Micro-drama platform V+Short founding sisters talk content trends and production powerhouses
Angela and Clarissa Tanoesoedibjo, the forces behind newly launched micro drama platform V+Short, on having their fingers on the pulse of viewing trends and positioning the Global South as production hubs
Exchanging stories around a fire is a tradition as old as time, a practice that has been passed down through generations and civilisations.
These days, the light of the fire may have been replaced by the glow of a small screen, and our attention spans might have shortened considerably, but we are still as drawn to stories as we have always been.
Known as duanju in mainland China, where they originated during the pandemic years, micro-dramas are fast-paced and made for viewing on the go, on phones. They pack soap-opera plots into punchy one- or two-minute episodes, each of which ends on a cliffhanger. A series can range from 20 to 100 episodes, although V+Short is keeping its titles to within the 30- to 40-episode range.
Angela, the president director and CEO of MNC Digital Entertainment – V+Short’s parent company – has had a prolific career running magazines and TV stations. From 2019 to 2024, she also served as Indonesia’s vice-minister of tourism and creative economy. Now, she is investing her passion for storytelling into V+Short with her sister, who has executive-produced films and television series.