Should Actors Do Vertical Shorts? 3 Questions To Ask Before Saying Yes

By: TMA Team | Sep 14, 2026 09:21 PM

There’s been a lot of buzz lately around Vertical Shorts (also called micro-dramas) in the media and entertainment industry. Some of the discussions are around whether they possess any artistic value or are just a watered down version of content meant to meet the masses need for short and simple content. If the industry should encourage fast production over depth? 

Actress/Producer Issa Rae just recently created her first micro-series for Tik Tok and assured “This will be the accessible way to tell great stories, but I don’t think that it’s gonna replace television and film by any means,” Rae said. “I’ll be worried when TV screens change to vertical.”

Is the state of the industry embracing this cultural shift as a good thing or the end of actors and traditional cinema. The very real battle between Non-Union Vertical shorts lack of fair compensation for actors often paying absurdly low or absurdly high wages. 

Read More: SAG-AFTRA Addresses Burgeoning Micro-Drama Trend With New Verticals Agreement

And of course, whether actors who do Verticals are potentially hurting their careers or moving with the trends? 

Lastly, will Vertical shorts stand the test of time or be a fleeting trend that one shouldn’t invest time in?

In this article, I don’t want to address all those problems but answer this common dilemma:

"What Should I Consider Before Saying Yes to Any Vertical Short"

Here are 3 questions you should ask yourself when you are presented with the opportunity to audition for or accept a role on a vertical short. These questions will help you decide whether a project is right for you in the long run.

1. Will this make me a better actor?

Photo by @king_buwa

In my opinion, and I’ll say it plainly: time spent on a real set always leaves a mark on your craft. It doesn’t matter how small the production is. Learning to hit your line on cue with another actor, taking redirection in real time, watching how a working set actually moves, all of that sharpens you in ways a class or a self-tape session can’t replicate. That part isn’t up for debate for me. 

However, in terms of the content, this is where the jury is still out. Most verticals are poorly written and the actors being cast aren’t caliber SAG actors, so in terms of “getting better at the craft” probably not. But not to worry, this is where you can use your training to elevate the set. 

Read More: What's Actually In Your Control: The Actor's 90%

Hopefully, by bringing in a certain standard of professionalism and technique yourself, the other actors will follow your lead and set out to create a worthwhile project.

2. Are the people behind it serious professionals?

Photo by @akson

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Many producers are pouring big time money into Verticals when they calculate their potential roi. That being the case, the level of work is swinging the pendulum from very low budget unskilled workers to the top performers of their particular industry. 

Vertical content, when it hits, hits at a scale traditional indie projects rarely reach, and that’s caught the attention of people with actual budgets to employ. 

Such industry A-List players like Issa Rae, NBC/Peacock, and Disney introduced vertical microdamas to their audiences as a way to tap into the current trend.

So the answer to this question isn’t a blanket yes or no anymore. It depends entirely on who you’re vetting. Not every production is worth your time. But more and more of them are becoming worth a more serious look than they used to be, and that trend seems to be accelerating rather than slowing down.

If an actor is considering doing a vertical short, they should absolutely consider the team behind the project. Do your research. Are they capable of producing something that will get them usable footage, decent wages, and a favorable on set experience?

3. Does this move my career forward in some way?

Photo by @leo_visions_

Two years ago, I would have advised an actor to not do any Verticals because their was a heavy stigma on those actors. Being known as “a vertical actor” could genuinely work against you in rooms that mattered. Now, I’d say be cautious. Not every production is worth it. But in a year, I predict more actors will want to do verticals and they may move the needle for certain actors careers.

In fact, more agencies are submitting their clients to vertical shorts specifically because they trust the footage and material that comes out of it to be genuinely useful, whether that’s for reels, range demonstration, or simply staying visible and working. We will shift our prejudice against verticals like we did commercials and soap operas. Once mediums actors avoided, now the mark of a serious working actor. 

Here’s what I think matters most, and what I’d want you to walk away with:

• Check the production.

• Check the labor conditions and the wage being offered, and don’t be afraid to ask direct questions about both before you commit.

• Check the quality of what’s already been produced, and watch a finished episode or two if you can. If those things check out, a vertical can absolutely be a legitimate, valuable part of your repertoire as a working actor. 

Think of verticals as diversity on your resume, one more tool in a well-rounded toolkit, not a huge allocation of your working time or your identity as an actor.  

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