Microdrama Forum Sessions
Each session will run for 45mins. Be sure to bring your questions!
There will be a 15min break between sessions.
All sessions will be recorded and will be available to re-watch until the end of September.
What Are Microdramas?
Sun 30 Aug @ 10am AEST
What exactly is a microdrama, and why has it become one of the fastest-growing formats in entertainment? This session breaks down the format itself — length, structure, cliff-hanger pacing, 9:16 delivery — and sets up the rest of the day by mapping where the real opportunities sit for Australian creatives right now.
SPEAKERS: Racheal Leigh, Kasiani Koutris,Sky Dominic, Maria de la Ossa
Writing Your Own Microdrama
Sun 30 Aug @ 11am AEST
Microdrama scripts play by different rules to traditional screenwriting — every episode needs its own hook, its own cliffhanger, and a story engine that can sustain up to 60–80 episodes. This session covers how to structure, pace, and develop your own microdrama screenplay.
SPEAKERS: Racheal Leigh, Sky Dominic
Developing a Microdrama
Sun 30 Aug @ 12pm AEST
Every microdrama starts with development — shaping the concept, structuring it for the format, and securing the funding to bring it to life. This panel covers how creators are developing and financing microdrama projects, from self-funding to platform deals and investment, plus the groundwork needed before production begins.
SPEAKERS: Kaisani Koutris, Maria de la Ossa, Alison Stanton-Cook
Producing Your Microdrama
Sun 30 Aug @ 1pm AEST
You know what you need and now it’s time to start filming your series. This session covers what it takes to produce a microdrama independently — and how to think about production when you’re building your own series rather than working inside a platform’s system.
SPEAKERS: Sky Dominic, Richard Fricker, Sophia Xing
Directing a Microdrama
Sun 30 Aug @ 2pm AEST
Vertical framing changes everything about how a scene is blocked, shot, and paced. This session looks at the specific craft of directing for the 9:16 screen — visual storytelling, performance, and keeping pace tight enough to hold a phone-scrolling audience.
SPEAKERS: Sky Dominic, Jon-Claire Lee, Gabriel Robinson, Alison Stanton-Cook, Maria de la Ossa
Acting in Microdrama
Sun 30 Aug @ 3pm AEST
Big emotion, fast delivery, minimal setup — acting for microdrama demands a different toolkit to film or TV. This session covers what casting and directors are actually looking for, and how actors can build a reel suited to the format.
SPEAKERS: Jon-Claire Lee, Dan Jongma, Anthony Darvall, Amelia Conway
Distribute Your Microdrama
Sun 30 Aug @ 4pm AEST
Once your microdrama is made, where does it actually go?
This session covers the growing landscape of platforms looking for content, how distribution deals in this space tend to work, and what independent creators need to know before they sign anything.
SPEAKERS: Kasiani Koutris, Sky Dominic, Racheal Leigh
Opportunities & Vertical48
Sun 30 Aug @ 5pm AEST
A practical look at where the real opportunities are for Australian creatives right now — including branding in microdramas, and how to build your own microdrama or production company in a crowded, fast-moving market.
This session closes out the day with a details about the Vertical48 Challenge, Australia’s first 48-hour microdrama episode production sprint.
SPEAKERS: Racheal Leigh, Sky Dominic, Maria de la Ossa
