Nelson Moses Lassiter, an Emmy-nominated producer known for his work on Netflix’s major international hits and for creating original films at Tubi, is launching his venture. Shortee, a mobile entertainment platform combining vertical storytelling, advertising-supported streaming, and gaming, will debut on December 1st.
For nearly six years, Lassiter worked on Netflix’s original series, contributing to shows such as Wednesday, The Sandman, Sweet Tooth, and The Three-Body Problem. Later, he transitioned to creative development and producing at Tubi, where he produced 15 Tubi originals, including Play Dirty with Ron Perlman and Married to a Balla.
While working for DramaBox, Lassiter became familiar with the developing microdrama format and its storytelling techniques, audience behavior, and monetization strategies.
“I’m a creative executive, producer, and media entrepreneur working at the intersection of storytelling, production, technology, and streaming,” Lassiter stated.
Lassiter pointed out that moving from Hollywood to vertical entertainment signaled a market opportunity.
“Eventually, I saw an opportunity to bring those experiences together. Vertical entertainment was growing, but a gap existed between legacy media, creator-driven entertainment, ad-supported streaming, and mobile technology. That gap led me to build Shortee,” he stated.
Audiences will have several ways to watch Shortee’s entertainment. These include ad-supported streaming, subscriptions, and ad-free viewing via tokens. The platform will offer gaming functionality that lets users earn tokens through gameplay and spend them for ad-free streaming.
According to Lassiter, this versatile monetization strategy can reduce financial barriers that prevent audiences from exploring new entertainment possibilities.
“Shortee addresses several interconnected problems in vertical entertainment: acquisition, retention, monetization, financing, discovery, and accessibility,” he stated. “The larger idea is removing friction, financial, discovery and engagement, so audiences spend more time enjoying entertainment and less time deciding whether or how they can access it.”
The plan of the platform draws inspiration from the experience gained at Tubi, where Lassiter witnessed how free and ad-supported content helped to attract the audience that had no access to traditional distribution channels. He aims to apply that knowledge to vertical storytelling and create more opportunities for independent creators.
Shortee will offer original series and serve as a platform for independent creators to publish vertical content, grow their audience, and earn money without losing meaningful ownership and upside.
“I don’t see vertical storytelling as a replacement for television or theatrical filmmaking. It’s another medium,” Lassiter explained. “Vertical entertainment gives creators another place to prove themselves. If they understand the medium, its storytelling language, pacing, emotional hooks, data, and economics, they can build audiences, generate revenue, develop intellectual property, and launch careers without waiting for permission from the legacy gatekeeping system.”
Lassiter also sees the opportunity to engage Black and Latino audiences more intentionally with culture-specific content and entertainment preferences.
In addition, brands can get involved as Shortee aims to let companies sponsor series, help finance programs, and partner with creators, making the brand part of the entertainment content instead of using traditional ads.
“If we can help audiences discover creators they’d never have found, help those creators build sustainable businesses and give brands a better way to connect with viewers, Shortee becomes more than another content app,” Lassiter stated. “It becomes part of the ecosystem that lets the medium itself grow.”
Lassiter associates his entrepreneurial vision with childhood spent imagining new worlds. He grew up in Philadelphia and loved TV, video games, and playing make-believe. He remembers watching Star Wars on VHS and falling in love with the opening sequence, especially the huge Star Destroyer that seems to go on forever.
“That was when I began to understand that someone could imagine something that didn’t exist and use filmmaking to make it feel real,” he said.
His mother, a single parent with three children, shaped his mindset. Watching her manage financial difficulties while creating educational opportunities for her children taught him resilience and how to take calculated risks. These principles continue to define his leadership and entrepreneurship.
One of his most rewarding professional experiences was helping two female directors secure studio financing for their first feature films. This experience deepened his belief in the value of creating new opportunities for emerging talent, both creatively and financially.
Now, Lassiter hopes to spread this idea through a platform that lets creators reach their audience and monetize content in new ways. Shortee’s future vision includes original series, independent creator content, gaming, interactive entertainment, and cross-format franchises.
“Television asked the audience to come home to the entertainment. Mobile entertainment travels with the audience,” he stated.
As the launch of Shortee approaches on December 1st, Lassiter uses his experience in production, development, streaming, and vertical entertainment to build the platform around this principle.
The Shortee iOS app is now available on the App Store, and the Android version is coming soon.
