Digital Hollywood: The AI & Entertainment Summit
Tuesday, July 21st, 2026
Noon – 12:50 PM Eastern Time Zone
Session III: A Virtual Event
Microdrama at Scale: Format, IP, and Monetization
Microdramas, bite-sized serialized narratives delivered in vertical video format, are one of the fastest growing and most commercially compelling formats in entertainment today. Running one to three minutes per episode with completion rates three to five times higher than traditional formats, these hyper-engaging stories are commanding premium CPMs and rewriting the economics of both entertainment and advertising simultaneously. But microdrama success is not accidental — it is engineered. In this session we examine the structural anatomy of what works: narrative compression techniques that deliver genuine emotional payoff in under ninety seconds, IP strategies that build defensible character universes with real franchise potential, and monetization models that blend brand integration, creator revenue share and programmatic sponsorship. The format is new. The opportunity is enormous.
Speakers:
Kelly Garner, CEO, Treefort Media
Scott Brown, CEO, Second Rodeo, Formerly Mr Beast
Sophia Xing, CEO, Plot Party
Ed Zobrist, CEO, Vignetta, former, Head of Publishing, Epic Games
JR Griffin, Senior Vice President, Digital, Fremantle, Moderator
Diana Colella is executive vice president of Autodesk’s Entertainment & Media vertical solutions group. In this role, she manages product, strategy and execution for the company’s portfolio servicing the film, TV and games industries. Colella has been with Autodesk for more than 20 years occupying a range of leadership roles, including head of product management and worldwide support. She has extensive experience in strategically transforming business models, creating new product offerings and optimizing processes on a global scale. Most recently, she served as vice president in Autodesk’s Business Strategy and Marketing group, leading the M&E and AutoCAD businesses, which represent more than $1B in annual recurring revenue. In this role, she drove the company’s strategy for digital conversion of non-compliant users and launched One AutoCAD. She is the executive sponsor of the Autodesk Women’s Network.
