Vertical drama ads · Local business

Local business video ads: an AI micro drama series

A local business micro drama is a short 9:16 series about your shop, café or service and the neighborhood around it, one small story per Episode. It turns a local ad into something people share with neighbors. You make your Characters once, write the season with the AI Director, test it free as a picture Slideshow, and film it with a plan.

Start this series See the 5 Episodes

Free: make your Character and its Story as picture-only Slideshows. Real video comes with a plan.

Updated November 2026

Jean Paul at a café in 9:16, made in Character App: a recurring Character in a local setting. — Stills from our house Clips (Jean Paul and our 9:16 sample shots), made in Character App. Not a client project.

Why a series beats a one-off ad

Local customers already know you exist; what they need is a reason to talk about you. A series about the regular, the rival shop across the street or the dog who visits every morning gives them one. It also gives you a weekly post with no new shoot, which is hard for a small team to manage otherwise.

Season 1

A 5-Episode series outline

Each Episode is 30-90 seconds: one problem, one turn, and a last line that makes the next one necessary.

Episode 1
Opening time
Rosa opens her café at 7 a.m. The same dog sits outside every morning. Nobody knows whose it is.
Cliffhanger Today the dog brings a note in its collar.
Episode 2
The note
The note is an order: 'One flat white, extra hot.' No name, no money.
Cliffhanger At 7:05, the order is paid by phone, from an unknown number.
Episode 3
The rival
The new café across the street starts giving the dog treats.
Cliffhanger Tomorrow the dog sits outside the other café.
Episode 4
Rain
A storm. Rosa runs across the street with a towel. The rival owner is already there.
Cliffhanger The owner of the dog walks up: it is the rival's grandmother.
Episode 5
Two coffees
The two cafés agree: one flat white each morning, alternating days. The street follows the dog.
Cliffhanger Next week: the dog brings a second note.

Script template

Episode 1 script: Opening time

One filmable action per shot. Change the names and the place; keep the last line on the cliffhanger.

Shot 1
Wide shot, early morning: Rosa unlocks the café door; the street is empty.
Shot 2
Medium shot: a scruffy dog sits on the step, as always.
Shot 3
Close-up: Rosa smiles and kneels down.
Shot 4
Insert: a folded note tucked in the dog's collar.
Shot 5
Close-up: she unfolds it.
Shot 6
Insert: the note reads 'One flat white, extra hot.'
Shot 7
Close-up on the dog, looking up at her.
Shot 8
Close-up on Rosa, last line: 'Who sent you?' Cut.

Make it in Character App

Free: make your Character and its Story as picture-only Slideshows. Real video comes with a plan.

1
Make your Character
Make the lead once, from a few words, your own photo, or both, in any Art style. The kept picture is the reference for every Scene after.
2
Build the World
Describe the place (the shop, the office, the street) or start it from your own photos. It stays the same in every Episode.
3
Write Episode 1 with the AI Director
Paste your Episode 1 script, or pitch it in one sentence. The AI Director writes the Scenes with your Characters cast in each one. Edit anything before you spend.
4
Try it free as a picture Slideshow
Make the Episode as a picture-only Slideshow to check the story. With a plan, a narrated Slideshow Story with music is 40 Credits for up to 5 slides.
5
Film it with a plan
Film each Scene as a 9:16 Clip. A 5-Clip Episode on H3 Turbo is 125 Credits; Creator ($39.99 a month, 1,600 Credits) makes about 64 HD H3 videos, or 12 such Episodes. The price is on every button.

Example

What it looks like: Jean Paul

Stills from our house Clips (Jean Paul and our 9:16 sample shots), made in Character App. Not a client project.

Where to post it

Export each Episode as a 9:16 video, with or without on-screen words, and post it yourself to TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, or run it as a paid ad. Character App does not post for you. Every plan includes commercial use per the Terms, with no watermark. For each platform’s rules, read where to publish a vertical drama; to plan more Episodes, see vertical drama tropes and how to write a cliffhanger.

Questions, answered

What video ads work for a local business?

Stories about the neighborhood with your business in them: the regular, the rival, the weekly ritual. People share a story with neighbors more readily than an offer.

Can I put my real shop in it?

Yes. Start the World from your own photos or a description, and it stays the same in every Episode.

Do I need to be on camera?

No. Make an original Character, or cast yourself from your own photo if you want to.

Can I run the Episodes as paid local ads?

Yes. Export a 9:16 video and use it in TikTok, Instagram or YouTube ads. Every plan includes commercial use per the Terms.

What does it cost to make?

Free: make your Character and its Story as picture-only Slideshows. Real video comes with a plan. With a plan, a narrated Slideshow Story is 40 Credits for up to 5 slides.