As part of the ON SCREEN audiovisual programme focus, initiated by the Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg, presenter Hadnet Tesfai discussed the topic with the Head of Creators at Constantin Entertainment, Kai Fischer, UFA-Mitte producer Henriette Lippold and Mothership Media Consultancy founder Beatrice Rossmanith, about vertical storytelling, creator-driven development, AI-supported production workflows, the role of platform algorithms – and the question of how short-form and long-form content will relate to one another in future.

In her keynote speech, Beatrice Rossmanith began by outlining the business model: unlike SVoD subscriptions, microdramas are usually paid for on a per-episode basis, with the main target audience being women over 35 with high purchasing power. Microdrama apps are already among the highest-revenue streaming platforms in Germany, and the trend is upwards. However, these formats are not only evolving within the app ecosystem: experimentation is already taking place in the public broadcasting sector too. Brands are also now discovering microdrama as a new advertising format. Interestingly, the titles of these formats often resemble emotional search terms – for example, in German productions such as ‘Black Forest Royale’, ‘Survival Sisters’ or ‘Mountain Medical’.

Kai Fischer provided some interesting insights into content production: as a case study, he presented the ‘Aminho – The Challenge’ project. In this collaboration, a creator with a wide reach teamed up with the German vertical drama agency reelistiq and the footwear brand Skechers to produce an exceptionally successful microdrama cost-effectively using AI. Fischer’s key point: with microdramas, the algorithm affects not only distribution but also the creative design itself – content is increasingly developed based on user behaviour rather than traditional target audience targeting, which is why creators, with their understanding of their audience, play a key role. The question that needs to be asked is: what makes the content relevant to the platform that it is being developed for? One reason why the format has not yet established itself in Germany to the same extent as in China or the US is the lack of dedicated German platforms.

Henriette Lippold explained that micro-dramas are still new territory for UFA, but she sees them as an exciting opportunity to rethink traditional storytelling. Her hope is to develop a uniquely European approach to narratives in which the characters, despite being introduced quickly, are portrayed in a diverse and nuanced way. She argued for a 360-degree approach, in which established series – such as the globally successful UFA production ‘Maxton Hall’ – are continued through short-form content in the form of prequels or sequels; for whilst microdramas generate attention, long-form content creates meaning.