"Fast forward a few years, and after freelancing for production companies that serve Disney, I was brought on as a permanent employee, supporting ABC, Hulu, Freeform, and Onyx, on creative marketing campaigns. It's feast or famine in Hollywood, and I was blessed to get more of a permanent thing. I have three kids, and my wife is in entertainment, too, and there were often times one of us wouldn't be working."
"I got introduced to vertical dramas through one of the production companies we used at Disney, Snow Story, that brought me on as an executive producer. First, I had my misgivings because micro dramas were known for having low budgets and arduous schedules. But when I got on set, I saw a lot of the crew that I had been working with over the years. So I'm, like, fully in."
"Erik Heintz is a producer who found stability in micro dramas after being laid off from Disney. Micro dramas, popularized in China, are gaining traction in the US via apps. The shoots are fast-paced and require quick thinking, but provide jobs in a contracting Hollywood. This as-told-to essay is based on conversations with Erik Heintz, 49, a producer in Burbank, California, about his experience working in the booming micro drama business."
Erik Heintz moved from Massachusetts to California for the Coast Guard and later entered Hollywood, initially pursuing music before becoming a talent manager. He freelanced for production companies serving Disney and was later hired to support ABC, Hulu, Freeform and Onyx on creative marketing campaigns. He was laid off in 2023, prompting consulting and business development work. Heintz was introduced to vertical micro dramas through Snow Story and joined as an executive producer despite concerns about low budgets and tight schedules. He found familiar crew members on set and embraced the micro drama work. The first one he made was "Keys to M".
Read at Business Insider
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