- il y a 2 mois
In this interview, filmmaker Mauricio Osaki, creative director of Lupe Films, shares his journey into the rapidly growing short-drama industry. From adapting Chinese IP like Escaping as the CEO's Wife to creating original English-language productions, Ozaki discusses the challenges of localisation, the importance of casting, pacing stories for mobile-first audiences, and the evolving global future of vertical storytelling. interview by Wenwen Han.
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00:00Could you briefly introduce yourself and your role in the short drama industry?
00:03My name is Mauricio Tosaki.
00:06I'm a filmmaker, creative director of Lupe Films,
00:10where we create original short dramas and we also do localization.
00:16We've been doing mostly in English,
00:19and now we've also been in talks to do create series in Portuguese and Spanish.
00:26How did you first get involved in short dramas?
00:29I first got involved when I got invited to finish the localization of a Chinese IP script
00:37that was, I think, from Short Mac escaping as the CEO wife.
00:44And then it was pretty much kind of a rough translation.
00:48Me and the main actor, we got the script.
00:52We're trying to figure out, it was the first time I was,
00:54that was more than a year and a half ago,
00:57was the first time we were going through a vertical drama script in English.
01:02And it was like one page and a half, one episode.
01:05And it's so demanding because, you know, one page and a half
01:09and you have so much information, so many things going on,
01:12props and actions and plot twists.
01:15Usually, for example, a normal script, like a hundred pages,
01:20I take an hour and a half to read.
01:22But with the vertical script to read,
01:25it would take me way longer to go through all the details, understand.
01:30And I think because it was the kind of translation
01:34and the original Chinese IP, I think, was around 200 episodes
01:39and we just have a hundred, there was a lot of a plot hole.
01:45So we're trying to make sense of everything,
01:49adjust as much as we could the story.
01:51We received the script a week before the shooting.
01:55So it was like a work in progress.
01:58And even on set, sometimes they're like,
02:00okay, this line doesn't make sense here.
02:01Let's adjust this.
02:03But anyway, this year was released.
02:05It was a big hit because they did well with the numbers.
02:09And after like a few weeks, I got a new script.
02:12And then since then, I think I never stopped.
02:15How would you define short drama?
02:17And what do you think is their essence?
02:19I think short drama is modern version of soap opera.
02:26What I think the essence is always the human story.
02:32You know, it's the romance, it's the love triangles,
02:36it's the betrayals, the revenge that are aspects of our nature,
02:41that our brain is wired to react, to recognize, to empathize,
02:46to laugh, to cry.
02:48And I think because of our connection as humans,
02:53it doesn't matter if it's speaking Chinese,
02:56if it's a love story in Chinese, in Korean, Japanese,
02:59if it's in English, in whatever language,
03:02we still can recognize that.
03:04And that's why moves and short dramas, they can travel.
03:08And so it is a modernization, in my view, of the soap operas,
03:13but it's also connected to how the technology is.
03:18Because nowadays we can watch on our phones,
03:23and we can swap and the distributional system
03:27is way more effective and fast.
03:31And I think this modernization of the soap operas
03:35with the distributional system that we have now
03:38through the platforms,
03:39that made vertical dramas explode around the world.
03:42So what's the essence?
03:43Essence, I would say, is a mobile-first version of soap opera.
03:48But the vertical dramas,
03:50what's the difference between films and vertical dramas?
03:55I think it medium was designed for their time.
03:59So, for example, movies were designed,
04:01and it's still designed, you know,
04:02to have a shared experience to watch on the big screen,
04:06because that's the medium we had back in the days.
04:10And I think it's still very powerful, very effective.
04:12I still love going to the theater.
04:14Then we have, like, the TV series or soap operas
04:18that are designed to watch on the television at home.
04:22So there's a lot of repetition in the information.
04:25You can be washing the dishes, cooking,
04:28and watching at the same time,
04:30listening to the conversation.
04:31It's still effective.
04:33It's like a radio.
04:34And I think the short dramas,
04:37they are designed for mobile-first.
04:39They are short episodes.
04:41They are short vertically.
04:43And they are just the right time.
04:46For example, you can be commuting, watching,
04:48and then stop and keep watching after the work.
04:52So it's the type of entertainment
04:56that's perfect for watching in the mobile phone.
05:00What are some common script issues
05:02that you, as a director,
05:04often need to fix or adjust during production?
05:07Like, for example, it depends.
05:08If it's a localization, there's a lot of culture.
05:13For example, let's say it's a localization
05:14of a Chinese IP script to the U.S.
05:18There's a lot of a culture of elements
05:21that's not just about the translate.
05:23We have to rethink.
05:25For example, in China, there's a lot of scenes.
05:28The CEO has a lot of assistance,
05:32and they all bow to him.
05:34You know, in the U.S.,
05:35no one is going to be bowing to the CEO, right?
05:37So we have to recreate that scene
05:41to have the same effect,
05:42but that fits U.S. culture.
05:46And that's, I think, one of the challenges
05:48that we do in localization
05:49is to understand what this scene is about,
05:52is to show that this CEO is very powerful,
05:55and he has a lot of employees underneath him
05:58that respect him.
06:00So maybe in Asia,
06:02they were going to show respect in one way,
06:04and the power will be displayed in one way.
06:07But when you come to U.S. culture,
06:09Western culture,
06:10you know, there's other ways
06:11that we can display and show powerful.
06:13Maybe he has some bodyguards,
06:15and he has a powerful car,
06:17and his office looks in a certain way,
06:20and there are many women who like him.
06:22So I think that's important to pay attention.
06:26And I think when we are doing the original script,
06:30it's to make sure that in the script
06:32that I work with my writers,
06:34we try to innovate as well.
06:37You know, how can we still make the short dramas,
06:40the vertical dramas with the vertical trope,
06:42and sometimes avoid excessive bullying
06:46or other elements that we think
06:48always been used too much?
06:50How can we create a character?
06:52It doesn't need to be the weak CEO
06:53who are understood all the time.
06:55How can we make something a little different?
06:58So as a director,
06:59what's the core element
07:00you always make sure to bring out
07:02from script to screen?
07:04For me, casting is super important.
07:07You know, it's to understand the character
07:08and to think, okay,
07:10who can play that character
07:13and bring it to life
07:14and understand.
07:16A lot of the dialogues,
07:17they're very silly sometimes
07:19or they can be on the nose.
07:21So you need that type of actor.
07:23And that's something very important
07:25because some people think,
07:26oh, these productions are cheap,
07:28they're fast-paced.
07:29And actually, it demands
07:31to have very, very skilled actors,
07:33very high-quality actors
07:35that they can take that line,
07:37they can make believable
07:38and they can translate with emotion
07:41that type of scenes.
07:42How do you create emotional relationships
07:44resonance with the audience?
07:46I think, yeah,
07:48it starts with casting.
07:49We need the actor
07:51and the actress
07:52that they can understand the character,
07:55understand the text
07:56and bring emotion
07:58because you cannot fake.
08:00You know,
08:00I think people,
08:04it's not something
08:05you can fully explain,
08:06but people can feel
08:07when you're watching a movie,
08:09when you're watching a virtual drama,
08:10always emotional.
08:11oh, I believe in that guy
08:13and believe in that character.
08:15I see what he's feeling.
08:16And I think
08:17when we achieve that,
08:19the series can have
08:21a good viewership.
08:22When you choose an actor,
08:24what makes you decide,
08:26this is the one?
08:27This is the one I'm looking for?
08:28Usually,
08:30I'm always nowadays
08:32watching many dramas
08:33and then whenever I see an actor
08:35I really like,
08:36I always add on Instagram,
08:38send a message,
08:39try to keep in touch,
08:40you know,
08:41and then start thinking,
08:42oh my God,
08:42I love that actor,
08:43I love this,
08:43this,
08:43I would love to work
08:44with him or her.
08:46And then
08:47when I receive a script,
08:49I try to think,
08:51which actor that I like
08:53could be ideal
08:54for this character.
08:56then we do a tape,
08:59an audition.
08:59So I always like
09:01to take one scene
09:02of these three
09:03centrophile actors
09:04having them reading
09:06and then I can see,
09:08oh,
09:08and then,
09:09you know,
09:09sometimes
09:10different actors
09:11that we're going to interpret
09:13different versions
09:14of that character
09:15and sometimes
09:16it's not which one
09:17is better or worse,
09:19but which one
09:20fits better
09:21that story
09:22and that's how
09:23I try to choose.
09:24But those are actors
09:25with proven records,
09:27right?
09:27You've seen their shows
09:28before.
09:29Some,
09:30yes.
09:30I work with actors
09:32that I have not seen
09:34any shows of them
09:35or they're new
09:36to the vertical dramas
09:37and then we still
09:39did an audition
09:40who performed well
09:41on the vertical.
09:43Let's say
09:44a new actor
09:45wants to get
09:45into the short drama
09:46industry.
09:47From a director
09:48perspective,
09:49what would you suggest?
09:51How were he prepared?
09:52OK,
09:53so one thing
09:54that for me
09:55is really easy
09:56when I go
09:56to the Instagram
09:57of an actor,
10:00I love to see
10:01what he's done before,
10:03even if he hasn't
10:04done a vertical drama,
10:05but if he did
10:06a theater play,
10:08if he did
10:08a short film,
10:09if he did anything
10:10else and there's
10:12scenes of him,
10:13solo scenes of him,
10:14and then I can play
10:15and watch
10:15and I say,
10:16oh,
10:16this guy is a good actor,
10:17let me see how
10:18he looks
10:18on the screen.
10:19You know,
10:20there's so many
10:21things we can
10:22immediately see.
10:23That's the idea
10:24for me to go
10:26when I'm looking
10:27for an actor,
10:29I go to their
10:29social media
10:30and I can see
10:31some of his
10:32acting reel.
10:33I don't need
10:33to upload a lot,
10:34but if they have
10:35two or three videos
10:36of their acting skills,
10:38it can be a play,
10:40it doesn't need
10:40to be a big production,
10:42it doesn't need
10:43to be a vertical,
10:44but I need to see
10:45him acting
10:47for the camera.
10:48You know,
10:49that's the most
10:49important because
10:52sometimes you're
10:53going to go
10:53to their website
10:54or their portfolio
10:57or their Instagram,
10:58social media,
10:59and there's a thousand
11:00of photos
11:00and all the photos
11:01look good,
11:02but I need to see
11:03on the camera,
11:04on the moving image,
11:06how it looks.
11:07For a new writer,
11:09if they want
11:10to get into
11:11this industry,
11:12what's your suggestion
11:13on that?
11:13So I work
11:14with a few
11:16different writers
11:16when we do
11:18the originals,
11:19and I think
11:20now
11:20there's a lot
11:22of platforms,
11:24there's a lot
11:24of new platforms.
11:26One suggestion
11:28is to write
11:29a spec,
11:31like a spec script,
11:32like for example,
11:33take a original
11:34and maybe
11:36they can write
11:37ten episodes,
11:38five episodes,
11:39and maybe
11:39try to talk
11:41to the newest
11:42platforms.
11:42and I think
11:44platforms,
11:45they're always
11:46looking for
11:47writers who
11:48can work
11:49in a fast-paced
11:50thing,
11:50who can create
11:51lively characters,
11:53who can
11:54localize stories,
11:55even with
11:56all the
11:57advances
11:57of AI.
11:59I don't believe
12:00AI will ever
12:01be able
12:01to write
12:02a script
12:03that resonates
12:04with us.
12:06writing jobs
12:07will be
12:08there.
12:10Or another
12:12suggestion is
12:13we've been
12:14talking about
12:14that there's
12:15a lot of
12:15platforms that
12:17they have a
12:17big collection
12:18of IPs
12:19from their
12:20web novel.
12:21If you take
12:22one of that
12:22web novel
12:23and then
12:24do ten
12:25episodes,
12:26adaptation,
12:27turn to the
12:27platform,
12:28what do you
12:28think?
12:29It's a way
12:29to connect.
12:31Another
12:32way,
12:33and I think
12:33that's essential
12:34as well,
12:35is to follow
12:36a bit what's
12:37going on in
12:37the community.
12:38Watch the
12:39short drama
12:39alliance,
12:40watch the
12:41podcast,
12:42what's going
12:43on,
12:43because there
12:44is some
12:46skills to
12:47write a
12:47vertical drama.
12:48It's not
12:48like to write
12:49a feature
12:50film or
12:50short film
12:51or documentary
12:52so there
12:53are specific
12:54tropes and
12:55skills that
12:57you need to
12:57learn to
12:58write the
12:59short drama.
13:00How do you
13:00control the
13:01pacing of
13:02short drama
13:02from a
13:03directing and
13:05post-production
13:06perspective?
13:07So for me,
13:08directing starts
13:08on the casting.
13:10So from the
13:10casting moment,
13:11we have the
13:12tape, we
13:13try to set
13:15the tone
13:16we want
13:17for that
13:18show.
13:19Then one
13:20thing I love
13:21to do before
13:21we start
13:22shooting is
13:23a full
13:23table reading
13:24with all
13:25the casts
13:26and then
13:27we can go
13:28through all
13:28the scripts,
13:29all the
13:29scenes, we
13:30read the
13:30dialogue, we
13:31make the
13:32adjustments of
13:32the scenes.
13:33I have the
13:34time in
13:35that day of
13:35the table
13:36reading to
13:36make some
13:37adjustments with
13:38the cast
13:38because sometimes
13:39on sets there
13:40are too many
13:40things going
13:41on, but on
13:41the day of
13:42the table
13:42reading we
13:43can make
13:43many
13:43adjustments.
13:44So when
13:45we come to
13:45the set,
13:46they know
13:46what I
13:47expect from
13:47each line,
13:48from each
13:49scene, and
13:50then we can
13:50shoot smoothly.
13:51and then
13:52in the
13:53post-production,
13:54I usually
13:55follow from
13:56the start to
13:56the end of
13:57post-production.
13:58Sometimes we
13:59are just in
13:59the pacing of
14:00an episode,
14:01sometimes we
14:01happen to
14:03combine two
14:04episodes in
14:04one to make
14:05it faster and
14:07stronger.
14:07I watch some
14:08overseas platforms.
14:10Every episode
14:11is about just
14:12one minute, but
14:14for Chinese
14:15short dramas,
14:16sometimes they
14:17were as long
14:17as two to
14:18three minutes
14:19per episode
14:20because we
14:20need the
14:21twists, the
14:23hooks and
14:24everything, and
14:24then there was
14:25a cliffhanger.
14:26So I don't
14:26know why this,
14:27I haven't
14:28talked to the
14:29platform
14:29executives yet,
14:30I'm just very
14:31curious why they
14:32do that.
14:32I'm not
14:33sure, but
14:33yes, you're
14:34absolutely right.
14:35Some of the
14:36platforms I've
14:37been working
14:37for in
14:38English, our
14:40episodes have
14:41been, the
14:42ideal length
14:43have been 60
14:44seconds, one
14:45minute.
14:46When I work
14:47with some of
14:49the Chinese
14:49platforms, yeah,
14:50the scripts can
14:51go as, like,
14:52the episodes can
14:53go around two
14:55minutes, two and
14:56a half, but in
14:57English, it's
14:58really rare to
14:59go two minutes.
15:00Maybe the first
15:01two or three
15:01episodes, the
15:02set up, they're
15:03a bit longer, but
15:04as the series
15:05go, they want
15:06to, like, to
15:07keep around one
15:08minute.
15:08And we still
15:09have the
15:09cliffhangers, we
15:10still have
15:10everything.
15:11In the
15:12Chinese ones
15:13that I work,
15:14there are more
15:15repetitions, you
15:16know, there are
15:16more things that
15:17happen, for
15:18example, she
15:19steals, let's
15:21say a character
15:21steals a bag of
15:22someone, and
15:23say, oh, that's
15:24not your bag, and
15:25then another
15:26person comes in
15:26the scene and
15:27say, oh, no, I
15:28saw her in the
15:28bag, and then
15:29one more person
15:29comes.
15:30You know, there
15:31are more
15:32repetitions that
15:33when we do
15:34the series in
15:34English, things
15:36are more
15:36straightforward.
15:37They might
15:38have some
15:40numbers that
15:41show that it's
15:42more effective.
15:43That's why
15:43everyone is
15:43keeping around
15:4460 seconds.
15:45in North America,
15:47most short
15:48dramas do
15:48CEO romance
15:50stories, dominating
15:51the whole
15:51market.
15:52So what other
15:53types of
15:53stories do you
15:54think could be
15:55explored, and
15:56why?
15:56I think one
15:58type of stories
15:59that do pretty
16:00well, we did
16:01one, sport, we
16:02did one, boxing,
16:04MMA, fight for
16:05love, was a big
16:06hit in Viglo, and
16:09then after that,
16:09everyone's doing
16:10boxing now, and
16:11MMA, fighting,
16:13there's so many
16:13sports that I've
16:14seen now every
16:15week, and the
16:16sports do pretty
16:17well, like we
16:18have football, we
16:19have tennis,
16:20basketball, all
16:21types of sports, now
16:22they're doing
16:23well.
16:23We did also one
16:26recently, that's
16:27the army guy
16:28coming back
16:29to, and this
16:31type of army
16:32usually do well
16:33in US as well,
16:34like, oh, the
16:35guy was in the
16:36army, was in
16:37some war abroad,
16:38and now he's
16:38back, and he
16:39can use his
16:40skills, like,
16:42there's a lot
16:43of us
16:43series like
16:44that, that
16:45do well, hidden
16:47identity, you
16:48know, they do
16:49well, like, oh,
16:50the guy, it's a
16:51homeless, you
16:52know, there's a
16:53lot of these
16:53stories, or he's
16:54on the street,
16:55and these guys,
16:56and then they
16:57find him, then
16:58he take a shower,
16:59he's the very
17:00handsome man.
17:02Now, I was
17:03listening to their
17:03podcast, that
17:04some people are
17:06saying that,
17:06especially because
17:07it's Halloween
17:07now, and people
17:09are saying that
17:09horror verticals,
17:11are going to
17:12be maybe the
17:13next wave, they
17:14can do really
17:14well, because
17:15usually horror
17:17films, they have
17:17this quality of
17:18sometimes looking
17:20cheap and funny,
17:21you know, and
17:21there's a lot of
17:22blood, and people
17:23laugh, and
17:24there's someone,
17:25so I think that's
17:27a potential as
17:28well to explore.
17:29How do you see
17:30the future of
17:30short dramas?
17:31I think, you
17:33know, there was
17:33a debate a few
17:34months ago, or
17:36last year, about,
17:37oh, is this a
17:37trend, is this
17:38going to finish?
17:39I think by
17:40now, and we
17:41discuss about
17:41that, right, I
17:42think me and
17:42you, we
17:43believe, and we
17:44know it's here
17:45to stay, right,
17:47kind of, for me,
17:48it was never a
17:49doubt, I always,
17:50from the get-go,
17:51when I did, I
17:52think, first or
17:53second series, and
17:54I see the
17:55audience, the
17:55reaction, I'm
17:56like, oh, this
17:57is definitely not
17:58a trend, it's
17:59going to be here
18:00to stay, unless
18:01we stop using
18:03mobile phones, you
18:03know, unless
18:04there's something
18:04new that's not
18:05the mobile phone,
18:06so I think, as
18:08for now, what
18:09we're going to
18:09see in 2026 is
18:11expansion of new
18:13platforms in
18:14US, because we've
18:17been talking about
18:18that, right, a lot
18:19of the platforms are
18:20still from Chinese
18:22modern companies, but
18:24I think in 2026, we're
18:26going to see this
18:27expansion, of course,
18:28from platforms from
18:30US, from Europe,
18:31maybe Latin
18:32America, now we have
18:34already in India, you
18:35know, in different
18:35parts of the
18:36world, and we're
18:37going to see more
18:39integration with
18:40Hollywood, you know,
18:41I've seen, like, some
18:42platforms, they want
18:43to do, like, some
18:44CSI style, some
18:45different types of
18:46shows, they want to
18:47test what's possible
18:50to be done, so I
18:51think, I would say
18:53it's looking good for
18:532026, you know,
18:55there'll be, I
18:56think, a lot of
18:56originals, new
18:58players, new
18:59platforms, so I'm
19:01very optimistic for
19:03the future.
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