Taye Diggs is investing in the future of filmmaking by partnering to launch Microhouse Films, a vertical video platform that puts distribution directly in filmmakers’ hands.
On April 30, Diggs and partners Autumn Federici, Shelby Stone, James Black, and Troy Brookins announced the platform’s launch, aimed at supporting the next generation of vertical series, Deadline reports. As part of its service offerings, Microhouse Films will enable creators to produce, distribute, and monetize their work within a single platform.
“When we
thought about how to meaningfully impact the vertical space, we immediately focused on the creators and storytellers whose livelihoods depend on where this industry is headed,” Diggs said in a statement. “Microhouse Films is about creating a model that supports them in this next phase and allows them to keep telling stories that move us.”A mobile-first storytelling platform, Microhouse Films will be free to use, with no subscription or hosting fees, while giving creators full control over monetization. Operating without ads, filmmakers can decide which episodes are free and which are behind a token-based pay system, setting their own pricing, release strategy, and revenue model.
The platform will also feature built-in discovery tools, including customizable genre tags, as well as promotional features such as shareable, branded landing pages for each series. It expands on the growth of microdramas in recent years. Also known as “verticals” for their phone-first, portrait format, the recording style gained popularity in China during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since grown in the U.S., with platforms like ReelShort and DramaBox attracting audiences to short, low-budget, serialized content.
“The industry is rapidly changing, and we have an opportunity to redefine who benefits in this new ecosystem that puts control directly in the hands of filmmakers,” partners Federici, Stone, Black, and Brookins said. “We’re excited to introduce a model for vertical storytelling with Microhouse Films that places a premium on both the quality of the work and the storyteller behind the content.”
Alongside
the launch of Microhouse Films, Diggs has teamed up with his partners to executive produce the microdrama “Tides of Temptation,” starring Swag Boy Q. The project expands the world of “Terry McMillan Presents: Paradise With You,” which also stars Diggs.RELATED CONTENT: Minding Our Own Business: How W.E.B. Du Bois Reframed Black American Identity Through The Diaspora