Kunlin Wang is a Chinese filmmaker who has graduated from US and UK universities. She studied under the renowned Hungarian auteur Béla Tarr, and has undertaken study and exchange programs in Los Angeles, New York, Nottingham, Seoul, Bologna, and Łódź. With over ten years of professional experience, Kunlin has directed three feature-length films and more than ten short films. Her feature narrative debut, Obscure, was officially selected for competition in several major film festivals, including the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, the 13th FIRST International Film Festival in China, and the Taipei Film Festival. She also co-directed the theatrically released feature film The Shore of Life and the documentary film Comics and Bayonets.
Kunlin has also worked extensively in vertical-format productions, directing 12 vertical short drama series filmed across the United States, Canada, and China. These projects are primarily English-language series targeting the North American market, alongside Mandarin- and Thai-language productions. She is currently developing her first horizontal-format AI short drama series.
— How did you get into vertical series?
I heard about Chinese vertical series quite early on. At the time, they were extremely low-budget productions, often made by teams from information-flow advertising agencies. So it was a completely different group of people working in that format.
In the summer of 2024, a former classmate from Chapman University asked if I’d be interested in directing an English-language vertical series. That was the first time I realized that vertical dramas were being produced specifically for North American audiences. I also learned that they had already been in production since 2023, with many Chinese overseas film school graduates involved. That discovery eased my concerns about directing something that might feel low in production value or lacking cinematic language, like the mini-series made purely for social media in China at the time, often referred to as “WeChat mini-program short series.”
So in the fall of 2024, I decided to give it a shot. My first show was called Make-up Sex, and it ranked No. 1 across the entire English-language vertical market on both the first day and the first week of 2025.
— What sort of vertical series work do you do now and where?
Currently, I primarily direct English-language vertical series in both North America and China. I’ve mostly done emotionally heightened, female-driven melodrama that centers on power-imbalanced love stories, such as an ordinary young woman entering the world of a billionaire, or revenge arcs where a marginalized woman reclaims her agency with the support of a powerful man. These shows typically incorporate strong sexual tension and intimate content to engage female audiences and fulfill certain emotional and romantic fantasies. Aside from these stories, I’ve also expanded into other genres and markets and directed a Mandarin-language sci-fi rise-to-power series for male audiences and a Thai-language boys’ love drama.
— What are the production situations like in the countries you have worked in?
Shooting English-language vertical series in China has a different production situation from the typical Chinese-language vertical productions. In China, it’s common for cast and crew to work 16 hours a day or more, start early the next morning, and continue without days off during the shoot. However, when producing English-language dramas, we adapt, at least partially, to Western labor standards. Overtime begins after 12 hours, a 12-hour turnaround is required, and scheduled days off must be respected.
One major advantage of shooting in China is lower labor costs, which often allows us to work with a larger crew than we would in North America. In many cases, more crew members mean greater efficiency, faster setups, and more coverage per day.
The challenges, however, include flying in strong lead actors, dressing and “cheating” locations to resemble the US, sourcing Western supporting and background actors locally, and guiding key crew members toward an aesthetic that appeals to American audiences.
That said, these observations are based solely on my experience shooting English-language vertical series in both regions and don’t necessarily apply to traditional film or television productions.
— I read that a lot of young China grads are going into micro dramas partly because the employment market is not so good! What is your view on this?
The job market has never been particularly easy for film students. There’s even a saying in film schools that “graduation means unemployment.” In that context, micro dramas have created significant job opportunities, especially for Chinese graduates from overseas film programs.
This group has a unique advantage: they are trained in Western filmmaking and understand the tastes of Western audiences, while also being familiar with the narrative logic of Chinese vertical dramas, which can be seen as the predecessor of today’s vertical format. At the same time, many of the major platforms and clients in this space are Chinese-owned. Being bilingual and culturally fluent gives these graduates a competitive edge because they can communicate smoothly with Chinese producers who may not speak English.
Of course, most film students ultimately aspire to direct features. However, many would agree that working on vertical series is far more valuable than doing nothing while waiting for the right opportunity. It keeps your technical skills sharp, strengthens your storytelling instincts, and prepares you to take on larger-scale projects when the time comes.
— Any specific format or approach in your directing of micro dramas when targeting/addressing audiences in China and overseas?
I haven’t directed many vertical dramas for Chinese audiences yet, but I study them closely to understand current trends and styles. One thing I’ve noticed is that most Chinese vertical dramas have a super-fast pace, with frequent flashbacks, rapid-cut editing, heightened performances, and high-intensity dramatic structures where logic sometimes takes a backseat.
When working with Western audiences, I try to balance heightened drama with grounded storytelling. I focus first on clarifying the narrative logic and refining the characters’ emotional arcs so that even high-stakes situations remain relatable to the audience. This is especially important when adapting Chinese scripts for overseas viewers, who may not be accustomed to overly exaggerated narratives.
Another key consideration is perspective: I deliberately maintain a female gaze, understanding that many of these shows are designed to evoke fantasy, desire, and emotional catharsis for a predominantly female audience.
In terms of visuals, I aim to balance a polished, cinematic look with brightness and clarity that make the content easy to watch on a phone in any environment. Additionally, because vertical framing is inherently restrictive, I try to use a variety of techniques to make the composition feel dynamic and layered. For example, I like to incorporate strong foreground elements to fill the empty space and create depth, apply Dutch angles to add tension, play with height differences between actors to establish hierarchy or emotional dynamics, and use vertical stacking of characters or objects to guide the viewer’s eye through the frame. These strategies help ensure that every shot is visually engaging, maximizes the vertical space, and supports the storytelling by enhancing mood, focus, and emotional impact.
Teng LeeYein