Filipino filmmaker leads vertical video series trend

Vertical series filled with scandalous plots are taking over social media platforms like TikTok, where clips from shows such as 'True Heiress vs. Fake Queen Bee' and 'My Secret Agent Husband' have garnered millions of views worldwide.

These eye-catching vertical videos have become so prevalent that even Rolling Stone has taken notice, with Crazy Maple Studios CEO Joey Jia predicting they will soon rival traditional film industries.

Filipino filmmaker Christopher Cahilig is credited as the pioneer of branded vertical series, creating '52 Weeks' in 2022 for Puregold, which garnered over 34 million views and won Best Social Media Campaign at Hashtag Asia Awards.

Cahilig's second collaboration with Puregold, 'My Plantito,' became the first BL (boy love) vertical series and amassed over 52.4 million views.

Prior to vertical series, Cahilig made viral branded narratives such as his trilogy of short films with McJIM, including 'Sinturon' which went viral with over 55 million organic views.

Cahilig's influence extends beyond film into music; he co-wrote the first PPop hit of the decade, 'Sa Isang Sulyap Mo,' and remains a trendsetter in an ever-evolving media landscape.