VERTICAL GRAMMAR: A VISUAL SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF NARRATIVE STRUCTURE IN INDONESIAN DIGITAL MICRODRAMA

Abstract

Microdrama, a serialized vertical drama format presented in one to three minute episodes, has expanded rapidly across Indonesian streaming platforms throughout 2026, with industry reporting describing the global microdrama business as a multi billion dollar growth sector. Existing scholarship on vertical video aesthetics has largely examined standalone short form content on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels, leaving the serialized microdrama format, with its freemium monetization mechanics and continuous episodic narrative, comparatively unexamined. This study aims to map the visual grammar and narrative structure of Indonesian microdrama through a design discourse and multimodal semiotic approach, adapting a three level semiotic framework of reality, representation, and ideology previously applied to professional vertical video. Data were gathered through non participant observation of paratextual elements, including titles, celebrity casting, and promotional material, together with the documented monetization mechanisms of three major Indonesian microdrama platforms. Findings show that microdrama's vertical grammar is formed by three interrelated elements, namely hyperbolic title and casting conventions that function as narrative hooks, short episodic structures paired with platform specific paid unlock mechanisms, and cross-border genre formulas tied to industrial, technology assisted production. Together, these elements operate as a persuasive design system aimed at maximizing viewer engagement on mobile devices. The study distinguishes these directly observed findings from a further theoretical hypothesis, developed but not directly confirmed here, that microdrama's commercial orientation may accelerate a more native vertical visual grammar than is found in prestige vertical productions, and it proposes this hypothesis as a conceptual foundation for further microdrama research using full access to paid episode corpora.