Neighbours gets the vertical treatment

RoseBerry Media is recutting episodes of the Australian soap Neighbours into microdramas for Epis, a short-form vertical video streaming platform. At launch, only two storylines from the late aughts featuring Margot Robbie will be available.

What RoseBerry says about the project

RoseBerry cofounder and CEO Guy Hameiri called Neighbours an iconic piece of television history suited to vertical viewing. He said the project will show how premium vertical television will become a significant new entertainment category.

“premium vertical television will become a significant new entertainment category”

What microdramas actually are

Microdramas are short-form vertical videos featuring characters in convoluted romance plots. Unlike network television, they are produced cheaply and crafted specifically for mobile consumption, with narratives that open with intrigue and close on melodramatic cliffhangers.

Neighbours is not a typical microdrama

The budget and acting quality of Neighbours make it very different from hits like ReelShort and DramaBox microdramas. It is more similar to what Tattle TV did with Alfred Hitchcock's The Lodger and what Snips is doing with Big Brother and MasterChef.

Microdramas began in China

Microdramas originated in China around 2018 on platforms like Douyin and Kuaishou. Kuaishou's Unexpectedness, a satirical comedy about a man struggling to achieve his goals, was one of the first Chinese microseries to make a splash.

The Chinese microdrama market exploded

By two thousand twenty-one, revenue from short-form video in China was projected to hit five hundred million dollars. That figure was expected to reach seven billion dollars by two thousand twenty-four and sixteen point two billion dollars by two thousand thirty.

Why microdramas appeal to audiences

Microdramas lean heavily into well-established narrative tropes and are designed to leave viewers guessing about outlandish twists. Their verticality and short segments make them ideal for phone screens, and small budgets positioned them as viable work for up-and-coming actors and filmmakers.

AI is destroying the microdrama economy

Ninety-five percent of Chinese microdramas produced in the first three months of this year were created with AI, leading to fewer jobs and lower pay. In Hollywood, actors report being pressured to sign over rights to their digital likenesses.

Repurposing threatens actors further

Presenting repurposed films and TV series as microdramas cuts actors out of opportunities like RoseBerry's partnership with Epis. It is also unclear whether this vertical presentation of Neighbours might result in royalty payments to the show's original cast and crew.

Studios are redefining the format

Companies are rushing to redefine microdramas as anything short, dramatic, and vertically oriented. Studios prefer repurposing old content because it is less expensive than producing original microdramas, which does not support the idea that this format can save Hollywood.

The industry may be cannibalizing itself

Traditional microdramas have not had a chance to live up to industry hype before companies redefine the format. If studios are turning old shows and films into clip content rather than creating original work, the industry seems to be cannibalizing itself.