With vertical mini dramas rapidly becoming one of the fastest-growing sectors in global entertainment, Embr Entertainment has entered into a first-look partnership with Isabel Dréan’s Vertical Series Incubator, creating a direct pipeline between emerging writing talent and one of the most prolific vertical studios in the U.S.
The deal addresses a growing industry reality: as platforms aggressively scale vertical slates, the demand for high-quality, format-native scripts has become a critical bottleneck.
Embr Entertainment is currently one of the most active vertical studios in the U.S., having produced some of the industry’s biggest hits for the major platforms including ReelShort, MyDrama, and FlexTV. The first-look partnership gives Embr and its platform partners early access to scripts and writers developed through the Vertical Series Incubator, while offering incubator writers a rare, direct entry point into the professional vertical studio system.
Founded by acclaimed writer and educator Isabel Dréan, the Vertical Series Incubator has quickly become a proving ground for writers looking to break into the format. Dréan is one of the leading voices defining best practices for vertical storytelling and author of How to Write a Vertical Series in 10 Days which is widely regarded as the industry bible.
“Vertical has moved past experimentation, it’s now a volume business,” said Chris Wicke, Founder, CEO, and Executive Producer of Embr Entertainment. “This partnership gives us a true first look at emerging talent and production-ready scripts, while removing one of the biggest constraints on our growth. Isabel has built the first real incubator for this format, and it’s already producing results.”
“The demand for scripts is exploding, but the format has its own language,” Dréan said. “There are a lot of talented writers, including established ones, who want to work in vertical but need a clear introduction to the rules of the medium. The incubator was built to do exactly that, and this partnership validates the model.”
Several writers who have completed the program have already secured professional deals, including multiple writers hired by Embr Entertainment.
“I wanted to break into vertical, but I didn’t want to guess my way through it,” said Alison Bonn, whose script Love Score was recently produced by Embr for MyDrama. “The incubator taught me the format and introduced me directly to people actually making shows. This partnership is proof that vertical isn’t a side door anymore, it’s the front door.”
As platforms continue to ramp up commissioning, Embr Entertainment anticipates producing more than 40 vertical films in 2026 alone.
The next sessions of the Vertical Series Incubator will take place March 14–22 and April 11–19.
For more information, visit https://isabeldrean.com/.
About Embr Entertainment
Embr Entertainment is a leading U.S.-based vertical mini drama studio producing high-performing short-form series for major platforms including ReelShort and MyDrama.
About Isabel Dréan and the Vertical Series Incubator
Isabel Dréan is a respected screenwriter, mentor, and author of the Amazon Bestseller How to Write a Vertical Series in 10 Days.
