Behind the Screen: Inside the Making of the Hit TikTok Micro-Series SCREEN TIME
About this Spotlight
Verticals. Short-Form Content. You’ve likely heard these buzzwords - but what do they actually mean for the future of entertainment? Micro-series are serialized, story-driven episodes running 60-120 seconds each, built natively for mobile viewing and designed to reach audiences at scale. As one of the fastest-growing formats in the entertainment industry, TikTok has emerged as the definitive home for this new wave of storytelling, offering creators unparalleled global reach, immediate distribution, and a highly interactive audience framework. Today, the platform is actively looking for talented writers, filmmakers, and creators across every genre to help build this ecosystem.
No one has demonstrated the precise creative, directorial, and operational execution of this format clearer than the filmmaking team behind Screen Time.
Produced by Hoorae Digital, Screen Time follows two couples on a double-date movie night when a mysterious figure hijacks the TV, forcing the couples to confess their secrets or risk exposure. Brought to life by producer Elizabeth Dell and director Kristen Brancaccio, the project shattered records, quickly became the top-performing series in the history of both TikTok and PineDrama, reaching a staggering 75 million views in its first week alone. For the filmmaking team, the partnership provided a unique opportunity to prove that high-caliber, cinematic narratives can thrive in short-form spaces, utilizing TikTok’s content-led discovery to build a global fandom overnight.
In this live online event, you’ll hear firsthand from Dell and Brancaccio about their journey steering this groundbreaking project. They will share:
- Their key creative and business learnings from the massive success of Screen Time.
- The logistical realities of producing and directing high-stakes drama for vertical screens.
- How traditional filmmakers can maintain artistic integrity and cinematic quality under micro-short constraints.
- Why they see this moment as the time for new and innovative micro-series to thrive
If you're a writer, filmmaker, or creator wondering how to claim your stake in this evolving landscape, this conversation is your gateway. This event highlights a massive, broader opportunity for traditional storytellers to transition their skills into the short-form market.
To help you take immediate action, Sundance Collab has partnered with TikTok to offer an exclusive, free four-week live online course, From Script to Screens: Writing Your Micro-Series. Whether you are an emerging or mid-career writer, this event and our upcoming course will provide you with the insights and structural tools to develop your original stories and master this distinct craft.
If you would benefit from an accommodation to fully participate in this event, please complete this form, contact us at (435) 776-7790, or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to discuss your specific requests. Every effort will be made to accommodate advance requests; however, requests made within 5 days of the event may not be guaranteed.
A recording of this event will be posted to Sundance Collab's Event Recording Library two business days after the live event. All registered attendees will receive an email with a link to view the recording.
SpotlightTeam
Elizabeth Dell
Elizabeth is a producer and consultant at HOORAE media, leading their microseries creation, including the recently released Screen Time, which garnered 75M+ views in its first week, distributed exclusively on TikTok and PineDrama. Previously the Head of Production for Inkitt, she oversaw 30+ vertical shows for their platform CandyJarTV. She produced multiple indie features, pilots, webseries, commercials, etc. including Destination Wedding, starring Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves. Elizabeth is the founder of the romance and games couples app Amorus, and co-founder of music and sensation product Groove Thing. She has a Masters in Public Health from UC Berkeley and an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Amherst College.
Kristen Brancaccio
Kristen Brancaccio has worked on 25+ vertical microdramas as a director, writer or both. Some notable projects include directing Screen Time for Issa Rae's Hoorae Media and TikTok, writing/directing Hollywood Starlet for the The Bold and the Beautiful producers and aTwist, and directing an upcoming branded microdrama with A-list celebrity talent.
Erica Elson
Moderator | Digital Course & Event Producer, Sundance Collab
Erica Elson is a Producer, Writer and Educator based in the mountains outside Los Angeles. Her short film, WING NIGHT, premiered at Method Fest in Los Angeles. She is the co-author of the book THE AWKWARD HUMAN SURVIVAL GUIDE and co-hosted a podcast by the same name on the 5by5 network for five years. Elson's articles have been published by HuffPost, Lifehacker, and Reader's Digest. Prior to working in education, she worked in television development and writers’ rooms such as VH1’s HINDSIGHT, where she had the chance to write for the spinoff web series PLANET SEBASTIAN.
Elson joined the Sundance Collab team in October 2021 and produces courses, Master Classes, and events in the areas of screenwriting, television writing, directing, producing, and documentary filmmaking. She has moderated conversations with Sofia Coppola, Richard Linklater, Alexander Payne, and Susannah Grant, among others.
Prior to Sundance, Elson was the Thesis Production Supervisor at the American Film Institute for five years. She oversaw several award-winning graduate thesis films, notably the 2021 BAFTA student film winner APART, TOGETHER and the 2023 Sundance Film Festival short WE WERE MEANT TO. While at AFI, Elson developed a passion for sustainable production and created the Green Film School Alliance, which includes forty schools on four continents. She holds a BA in Communication and Film Studies from Concordia University and an MFA in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute.