SAG-AFTRA Unveils Vertical Video Contract for Micro-Dramas

As of October 14th, 2025, the SAG-AFTRA performers' union has announced that it will be introducing a new "Verticals Agreement" by the end of the month to address the rise of the micro-drama format. These verticals, as they are known, are serialized stories filmed in portrait mode for mobile platforms, often with budgets under $300,000.

SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin has described verticals as an "exciting new space" that the union is eager to support. The new contract will aim to meet the unique needs of these fast-paced, low-budget productions while upholding the union's core standards of actor protections.

This move by SAG-AFTRA comes as other Hollywood unions, such as IATSE and the Writers Guild of America West, have also begun exploring opportunities in the vertical video format. As traditional entertainment options have dwindled, many underemployed workers have turned to these micro-dramas, which often feature romance stories with a soapy, melodramatic flair.

The vertical video format has been gaining substantial traction, with popular platforms like DramaBox and ReelShort leading the charge. This growth has not gone unnoticed by the industry, as evidenced by Fox Entertainment's recent equity stake in verticals company Holywater and veteran media executive Lloyd Braun's new venture, MicroCo, focused on the format.