A Slate festival of vertical stories
SlateShots
Pitch the next great vertical series.
One winner gets a $200K production.
Microdramas are blowing up. The audience is already there, phones out, waiting. The only thing missing is your story.
Why microdramas. Why now.
The audience is
already here.
Issa Rae's Screen Time pulled 150 million views in its first window. P&G, JCPenney, and Crocs are funding their own microdramas. ReelShort and DramaBox are billion-dollar apps. Vertical stories are not a side experiment anymore. They are where the audience lives.
More creators should be making them. More stories should be finding their audience. That is what this festival is for.
Views on Issa Rae's Screen Time in its first release window
The microdrama industry's annual revenues by 2030
Max episode length. Cliffhanger required. Every time.
The Rules
Keep it tight.
Keep it vertical.
Keep them watching.
Built for the phone
5 to 10 episode scripts. Vertical 9:16. Built for the phone.
90 seconds max per episode. Strict. Scripts must be between 5 and 15 pages. Standard screenwriting format recommended.
End every episode on a cliffhanger.
The opening of a longer series, or a complete short one.
Any genre. Any medium: live action, AI, animation, unscripted, docuseries.
Get paired with a small business, write it into an episode, then film and upload it.
Active TikTok and Instagram accounts required. YouTube and Facebook help.
Every branded video uploaded becomes an official selection. The ten with the most cumulative views across all platforms advance as finalists.
The winner is chosen by jury vote plus views and engagement data.
SLATE funds and produces the long-form version of your winning series, up to $200,000 USD, while you retain ownership of your IP.
Mentorship and development from the best creators, producers, and partners in the space.
You keep ownership of your series.
How to Submit
Four steps.
Then it's on you.
Create your profile
Add your social handles and any links you want to share. IMDB optional. Not required.
Upload your script and one-pager
A 90-second episode runs about a page and a half in standard screenplay format. Your one-pager should include logline, genre, format, and cast (if applicable).
Creators may submit up to five scripts, one per genre. The festival's first 50 submissions are free; after that, submissions are $50 each to cover processing.
Get paired with a small business
Slate pairs your script with a small business to integrate into your microdrama in a positive way. You get options. Once you accept the brand, you're clear to produce.
Produce and post to TikTok
Shoot your approved script as 5 to 10 episodes, 90 seconds max each. Tag @slate.shots and add #SLATESHOTS on every post. Accounts and videos must be public.
You keep full ownership of your series.
Six-month exclusive first look after December 15, win or not. If we pass, it's yours to take anywhere. Every submission stays on our radar.
Festival Timeline
One year.
One winner.
The Prize
SLATE funds and produces the long-form version of your winning series, up to $200,000 USD, while you retain ownership of your IP. Plus mentorship and development from the best in the space.
About Slate
Slate is the transaction layer for branded entertainment. We help creators find the right brand for their story, and we help brands find the stories worth being part of.
This festival is what Slate was built to do, run at full speed.
The Open Call
Submissions
are open.
Create your profile, upload your script, get matched with a small business, shoot it, and post on TikTok tagging @slate.shots.
First 50 entries free · Up to 5 scripts per creator · Different genre each