EXCLUSIVE: Microdrama producer SWZZ Media has hired Nathalie Sar-Shalom, as the company scales its L.A. production operation.
Sar-Shalom has joined as a producer after several years freelancing for the likes of Wicked Lovely Films & Media and MakeMake Entertainment.
Mier Liu’s SWZZ is known for vertical video series such as NetShort’s The Godfather’s Secret Lover, DramaWave’s Me and My Bad Student and ReelShorts show Ms. CEO’s Baby Daddy is the Merchant of Death, which recently topped the charts on the popular microdrama app.
“Hiring someone who truly wants to be in this space makes all the difference,” said Liu, who is founder and CEO of SWZZ. “Nathalie Sar-Shalom really believes in this format, and she’s a go-getter who’s extremely good at solving last-minute production problems. In a fast-paced industry like microdrama, having someone with that mindset and problem-solving ability is incredibly valuable.”
SWZZ has a production base in L.A., and has expanded into Mexico City and São Paolo, as the microdrama boom in the U.S. and China continues to internationalize. The company has produced more than 40 vertical series, and is in development on new shows for ReelShort, NetShort and Drama TV.
Liu is a former Taiwanese-American actor, who founded her microdrama studio and became an authority on its growth in the U.S. after struggling to find acting work.
“I entered microdrama production with a lot of confidence because I had already spent many years in the entertainment industry,” Liu told Deadline in an interview. “I understand how to identify strong scripts and run efficient productions, so when vertical microdrama started gaining traction, I saw the opportunity immediately. It wasn’t really a leap of faith; it was more about applying my experience to a new and rapidly growing format.”
While many microdrama producer have launched their own apps, SWZZ is soledly operating as supplier, working to the scripted and budget requirements of larger vertical video platforms.
“Right now, our role is mainly operating as a production company,” said Liu. “We receive the script and funding from the studio and focus on executing the production. What we’re seeing across the market is that some platforms are still focused on the bread-and-butter microdrama format: Very fast-paced, high-drama stories designed to hook viewers quickly.
“Other platforms are starting to push toward a more cinematic style, almost like a 9:16 vertical movie with higher production value and more developed storytelling, and then some platforms combine both approaches, keeping the fast pacing that audiences expect from microdrama while elevating the visual quality and narrative depth.”
Microdrama continues to emerge as one of the most dynamic areas of production, with former execs from Netflix and CBS among those who have launched their own production businesses to satisfy demand.
Liu said she was unconcerned by the growing competition, adding: “Microdrama requires a very specific mindset, and the reality is that much of Hollywood is still adjusting to the format.”
She described the stories, which are often derided as low-brow and clichéd, as “essentially feature-level story arcs in an extremely compressed timeline,” with skilled producers “sometimes turning around projects in the span of a week, while also building production infrastructures and global partnerships from the ground up.”
“It’s definitely becoming a competitive space, but executing microdrama successfully at a high level requires a unique combination of speed, discipline, and storytelling instinct, and that’s actually quite rare,” she added.
SWZZ is assessing whether to launch its own app, to gain control of the content rollout. “As the microdrama space continues to evolve, having your own platform becomes increasingly important because it creates more opportunities for storytellers and gives you greater control over both the creative and distribution sides,” she said.
“Economically, it also changes the model; you’re not just producing content for someone else’s platform, you’re building long-term value through audience ownership and the ecosystem around it.”
English (US) ·