Dan Löwenstein’s New UK Microdrama for Night Train Media
British director Dan Löwenstein is set to helm a significant new microdrama project in the UK, a collaborative effort with Night Train Media and Spirit Studios. This development was highlighted during the recent Tallinn Black Nights Festival, underscoring the accelerating global interest in vertical storytelling and the United Kingdom’s emerging role in this burgeoning mobile-native content revolution.
The Rise of Microdrama: Dan Löwenstein’s New Venture
Dan Löwenstein, recognized for his previous work on vertical dramas, including ReelShort’s “Pride & Prejudice,” will direct and produce this as-yet-untitled UK production. The project’s confirmation came from Sarah Postlethwaite, an executive with Eccho Rights and Night Train, who, speaking at Industry@Tallinn, characterized it as “one of the first U.K.-produced vertical dramas.” Löwenstein brings considerable experience to the table, having directed approximately 18 vertical mini-series over the past year for various platforms, including the Chinese-backed U.S. platform ReelShort.
Currently in its nascent stages, the project has a series overview and an initial 10-episode breakdown already developed. The writing team demonstrates a modern approach, comprising a popular TikTok content creator and a more traditional scripted comedian. The team is actively exploring various platform and commissioner models, acknowledging the diverse and evolving landscape of content acquisition for this innovative format.
Tallinn Talks: Unpacking the Vertical Storytelling Boom
The announcement of Löwenstein’s project coincided with a broader industry discussion at the Tallinn Black Nights Festival, specifically during the “Vertical Horizons – Does Size Matter? Rewiring Serialized Content to Fit Gen Z’s Consuming Habits” panel. This session, part of the Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, delved into how short-form vertical dramas, known for their rapid production cycles and often lower budgets, are reshaping traditional narrative structures, production methodologies, and monetization strategies.
Moderated by Marike Muselaers from Nordisk Film Production, the panel brought together a range of industry experts. Alongside Sarah Postlethwaite, participants included Seriencamp co-founder Gerhard Maier, U.S. writer-producers Andrew and Shaun Higton, and Czech producer Krystof Safer, who also founded the vertical film festival Vertifilms.
Evolution and Craft of Vertical Content
Gerhard Maier initiated the discussion with a concise history of the vertical format, tracing its roots from early experiments on platforms like Snapchat and home-screen narratives. He highlighted how fast-cut, emotion-led edits, heavily influenced by Chinese and South Korean creators, now define the genre. This evolution emphasizes immediate engagement and rapid narrative progression tailored for mobile viewing.
Andrew and Shaun Higton, creators of Snapchat’s teen horror series “Dead of Night,” shared their insights from over five years of pioneering work in the vertical format. Shaun Higton detailed how observing teenagers scrolling on public transport influenced their minimalist narrative approach. Their key takeaway was the necessity of simplifying narratives: “You can’t have a super complicated narrative, it’s got to be easily understood and pitched.” Snapchat’s involvement in their series extended to full financing and providing detailed analytics, which informed creative choices, including subtleties like the appropriate use of emojis and capitalization, to better resonate with their target audience.
The Business of Short-Form: Lessons from Asia
The panel extensively examined the economic drivers behind Asia’s thriving microdrama market. These series typically feature episodes lasting two to three minutes, often spanning 60 or more installments. Monetization commonly involves viewers paying per episode after an initial free offering, often through in-app purchases of “coins” or “tokens” earned through games or ads, or via subscriptions. Muselaers noted that this model can generate substantial revenue, potentially “up to a million dollars per day.”
Krystof Safer emphasized the critical importance for European creators to study Asia’s leadership in this space. He highlighted that these narratives are not merely superficial but often “go to the point,” conveying universal themes of love, honesty, and truthfulness in a direct and engaging manner. Furthermore, production costs can be remarkably low, sometimes as little as $100,000, with aggressive timelines completing 60 to 80 minutes of content in a matter of weeks, sometimes shooting 14 minutes a day.
Bridging Formats: The Future of Storytelling
Looking ahead, Gerhard Maier suggested that the lines between vertical and horizontal storytelling are increasingly blurring, with significant mutual influence. He provided a compelling example of this hybrid approach with an upcoming German project slated to debut at Seriencamp next June, titled “Three Minutes.” This innovative concept will integrate a vertical hook into a traditional horizontal series. The show lets users sign up to an app that randomly grants them a three-minute window to broadcast to millions, compelling them “to think on [their] feet and do something crazy.” This vertical element serves as an engaging entry point into a longer-form narrative, following the story of the protagonists, illustrating the potential for innovative, integrated storytelling approaches.
Conclusion
Dan Löwenstein’s new UK microdrama project, in collaboration with Night Train Media, signifies a pivotal moment in the expansion of vertical storytelling, particularly within the British production landscape. The discussions held at the Tallinn Black Nights Festival underscored the format’s global reach, its innovative production methods, and compelling economic models. As content consumption habits continue to evolve, the insights shared at Industry@Tallinn highlight a future where adaptable, mobile-native narratives will play an increasingly central role in engaging diverse audiences across various platforms, potentially blurring the boundaries between traditional and short-form content.
