The way we watch television is changing, and two Black-led studios are looking to make sure culturally rich storytelling has a place in that evolution.
MACRO Television Studios and MANSA Studios have announced a new partnership to jointly develop, finance, and produce an original premium vertical series designed specifically for mobile audiences.
The collaboration brings together two companies with a track record of championing diverse talent and stories while experimenting with a format that is rapidly gaining traction among viewers accustomed to consuming entertainment on their phones.
Premium Storytelling Goes Vertical
Rather than simply taking traditional television and shrinking it down for a smartphone screen, MACRO and MANSA are looking at how premium storytelling can be developed specifically for vertical viewing.
The project will give both studios an opportunity to explore how established and emerging talent, cinematic storytelling, and culturally relevant narratives translate to mobile-first entertainment. The companies also plan to use the collaboration to gather insights about audiences, viewing habits, and distribution.
MACRO Television Studios and MANSA Studios will share ownership of the underlying intellectual property and collaborate on the project’s creative and strategic direction, including development, marketing, and promotion.
MANSA Studios will serve as the lead production company, bringing its experience with vertical-native production, technology, and audience insights from distributing entertainment created specifically for mobile viewers.
MACRO Television Studios will contribute its development and production expertise, industry relationships, and experience building culturally relevant programming with commercial potential.
“MANSA has developed real expertise in the emerging vertical format, and we see this as an exciting opportunity to pair that experience with MACRO Television Studios’ vast capabilities across genres,” said MACRO founder and CEO Charles D. King. “We are looking forward to learning from the collaboration and seeing how audiences respond and explore innovation opportunities for the format.”
Meeting Audiences Where They Are
The partnership arrives as studios and creators increasingly experiment with vertical storytelling as something more ambitious than short-form social media content.
Vertical dramas are designed around the way millions of viewers already hold and use their phones. That creates opportunities for filmmakers to rethink everything from framing and editing to pacing, episode length, cliffhangers, and audience engagement.
For MANSA Studios co-founder David Oyelowo, adapting to those changing habits is also about making culturally rich storytelling accessible wherever audiences choose to watch.
“MANSA was created to ensure that culturally rich stories can reach audiences wherever they are,” Oyelowo said. “As viewing habits evolve, we are embracing new storytellers, formats and platforms that allow us to remain connected to our global audience while creating meaningful opportunities for a diverse array of talent.”
That mission makes the collaboration particularly noteworthy. Instead of waiting for vertical entertainment to become fully established before entering the market, MACRO and MANSA are positioning themselves to help shape what premium storytelling in the format could look like.
And for Black filmmakers, writers, actors, and other creatives, the expansion of vertical entertainment could potentially create another avenue for getting original stories produced and placed in front of audiences.
The companies have not yet announced the title, cast, storyline, release date, or distribution platform for their first premium vertical series.
