At the Festival des Séries d’Asie, producer and director Sara de Bono (Bono Pictures) shared her insights on the evolving landscape of global fiction, micro-dramas, and international co-productions.
Based in the United Kingdom and working across Europe, Canada, and the US, Sara brings a wealth of experience spanning over 40 films, series, and vertical fictions. Combining strong creative instincts with production strategy, she has worked extensively across both traditional media and pioneering vertical drama platforms—including GoodShorts, ShortMax, KalosTv, MiniShorts, FlexTv, NetShort, and Shortica. Her recent projects include producing a micro-drama for Paul C. Brunson directed by Rose McGowan, as well as the Canadian series Pass the Salt.
Below is the transcript of the Q&A session discussing co-production strategies, the impact of AI, and where the next major hubs for creative innovation lie.
As a producer and a director navigating between European creation and Asian influences, what do you see as the major co-production opportunities to help stories travel when they are designated for local and international audiences?
The biggest opportunities for co-production come from collaborating with a partner or production company from a different country. While vertical drama platforms often come to the UK, Europe, or the US primarily for production services rather than co-production, true co-production offers huge advantages. It gives you access to diverse, striking landscapes and provides significant budget relief by sharing the financial weight and operational logistics between two companies.
You are here at the Festival Series d’Asie for the highlight on the rapid rise of short formats and micro-dramas. Do you believe this vertical, highly dynamic serial storytelling will permanently redefine the global fiction market?
By the global fiction market, I assume you mean traditional feature films and TV series. I don’t believe vertical dramas are here to replace traditional films or television—they are their own ecosystem and format. They have entirely different needs: the scripts, production methods, acting styles, and pacing are completely distinct.
While some audiences overlap, others exclusively watch vertical dramas or traditional TV. It’s simply a complementary format tailored to different viewer habits.
How do you manage to make a series concept universally accessible while still preserving the cultural specificity and authenticity of the original story?
There is an audience for every genre across different regions. When it comes to vertical drama platforms, they typically handle story development in-house—aiming primarily at Western or specific target audiences—rather than relying on independent production companies to bring pre-packaged concepts.
To help a story go international while preserving its core essence, translation and dubbing play a crucial role. Vertical drama platforms invest heavily in dubbing their series into multiple languages to make culturally specific stories accessible worldwide.
Considering the rapid evolution of streaming platforms and the emergence of new production tools, what are the main technical and economic challenges that creators will face over the next five years?
The industry is evolving at a rapid pace. Beyond established vertical apps, new platforms are constantly being launched by actors, celebrities, traditional production companies, and major streaming giants. The landscape has changed dramatically just since late 2024.
Technologically, AI plays a massive role in post-production, research, dubbing, subtitles, and scriptwriting support. While there is controversy around voice replication and fully AI-generated series, fully AI-driven productions—despite lower costs—are not performing as well as initially expected. Live-action series remain essential, and the industry is currently working to find the right balance within this ecosystem.
Economically, the shift towards AI and automated tools poses a challenge to certain traditional film departments due to potential workforce reductions. However, the rise of vertical formats and new streaming platforms also creates fresh avenues and broader industry opportunities overall.
If you had to anticipate the next major trend in global TV fiction, in which domain or geographical region do you think the next great hub of creative innovation lies?
Outside of Europe, there is a major rise happening in India, South Asia, and South America. Over the next few years, these regions will become key hubs for business opportunities, local storytelling, and new prospects for production crews, actors, and creators.
Elisa Cutullè