Although romance stories have long fueled the mini-drama industry, a group of creators are trying to popularize mini-stories in other genres — from true crime to anime to thrillers to faith and now family.
Lighthouse Verticals, a new micro-drama platform with a focus on faith-based entertainment, will launch in November with original projects from Studio316 and Snow Story Productions. Hollywood Reporter I’ve learned. Studio316 was founded by former NFL pro Tim Tebow’s company Tebow Group to produce religious entertainment. Snow Story Productions has produced several segments for DramaShorts and commercials for the likes of Sonic, HP and Bud Light.
Lighthouse Verticals, which will focus on “values-based entertainment,” according to a press release, is co-founded by director Brent Ryan Green (executive producer of The chosen one And co-producer of The unbreakable boy), Jesse Liddell (Former Vice President of LD Entertainment), Justin Levy (Executive Producer of Black rabbit and Tradestone) and Scott Holroyd (producer Electric Money: The Bitcoin Mystery).
Liddell, who will serve as CEO of Lighthouse Verticals, described the company’s audience as “wanting to engage with culture without any compromises.” Of viewers looking for faith-based and family content, he added, “They want entertainment with real emotion, real momentum and values they can trust, but they’ve been largely overlooked by the fastest-growing platforms in the space. Lighthouse Verticals is designed for them.”
Heisman Trophy winner Tebow, who has long been vocal about his evangelical Christian faith, will produce projects for Lighthouse Verticals after recently serving in the role on the animated musical. Davidwhich will be distributed in the US by Angel in 2025. His Studio316 is set to work on more than 30 projects with Snow Story Productions for the platform.
“I believe stories have the power to change the way people see themselves, see others, and ultimately see Jesus,” Tebow said in a statement. “We are committed to telling stories with excellence, and we hope that we can ultimately glorify God in the process.”
Like other companies in the small drama space, Lighthouse Verticals will launch its own app, which is currently in beta, to monetize short story telling. In a more original twist, the app will feature “community hubs” and the ability for viewers to discuss stories live. In other words, the app is designed to allow community groups to watch and talk about series together, though the company won’t share many specific details about these features at the moment.
Lighthouse Verticals is developing stories that include romance, comedy, drama and family themes, with titles scheduled to be announced at a later date. It also targets multiple age groups with its fare.
“Studio 316 was created out of a shared belief that faith-based entertainment has long been underserved by emerging digital formats, despite the massive scale and passion of audiences,” Edward Tomasi, executive producer of Snow Story Productions and co-founder of Studio 316, said in a statement. “By combining Tim’s passion for faith-centered storytelling, Tebow Group’s mission-oriented vision, Snow Story’s production expertise and Lighthouse’s innovative distribution platform, we are building something that can meaningfully expand faith-based and family entertainment.”
