Hollywood is jumping into this mobile-friendly storytelling format, and it’s drawing in major stars

The Emmy-nominated actor Issa Rae says microdramas offer advantages over traditional media. While much of Hollywood was consumed by the streaming wars, Issa Rae was thousands of miles away studying a different mode of entertainment: microdramas.No stranger to creating a successful online series, the Emmy-nominated actor and producer became intrigued by China’s booming market for the short, mobile-first soap operas, seeing the format’s potential to build audiences and intellectual property.In May, Rae’s Hoorae Media released the thriller Screen Time, one of the first major studio-quality microdrama projects developed by an established Hollywood production company. The TikTok-backed series drew nearly 75 million views during its first week.Rae believes the format offers advantages traditional media often cannot.“Because the price point is lower than TV and film, there’s an opportunity to take risks,” she told The Associated Press. “The turnaround time is also a lot quicker than TV and film, which allows us the opportunity to be more topical and relevant.”With vertically shot episodes designed for the screen of a smart phone often running one to three minutes, microdramas have emerged as one of entertainment’s fastest-growing formats. That’s drawing interest from celebrities, creators and media companies looking for new ways to reach audiences who increasingly consume stories on their phones.Beyond speed and cost, Rae said microdramas foster a more interactive viewing experience between creators and audiences.“The communal experience is also amazing,” said Rae, whose web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl helped launch her career. “You can see what other viewers think and engage with their commentary in real time.”