New Producers back vertical micro-drama studio New Short Media
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Producers Alon Shtruzman and Scott Einbinder have launched New Short Media, a studio dedicated to vertical, mobile-first "micro-drama" content, operating alongside their existing 5X Media banner. The move reflects a wider push by established film and TV producers to bring higher production values and recognisable talent into the fast-growing vertical short-form space, which has traditionally been dominated by low-budget, creator-led content aimed at smartphone audiences.
Director Gev Miron and writer-producer Russell Rothberg lead development and creative operations at the new studio. Three inaugural projects were unveiled: "Speeding Towards You", an action-romance thriller about rival car thieves caught up in a crime syndicate takedown; "One Foot in Hollywood", a comedy starring influencer Alex Sparrow about creators forced to make a film for a cartel boss's daughter; and "Polyamour Mon Amour", a dating reality show following a celebrity couple opening their relationship to a third partner. The founders said they plan to expand into thrillers, sports, crime, comedy, docu-reality and music formats, pairing established actors with digital creators who already have large TikTok and Instagram followings.
- Producers Shtruzman and Einbinder launch vertical micro-drama studio New Short Media
- Gev Miron and Russell Rothberg to lead development and creative operations
- Three launch projects span action-romance, comedy and reality dating formats
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Established producers Alon Shtruzman and Scott Einbinder are best known for their work in film and television, and already run a company called 5X Media. They have now set up a second studio, New Short Media, specifically to make "vertical" video content, meaning short episodes filmed and shaped to be watched on a smartphone held upright rather than sideways.
This format, sometimes called micro-drama, has grown rapidly in recent years but has mostly been made cheaply by independent online creators rather than traditional studios. Shtruzman and Einbinder's move is part of a broader trend of established entertainment industry figures entering this space, aiming to bring bigger budgets, professional production standards and known actors to a format that has so far been dominated by amateur or low-cost creators.
New Short Media has named a director and a writer-producer to lead its output, and has announced its first slate of projects spanning genres such as thriller, comedy and reality dating. The studio says it intends to mix traditional actors with social media influencers from platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, reflecting how the line between conventional entertainment and online creator culture is increasingly blurring.
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Originally published by Variety as “Producers Alon Shtruzman and Scott Einbinder Launch Vertical Studio New Short Media”.