Vertical Drama Love: A Conversation with Jen Cooper

Jen Cooper is the founder of Vertical Drama Love — a platform that combines fan-created reviews, industry commentary, and advocacy within the short drama space.

In this conversation, she shared how she entered the industry, what she has observed about the current ecosystem, and what she believes is changing.

How She Entered the Industry

Jen explained that she entered the vertical drama world as a fan in April 2024.

She began watching short dramas but could not find much information about how they were produced. With a background interest in research and media, she started writing reviews in December and asking questions publicly about production processes.

She said that professionals working on vertical dramas — particularly in the US, but also in Australia and the UK — began reaching out to her directly to share insights about how productions operate.

Over time, she found herself connecting fans and industry workers across different regions.

Creating Fan Awards

Jen shared that she independently launched the Vertical Drama Fan Awards.

The awards collected approximately 16,000 votes globally. She described the experience as overwhelming in scale, mentioning that the voting data spreadsheet became so large that it affected her laptop’s performance.

She emphasized that the awards are fully fan-driven — nominations and voting are determined by fans rather than industry insiders.

Vert Fest and Community Building

She also co-organized Vert Fest, an online event designed to celebrate vertical dramas in a format similar to an online Comic-Con.

The event included panels grouped by genre or region, interactive chat functions, and paid online meet-and-greet sessions.

She described the relationship between fans and creators in vertical drama as particularly direct and interconnected.

Observations on Content Trends

Jen noted that some platforms have increasingly leaned into shock-based content, including higher levels of violence. She personally finds some of this content distressing and believes it can risk pushing away creators who prefer not to be associated with extreme material.

At the same time, she also mentioned that there are emerging projects featuring stronger female leads and alternative story structures.

She described the content landscape as diverging in different directions rather than moving uniformly one way.

Fan Survey Insights

Jen conducted a survey with over 1,600 respondents and is compiling the results into a public report.

She mentioned several recurring themes from fans:

• frustration with excessive violence
• concerns around drugging and consent tropes
• preference for human actors rather than AI-generated content
• interest in improved search functions within apps
• desire to search by actor or actress

She emphasized that many viewers choose what to watch based on performers rather than platform brand.

The UK Vertical Drama Environment

According to Jen, around ten production companies are currently making vertical dramas in the UK.

She said that interest from mainstream media and industry institutions has increased over the past year. She also mentioned that UK actors are becoming more willing to participate as production quality improves.

She described upcoming efforts to organize a UK-based vertical film festival aimed at recognizing local productions and encouraging new filmmakers.

On the Future

When asked about the future of short drama, Jen said she expects more apps with different ownership models and continued growth in viewership.

She described the overall outlook as “bright,” while acknowledging that the format evolves very quickly.

Interview link: https://youtu.be/h32eyCZxrZg

Further Reading & Resources (Optional)

For those who want to go deeper into short drama writing and production, here are a few resources I’ve developed based on real platform cases and industry practice:

📘 Short Drama Writing 101: Write What Platforms Want

A practical guide to how vertical drama and microdrama platforms evaluate projects, what kinds of stories convert users, and how to design narrative structures for mobile-first storytelling.

🎓 Short Drama Writing 101: A Practical Course with Real Case Studies

A hands-on framework built on real short drama platform cases, covering hooks, pacing, cliffhangers, and the commercial logic behind high-retention vertical drama content.

📗 Future Playbook: China’s Short Drama Ecosystem and Insights for Global Business

A strategic deep dive into China’s short drama industry, including monetization models, platform mechanics, and lessons relevant for global markets.

▶️ Free Learning Resources

I also share interviews, breakdowns, and industry conversations on my YouTube channel: Short Drama Decode.