Let’s be honest, vertical dramas can sometimes follow the same grain of storytelling. The platforms are the shepherds, leading the way with enemies to lovers, steamy romances and damsels in distress; and the production companies are the sheep, producing verticals within these tropes (with their own original flare of course). However, these tried and tested tropes are evolving…

black and white image of a couple hugging on the beach. The woman has her back to the camera.

Who wants the change?

The change is coming from all angles, writers want to challenge the vertical world with expanding narratives, production companies want the opportunity to shoot bigger within different genres and most importantly; audiences are eager for new stories. This begs the question, why is the change coming at a snails pace into the vertical world?

 

It’s mainly down to our lovely vertical platforms, the fact is, they hold the power and they know which tropes work and get views (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it essentially). The reluctance to change is understandable, from the birth of verticals they have always followed down the same path and that was enough… Until verticals boomed worldwide during Covid-19. Now there’s a higher demand for different tropes, genres and ideas.

The shift is here!

Vertical tropes are evolving though, we’re seeing mafia based stories as well as period based pieces plus comedies without those god awful fat suits. There’s still so many ways in which vertical stories can evolve, they already take a lot of inspiration from Wattpad stories and soap operas but there’s whole genres still yet to be taken into the 9:16 screen. 

Wattpad logo with white writing on an orange background.

Naturally the move into new genres is scary but there are ways to take it slow, for example, how about a fantasy enemies to lovers plot? Two warring kingdoms. One arranged marriage. One bed. Or a swashbuckling pirate narrative? Treasure Map & Shared Destiny, They’re rivals chasing the same treasure, but they need each other to survive.

Young woman wearing a white dress with white wings sits down against a tree in the forrest. She wears a flower crown of pink flowers and holds a butterfly in her hands.

What’s next?

As new genres evolve in the vertical world the key is to take it slow. You don’t want to shock the system, just coax it into new avenues. Platforms will also be more receptive if writers and production companies can pitch a trope that already works into a new genre as it feels like less of a push.

So, are you part of the audience keen for new narratives? A writer, eager to expand the genre? Perhaps a production company with big ideas (cough, us, cough) Or a platform who wants to be a part of the change? Let us know and we’ll join forces.