MALIK DAVIS
Upscale Promotions & Entertainment, Inc. Presents
Production
Team
Blake Karrington Microdrama Series
In Partnership with HARTBEAT
CEO / Executive Producer
Malik Davis
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Malik Davis
Malik orchestrates productions with strategic oversight and unwavering vision, ensuring projects are executed to the highest standard from start to finish.
As Executive Producer, he adeptly combines business acumen with creative insight, driving the team's goals and ensuring seamless collaboration.
His meticulous planning and leadership fortify every production, balancing vision with logistical precision to ensure budgetary discipline and creative integrity.
Chief Financial Officer
Tiffaney Collins
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Tiffaney Collins
Tiffaney plays a pivotal role as the Chief Financial Officer, steering the financial health and stability of the production with expert insight and precision.
Her strategic financial planning and risk management skills ensure the company's resources are optimized and the production operates within its financial means and goals.
With a sharp focus on financial integrity and resource efficiency, she is the bedrock of fiscal discipline, guiding the production to sound financial outcomes.
Chief AI Officer
Delmone Rivers
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Delmone Rivers
Delmone Rivers, also known as Tariq Bey, is a developer and AI automation specialist driving Upscale Promotions and Entertainment into the future of vertical storytelling. As Chief AI Officer, he architects intelligent production ecosystems that integrate artificial intelligence across video creation, audio production, strategic planning, marketing execution, and scalable automation.
Delmone designed a patented AI-driven, agentic vertical workflow engineered to monitor trends across Black culture in real time. By merging cultural insight with advanced automation, he ensures every project aligns with what is resonating in the moment — allowing Upscale to move faster, smarter, and more strategically than the competition.
He doesn't just create vertical content. He builds the systems that anticipate it, positioning Upscale at the forefront of innovation and cultural relevance in modern entertainment.
Director / Director of Photography
Kareem "Curley the 5th" Oda
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Kareem "Curley the 5th" Oda
Kareem, "Curley the 5th," brings powerful visual storytelling to life with impeccable cinematic vision. As both Director and DP, he fuses artistic narrative with technical mastery.
His directorial artistry and cinematographic expertise ensure each scene pulses with aesthetic and narrative intensity, blending light, shadow, and motion to captivate.
Kareem's visionary direction and visual innovation make him a driving force behind the camera, turning concepts into evocative, unforgettable imagery.
Author / IP Source
Blake Karrington
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Blake Karrington
Essence Magazine #1 Bestselling novelist and Penguin Random House author, Blake Karrington is more than a writer. His work centers on urban Southern settings often overlooked by mainstream media, portraying complex characters with humanizing backstories that drive explosive narrative momentum.
His characters are deeply authentic — morally complex figures navigating the gritty streets of Charlotte, NC and the Deep South. With 50+ published titles across Penguin Random House and Urban Books, Blake's catalog represents the most compelling untapped IP in the vertical drama space.
"Humanity is everywhere — especially in the mean streets of the inner city." Key Series: Country Girls · Single Ladies · Trapstar · King of the South · Carl Weber's Kingpins: Charlotte
Gaffer / Cinematographer
Sebastian Kolderup-Lane
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Sebastian Kolderup-Lane
Sebastian is the master of lighting, meticulously crafting the visual tone and mood of each scene with his skilled cinematography and precision lighting.
As Gaffer and Cinematographer, he expertly shapes the light to engender atmospheric visuals, ensuring every frame is richly composed.
His hands-on lighting mastery and cinematographic vision elevate the production's aesthetic, turning imaginative concepts into captivating on-screen reality.
Camera Operator / Drone Operator
Kariem Meg
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Kariem Meg
Kariem fuses sharp visual storytelling with advanced aerial cinematography, capturing both grounded and elevated perspectives with creative intent.
Skilled in cutting-edge drone technology and high-end camera systems, Kariem ensures continuity between on-the-ground and in-the-sky shots.
His adept spatial awareness and creative agility make him indispensable for capturing the narrative fluidity from both traditional and innovative vantage points.
Camera Operator / Gimbal Operator
Julien Hassid
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Julien Hassid
Julien brings precision motion and cinematic stability to narrative storytelling. Specializing in dynamic handheld and gimbal-driven movement, he enhances emotional pacing through fluid camera choreography.
Experienced with cinema-grade digital systems and professional stabilization rigs, Julien ensures immersive visual continuity — whether capturing intimate character beats or high-energy sequences.
His ability to translate director vision into kinetic visual language makes him an essential asset to the production's visual identity.
Editor
Javon Dawkins
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Javon Dawkins
Javon is an editing visionary, fusing sharp narrative insights with soulful editorial precision. His adept pacing and impactful transitions elevate the emotional and visual rhythm of the project.
Skilled in sophisticated editing technologies, Javon crafts compelling sequences with texture and emotion, ensuring each edit amplifies the story's pulse.
His creative intuition and editorial craftsmanship transform raw footage into polished stories, making him integral to the project's narrative architecture.
Sound Mixer
Joe McGill
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Joe McGill
Joe brings immersive sonic precision to the set, capturing crystal-clear dialogue and atmospheric environment audio with high fidelity.
Boasting expertise in a range of professional microphones and mixing technology, Joe provides consistent and dynamic soundscapes, matching the production's tonal depth.
His collaborative agility and sharp technical acumen make him a crucial pillar of on-set audio, ensuring the narrative's emotional integrity is heard with cinematic clarity.
The Opportunity
Dominating the
Vertical Space
The microdrama revolution has already generated billions — built almost entirely on non-urban content. ReelShort, DramaBox, and FlexTV collectively amassed over 200 million monthly viewers without producing a single episode targeting the African-American urban audience. That is not a gap. That is a mandate. Upscale, in partnership with HARTBEAT, is positioned to own that space entirely.
$11.5B
Global Microdrama Market (2024)
$34B+
Projected Market by 2028
200M+
Monthly Active Microdrama Viewers
87%
Viewers on Mobile Devices
0%
Urban Market Penetration — So Far
#1
Fastest-Growing Digital Content Format
Our Strategy
How We Win
AI-Driven Trend Intelligence
Upscale deploys real-time AI monitoring to track what's trending across social platforms, streaming, and cultural conversations. When something pops, we move — fast. Our technology compresses the production cycle from months to weeks, ensuring we're always first to market with culturally resonant content.
Mobile-First, Vertical-Native
The global microdrama market reached $11.5B without ever meaningfully touching the African-American urban audience. That is the space Upscale owns. We build every episode natively for vertical screens — 9:16 format, 60–90 second episodes, engineered for the scroll-stop moment.
Blake Karrington IP Engine
With 50+ published titles and an Essence #1 bestselling catalog, Blake Karrington represents an untapped goldmine of serialized urban drama. Each book is a season. Each chapter is an episode. We are the first production company positioned to systematically adapt this catalog for the vertical format at scale.
HARTBEAT Distribution Power
In partnership with HARTBEAT, Upscale gains access to premium distribution infrastructure, multicultural audience networks, and institutional credibility. BLKTOPIA serves as the dedicated platform for Black content — giving our slate a built-in home and a culturally aligned audience from day one.
"ReelShort generated $200M in revenue in 2023 alone — without a single episode targeting Black America. We are not chasing the market. We are creating the market."
— Malik Davis, CEO / Executive Producer, Upscale Promotions & Entertainment
Upscale Promotions & Entertainment
Full Features
& Trailers
Completed productions from the Upscale catalog \u2014 proof of concept, proof of execution, proof of vision.
Official Trailer
R.I.C.O. DETROIT
A gritty, high-stakes crime drama set in the streets of Detroit. R.I.C.O. Detroit follows the rise and fall of a criminal empire as federal investigators close in, loyalties fracture, and the streets demand a reckoning. A full-feature Upscale Promotions production.
Trailer
ADRENALINE JUNKIES
A pulse-pounding action feature following a crew of extreme sports athletes whose underground world collides with a dangerous criminal underworld. Adrenaline Junkies showcases Upscale’s range beyond drama — high-octane, visually stunning, and built for a global audience.
The Upscale Model
How We Build.
How You Get Paid.
Upscale operates a market-driven development pipeline that flips the traditional Hollywood model. Stories prove themselves with real audiences before major production investments are made — and talent participates at every stage of that growth.
The Three-Stage Development Pipeline
Story Development
Scripts, pitch decks, and narrative concepts sourced from Blake Karrington's 50+ title catalog and original IP.
Vertical Series Production
60-episode vertical micro-drama. 5-day shoot. 9:16 format engineered for mobile audiences. Lean budget, maximum impact.
Feature Film Expansion
Audience-validated stories expand into feature films, streaming series, and long-form productions via HARTBEAT partnerships.
Talent Gets Paid.
Real rates. Real credits. Real opportunity.
Actor Compensation
What Actors Earn
Daily Rate — Lead Roles
$500–$1K
per day · varies by role & experience
Project Total — 5-Day Shoot
$2.5K–$5K
per project · one week of work
When projects scale into feature films or streaming series, talent compensation moves into standard film industry structures. Actors from the original vertical series are considered first for expanded productions.
The Upscale Advantage
Why Talent Works With Us
Lead Role Opportunities
Small cast sizes mean actors carry major roles — not supporting parts. Every episode is character-driven.
Fast Production Cycles
Complete an entire 60-episode series in one week. Major credits without long-term commitments.
Strong Character Roles
Our projects focus on emotional conflict and powerful performances. Dialogue-driven, actor-centered storytelling.
Feature Film Pipeline
Vertical series with strong audience engagement develop into feature films and streaming series via HARTBEAT.
First Consideration
Actors from the original vertical series are considered first when projects expand into larger productions.
The New Hollywood Model
Traditional Hollywood
Pitch
Studio Development
Large Budget Production
Audience Reaction
Risk: Millions spent before audience validation
The Upscale Model
Concept
Vertical Series
Audience Validation
Feature Film
Audiences validate the story before large investments
Production Format
60
Episodes Per Series
90s
Per Episode
5
Day Shoot Schedule
9:16
Vertical Format
Now Casting
Actors.
Agents.
Get With Us.
Upscale is actively casting for upcoming vertical series productions. Lead roles. Five-day shoots. Real credits. And a direct pipeline to feature film expansion through HARTBEAT.
$500–$1K
Daily Rate
5 Days
Shoot Schedule
Lead
Role Size
60 Eps
Per Series
"We develop vertical stories with the intention of identifying projects that can expand into larger productions. Actors who come in early are considered first when that happens."
— Malik Davis, CEO
Ready to Partner
Ready to Create
Something
Extraordinary.
Whether you're a distribution partner, investor, or creative collaborator — if you believe in the power of urban storytelling and the vertical format, we want to hear from you.
Upscale Promotions & Entertainment, Inc.
Malik Davis · CEO / Executive Producer
Blake Karrington Microdrama Series · In Partnership with HARTBEAT
Legal Representation
The Law Office of Omara S. Harris, Esq, LLC
[email protected] · 404-409-7354