Vertical Filmmaking Course: ASU Teams Up With ReelShort

Vertical drama has acquired the one thing every scrappy internet format eventually gets: homework.

Arizona State University is adding a full-semester course on writing microseries with ReelShort. Yes, college students will now be graded on whether their cliffhanger earns the next swipe. Honestly? More useful than plenty of lectures I've sat through.

The classroom catches up

The Fall 2026 course, FMP 494: Commercial Storytelling - Introduction to Writing for Vertical Filmmaking, will be taught by ReelShort lead screenwriter Dyann Chiang. She joined the company in 2023 after graduating from NYU.

Students will pull apart successful vertical series, compare them with the duds, then create an original show. The final package includes a series bible and scripts for the first three episodes. Strong performers may also get opportunities to work with ReelShort beyond class, although ASU hasn't released the enrollment details yet.

This isn't ASU's first nudge toward creator education. The university recently introduced a broader BA in Content Creation¹, covering video, podcasts, newsletters, audience analytics and the business side of building a platform.

Nor is ASU first through the door. DramaBox partnered with Cal State LA² earlier this year on a production course where students develop and shoot microdrama concepts. TikTok and Sundance Collab also launched a four-week writing program in June.

There's money behind the melodrama

This sudden academic interest isn't about professors discovering werewolf billionaires over lunch.

Short-drama apps generated roughly $750 million in worldwide in-app revenue during the first quarter of 2026, according to Sensor Tower³. ReelShort and DramaBox each brought in close to $140 million. Global downloads passed 850 million for the quarter.

That scale needs writers, actors, editors and creators who understand a peculiar rhythm: establish trouble immediately, escalate fast and cut away just before satisfaction. Every episode sells the next episode.

For creators, the lesson travels beyond dedicated drama apps. Serialized Shorts, Reels and TikToks can turn one idea into repeat viewing instead of another lonely post fighting for oxygen.

Your move

Take one existing video idea and split it into three episodes. Each part needs its own conflict, but only the final one gets closure.

Write for the phone before touching the camera. Fewer characters. Tighter frames. Dialogue that survives bad speakers and distracted viewers.

Then test the opening five seconds and the final five seconds separately. If the beginning doesn't stop people, or the ending doesn't pull them forward, the clever middle won't rescue you.