UK Producer Taps Vertical Video for Global Microdrama

Onset Octopus, a UK-based microdrama producer, has made a significant claim to be the first British company to independently finance and produce a vertical video series for global distribution. Their latest production, "Cowboy Before Dark," is a queer love story centered on two reuniting friends.

The series is written by Octavia McKenzie and stars U.S. actor Adam Santa Cruz and Elliot Eason. Ben Pengilly, founder of Onset Octopus, is producing the project and stated that the company financed it from development through to post-production. Director Dan Lowenstein will benefit from a unique business model that grants him a percentage of sales, mirroring independent filmmaking practices.

Pengilly highlighted Onset Octopus's history of innovation, including being the first to shoot internationally, produce interactive microdramas, and create LGBTQ-themed microdramas. He emphasized that "Cowboy Before Dark" represents a new frontier in fully independently-financed series for industry distribution, incorporating product placement.

Writer McKenzie expressed enthusiasm for creating vertical dramas that celebrate love universally and praised Onset Octopus for its cutting-edge storytelling in the UK's emerging vertical video space. The UK microdrama scene is still developing, with Onset Octopus being a prominent producer, while Chinese and U.S. apps like Reelshort and Dramabox currently dominate consumer attention.

In December, Onset Octopus joined the Micro-Series Certified Alliance, an organization dedicated to raising production standards in vertical video. The company is also collaborating with Tattle TV on a slate of series for the app, developing scripts internally and localizing content in multiple languages, including Mandarin, Spanish, and Portuguese.