, studios, and platforms. Dana develops and directs original vertical projects with international teams, builds Vert-I-Go Media app and curates industry communities through her Vertical Mixers, helping advance the vertical storytelling ecosystem.