VertiGals with Astrid Carlen-Helmer

The VertiGals 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.

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.