Founding Creator Lab 3 Weeks · 20 Seats · $997 Applications Open Now Serious Creators Only Founding Creator Lab 3 Weeks · 20 Seats · $997 Applications Open Now Serious Creators Only

Build Vertical
Stories That
Force Retention.

Seats20
Investment$997
Duration3 Weeks

Stop guessing. Start engineering cliff-driven episodic content. 3 weeks. 6 live Zoom sessions. 90 minutes each. Built specifically for vertical series creators.

Why this exists

"Most vertical stories fail after Episode 3. Not because of talent. Because they were never architected for retention."

— Ron Elliot, Creator of VertiCliff™
3
Week Intensive
6
Live Zoom Sessions
20
Total Seats
$997
Founding Price

Most vertical stories fail
after Episode 3.

Not because of talent.
Because they were never architected for retention.

The VertiCliff™
Architecture

A story architecture system designed specifically for vertical episodic content. Not adapted from film school. Built from the ground up for the scroll.

01 — STRUCTURE

25 Engineered Cliff Endings

Map every episode ending with precision. Each cliff creates a specific emotional question that makes the next episode impossible to skip.

02 — ESCALATION

Micro-Stakes Architecture

Pressure builds incrementally across every episode. The audience never feels the escalation — they only feel compelled to continue.

03 — CHARACTER

Power Shift Design

Map power volatility between characters so every episode changes who's winning. Static power kills engagement. Shifting power creates addiction.

04 — PACING

Platform-Native Timing

90 seconds structured to precision. Hook at 0–3s. Escalation through the middle. Reversal at 75s. Cliff at the end. Every second has a job.

05 — SERIES

22 Universal Story Beats

The structural backbone of every great vertical series — mapped specifically to episodic format across 6, 12, 25, or 60 episodes.

06 — PROOF

Live Build in Real Time

A 25-episode vertical series is being built entirely inside this framework. Founding Lab members watch the proof being made while building their own.

3 weeks. 6 live sessions.
Not a course.

Two 90-minute live Zoom sessions per week. You don't study the framework. You build inside it — with direct structural feedback on your actual series.

Week 01 — Architecture
Session 01

Premise & Series Map

Build your complete series foundation. Premise, genre, 25-episode structure. Everything that exists before episode one is written. 90 min · Live Zoom

Session 02

Cliff Engineering

Map all 25 cliff endings. Learn the 8 cliff types and assign the right emotional reversal to every episode ending. 90 min · Live Zoom

Week 02 — Character & Episode
Session 03

Character Power Volatility & Arc Design

Design the power arc between your protagonist and antagonist across the full series. Static power kills engagement. 90 min · Live Zoom

Session 04

Episode-Level 90-Second Structure

Build the timed architecture for every episode. Hook, escalation, reversal, cliff. Every second has a specific job. 90 min · Live Zoom

Week 03 — Launch
Session 05

Platform Strategy & Release Cadence

Platform-native pacing. Release schedule. How to build an audience before Episode 1 ever drops. 90 min · Live Zoom

Session 06

Final Review + Deployment Blueprint

Direct structural feedback on your complete series map. You leave with a deployable blueprint — not notes. 90 min · Live Zoom

Founding Cohort · 20 Seats
$997 / once
Future cohorts will cost significantly more. Founding price is locked forever.
  • 6 live Zoom sessions — 90 min each
  • Direct structural feedback on your series
  • Complete 25-episode architecture
  • All cliff endings engineered
  • VertiCliff™ writing tool access
  • Founding member pricing — forever
  • Case study positioning
Apply to Founding Lab →
Applications reviewed within 48 hours.
48-hour enrollment window after acceptance.

Built for creators
building real IP.

Profile 01

Filmmakers Entering Vertical

You know how to make film. You don't yet know how to make vertical. The format is not shorter film — it requires a completely different architecture.

Profile 02

Writers Tired of Weak Endings

You can write. Your episodes just don't hold. You need the structural layer that turns good writing into binge-worthy episodic architecture.

Profile 03

Producers Testing Vertical IP

You're evaluating vertical as a format for new IP. You need a system, not a guess. VertiCliff gives you a framework you can pitch and produce with.

Profile 04

Creators Building Episodic Brands

You've been making content. Now you want to build something with story, stakes, and an arc. This is the bridge from content to IP.

This is not for casual hobbyists. This is not a passive course you watch on 2x speed. This is a 3-week active build. If accepted, you must be ready to work.

This is the founding cohort.
Future versions cost more.

20
Total seats · Cohort 01

Applications close when seats fill. No waitlist exceptions. No extensions.

Founding Member Benefits
  • Founding price locked at $997 — forever
  • Lifetime discount on all future VertiCliff products
  • Early access to every new VertiCliff™ feature
  • Case study positioning in the live proof
  • Direct access to Ron Elliot for structural feedback
Apply Now — 20 Seats

I'm building a 25-episode vertical series entirely inside this framework. In public. In real time.

— RON ELLIOT · CREATOR, VERTICLIFF™

VertiCliff™ wasn't designed in theory. It was built by reverse-engineering what actually makes vertical audiences stay — and building a system around those exact mechanics.


The Founding Creator Lab is where I prove it works. You don't take my word for it. You watch the series being built on the framework while you build yours alongside it.

Try the VertiCliff writing tool free

Answered.

What exactly is the Founding Creator Lab?
A 6-week live build intensive. Not a course. Not pre-recorded content. You build your complete 25-episode vertical series inside the VertiCliff™ framework with direct structural feedback. You leave with a deployable blueprint — not notes.
Do I need an idea before I apply?
Yes. Come with a rough concept — a genre, a world, a character. It doesn't need to be fully formed. That's what Week 1 is for. But arrive with something to build.
What is the time commitment each week?
Plan for 4–6 hours per week. One live session plus independent building work. This is an active build, not passive consumption.
What does "founding pricing" mean?
$997 is the founding cohort price. Future cohorts will cost more as the framework matures. Founding members lock this price permanently for any future VertiCliff products and programs.
Is there a refund policy?
Due to the intensive nature and limited seats, enrollment is non-refundable after the first week. We're selective in applications precisely so every accepted creator is ready to commit.

Serious creators
only.

20 seats. One cohort. The founding price disappears when they fill. Apply now or wait for the next one at a higher price.

Apply to Founding Lab →
Applications reviewed within 48 hours · 48-hour enrollment window after acceptance