Director Easy Ferrer says verticals dramas demanding faster, sharper storytelling

“New platform and new stories to explore,” is how Ferrer described the project during the red carpet premiere of “Part Time Girlfriend.”

At its core, Ferrer described “Part Time Girlfriend” as a story about love pushed to an extreme. “It’s about obsession and kung hanggang saan ang kaya mong ibigay para sa minamahal mo at kung hanggang kailan mo siya kaya sundan,” he said.

The director also revealed that the concept had gone through several changes before finally finding the right opportunity and platform.

“I think this is the perfect timing and perfect platform kasi I’m selling this concept to all the studios. It’s either shelved or hindi nakukuha, but this time dumating ang opportunity kaya naluto ng todo ang concept. Sobrang layo na nito sa original pero at least naging mas maayos siya,” Ferrer shared.

With nearly a year of experience working on vertical series, Ferrer has also become more familiar with the demands of the format. Still, he acknowledged that the changing preferences of digital audiences require directors to constantly adapt.

“Actually, medyo nasanay na kasi halos isang taon na ako nag-vertical (series) so parang medyo sanay na rin. Pero may challenges kasi nagbabago ang timpla ng audience, nagbabago ang kuwento so kailangan mabilis ka rin,” he explained.

Ferrer also pointed to the format’s focus on authentic performances and emotions as one of its strengths.

“Una sa lahat, hindi siya nakaka-umay kasi nakakakita ka ng totoong actors, totoong emotion. Nalalaman mo talaga iyong beat and dynamics nila. Hindi rin distracting ang plot, hindi pinalamanan ng kung anu-ano. As in, sincere siya, mas honest and mas in-your-face and mas mararamdaman ng audience ang pinapanood nila, hindi mga robot,” he said.

“Part Time Girlfriend” stars Ron Angeles and Rose Van Ginkel, with Johannes Rissler and Drey Brown completing the cast.

The series is part of OK Games’ “Beyond Experience” vision, which focuses on creating new forms of entertainment through stories, content, partnerships, and experiences. Its digital lineup has expanded from online variety shows such as “OKFunalo” and “You’re So Lucky” to vertical dramas through OKDrama, its official drama channel.

Following “The Boyfriend Express,” a boys’ love vertical drama starring Aki Torres and Andrei de Guzman, “Part Time Girlfriend” continues the platform’s push into externally produced digital stories.

“Part Time Girlfriend” premiered on Sept. 12, with its pilot episode released across the OKDrama YouTube channel, Beetzee Play, and Shopee Drama. Now in its second week, the vertical series continues to bring Ferrer’s take on digital storytelling to audiences across multiple platforms.

With its multi-platform release, “Part Time Girlfriend” gives Ferrer another opportunity to explore the possibilities of vertical storytelling while bringing a new story directly to digital audiences.

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