If the opening presentation of The Big Picture 2026 mapped the industry from orbit (see the news), the session’s second half descended firmly into the undergrowth. Moderated by Erwin M Schmidt, a discussion at the Berlinale’s European Film Market (EFM) brought together two producers working at the forefront of experimentation, where artificial intelligence, vertical storytelling and new IP logics collide with day-to-day production realities.

Joining the conversation were Katharina Gellein Viken, multi-platform showrunner and CEO of Metrotone, and Gregor Sauter, head of emerging content at RED PONY. Where the data had outlined pressure points, the producers unpacked what adaptation looks like in practice.

The discussion opened with AI adoption, quickly dispelling the notion of frictionless efficiency. Both speakers stressed that integrating AI into production workflows requires sustained investment of time, expertise and infrastructure. At Metrotone, Viken explained, the company made a decisive shift to becoming “AI native” three years ago, while maintaining a strictly human-first approach to writing. Scripts remain entirely human-authored, with AI deployed downstream to generate visuals and accelerate iteration.

Rather than focusing on tools, Viken emphasised workflow design. Large language models are used for research and process support, but not for idea or script generation. Visuals are created through commercial AI engines, which she argued are now sufficiently mature to allow professional filmmakers meaningful creative control. Crucially, these pipelines are conceived with format flexibility in mind, allowing projects to move quickly across surfaces and narrative expressions.

At RED PONY, Sauter described the launch of an in-house “AI studio” designed to support emerging content, particularly micro-drama. Still in beta, the system functions as an infrastructure layer that accelerates development rather than replacing creative authorship. Writers remain central, but AI is used to analyse pacing, identify cliffhangers and generate rapid prototypes for pitching and testing. “The core value is acceleration,” Sauter noted, while stressing the importance of retaining creative control at every stage.

Both producers framed AI less as a cost-cutting shortcut than as a way to test ideas faster and reduce risk. This capacity to experiment, fail and iterate quickly fed directly into the discussion’s second theme: vertical storytelling and micro-drama.

Viken positioned Metrotone’s project Raynmaker as part of a broader ambition to rethink the space, which she described as currently dominated by romance-driven, telenovela-style formats imported from Asia. Micro-drama, she argued, should be understood as a specific form, defined by one-to-three-minute episodes and freemium micro-transaction models, rather than as a catch-all term for short online video. While the strongest markets remain in Asia, she expects English-language territories to follow, particularly as brands become more involved. A key distinction in Metrotone’s approach is that vertical content is conceived from the outset as adaptable. Raynmaker is being produced so it can exist simultaneously as a vertical micro-series, a horizontal feature film and multiple ancillary formats. Planning for this from the start, Viken argued, makes repurposing relatively straightforward and avoids costly compromises later.

Sauter, by contrast, outlined RED PONY’s decision to fully commit to vertical production for its current micro-drama projects, a move driven by specific distribution strategies. Although horizontal versions were considered, the company ultimately prioritised vertical-native storytelling, reflecting the realities of the platforms and business models it is engaging with.

Financing and distribution highlighted the distance between micro-drama ecosystems and traditional productions. Sauter outlined revenue-share models tied to freemium access and micro-payments, noting that access to platform data is often a prerequisite for meaningful collaboration. Strategic partnerships, rather than one-off commissions, have therefore become central to RED PONY’s approach. Metrotone’s model combines equity finance with brand partnerships, while distribution experiments include participation in Spotify’s creators programme. AI-enabled testing allows projects to be rolled out incrementally, reducing upfront risk and aligning creative development more closely with audience response.

The conversation closed with a return to IP, and the concept of “liquid IP” - intellectual property designed to move fluidly across formats and platforms. For Metrotone, this logic is embedded from inception, with projects designed to exist simultaneously as music, graphic novels, video and series within a single narrative universe. While demanding, Viken argued that failing to plan for this multiplicity now carries significant financial consequences. Sauter described a more exploratory approach at RED PONY, where liquid IP is emerging organically from the convergence of streaming and social media. Within Saxonia Media, best known for long-running TV series, this experimentation includes testing vertical extensions of existing IP alongside the development of new, platform-native properties.

Taken together, the discussion underscored how far the producer’s role has shifted in a post-peak landscape. Beyond development and financing, producers are now expected to navigate technology, data, platforms and IP strategy simultaneously.