Google and Range Media Partners are getting serious about small dramas, and have enticed some heavyweight Hollywood producers to produce these small stories for them.
The two companies’ joint production initiative, 100 Zeros, announced a slate of scripted and unscripted verticals on Thursday that underscore how seriously some corners of Hollywood are taking the vertical video format. Their programs include shows from Bachelor’s degree creative Mike Fleiss, American Idol creative simon fuller, Charlie’s Angels Manager and Baywatch Director and executive producer McG, Kenan Thompson, and John Ryan Jr. produce Artists for Artists.
Bachelor’s degreeFleiss is producing Dateablea self-filmed reality romance show that will see singles documenting their dating journeys. Charlie’s Angels Director and former executive producer of okay McG is behind a show called Newport Beach Which will mark a “creative return to Orange County.” Artists for Artists will produce an abduction thriller with a black comedy element.
and Simon Fuller, creator American Idol and So you think you can danceThe company added that it is planning a full slate of mini-dramas for 100 ZEROS, “including music, youth culture, and stories of emerging talent,” without going into further details.
It’s all part of a larger 100 ZEROS production initiative, which launches in 2025 with the aim of promoting technology and Google products through storytelling. There are “dozens” of mini-dramas in development, and 100 ZEROS is creating custom packages to enable vertical video production at scale, according to the companies.
100 ZEROS plans to premiere the projects on the Google TV app on Android phones and then stream them across different platforms.
Range’s Rachel Douglas, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Mark Herwick will oversee the small drama slate, while Casey Durant and Penny Lin will handle creative work on 100 ZEROS projects.
The initiative is another indication that traditional (and previously traditional) Hollywood executives see opportunity in vertical video. Although the popularity of the format has skyrocketed thanks to soapy romances and genre stories of questionable quality, experienced creators are getting into the game, betting on their ability to expand the audience with new genres and consistent storytelling. Former Miramax CEO Bill Block, former WME and ABC Entertainment chief Lloyd Brown, former Showtime chief Jana Winograd, and former NBCUniversal Television and Streaming Entertainment chief Susan Rovner are all working on new spin-offs for smaller dramas, while Fox Entertainment has announced an equity stake in Holywater. Taye Diggs is producing a mini-drama for Lifetime and starring in another CandyJar app.
Christian Solidarity International Creator Anthony Zwicker has released several mini-dramas using Block’s app, GammaTime. He said Hollywood Reporter In 2025, he believes this format will appeal to Hollywood creatives because it allows them to get their works greenlit quickly at a time when traditional entertainment companies are becoming increasingly cautious and risk-averse.
“I think the reason people do it is because they want to see their films being made,” he said. “Every time I call Bill Block and say, ‘I have an idea,’ the answer is, ‘Yes.’ That’s the best part about it.”
