Short-Form Video Has No Monetization Layer
Shardz is the marketplace that lets creators sell premium short-form series directly to audiences. No subscriptions. No ad-dependency. Just content worth paying for.
TikTok, Reels, and Shorts have trained an entire generation to consume vertical video. Not one of them offers per-series purchases.
Yet creators earn less than $0.005 per view from ad-based platforms. Over 97% of creators make less than $1,000/year. The economics are fundamentally broken.
YouTube sells subscriptions. Netflix sells catalogs. TikTok sells attention. Nobody sells individual short-form series. Until now.
The Gap
Every format has a home. Except one.
The Business Model
Simple economics. Clear value exchange.
Creators upload short-form series
1-3 minute episodes organized into seasons. Film, comedy, music, AI -- any genre.
Viewers watch 3 episodes free, then pay to unlock
Free episodes hook the audience. One-tap purchase unlocks the full season.
Creators keep 80% of every sale
Direct-to-fan monetization. No ad dependency. No subscription pool dilution.
The Funnel
From discovery to creator revenue
Cinematic Player
Vertical-first on mobile, theater mode on desktop. Built for the way people watch. Signed playback, DRM-ready, and optimized for every screen size.
Genre Discovery
Browse by genre. Every series is one tap away. A focused catalog that surfaces quality over quantity.
Instant Monetization
Free episodes hook viewers. One-tap unlock converts them to paying fans. The conversion funnel is built into the product.
Creator Analytics
Full-funnel visibility from first view to revenue. Creators see exactly how their audience discovers, watches, and pays.
Social Engagement Layer
Real-time emoji reactions and timestamped comments create community around content. Viewers don't just watch -- they participate.
AI-Powered Creation
AI filmmaking tools collapse production costs from $50K+ to under $5K. The supply side explosion is built into the platform.
Multi-Format Monetization
Not just scripted series. BTS content, creator exclusives, tutorials, AI-made films -- every format has a price tag.
Platform Intelligence
Track Every Viewer from First Touch to Revenue
Shardz gives creators and operators full visibility into how content performs and where audiences come from.
Market Timing
Why now is the moment
AI filmmaking has collapsed production costs
Anyone can create cinematic short-form content. The supply side is exploding, but there's no marketplace for it.
Short-form is the dominant consumption format
TikTok, Reels, and Shorts trained billions of viewers to consume vertical video. The behavior is established.
Creators need direct monetization
Ad revenue is declining and unreliable. Creators with dedicated audiences want to sell directly to fans.
No incumbent owns this niche
YouTube sells subscriptions. Netflix sells catalogs. TikTok sells attention. Nobody sells per-series short-form content.
Platform Today
Not a Pitch Deck. A Working Product.
Shardz is a fully functional marketplace with genre discovery, video playback, payments, and creator tools -- built and ready for launch.
ORBITAL BREACH
Chrome Pursuit
The Last Summoner
TITAN FALL
Sandstorm Kings
Ashborn
Shardz Studio
Free creator education = higher content quality = faster growth = defensible moat. Every creator on Shardz gets access to expert-led AI filmmaking training at no cost. Better creators make better content. Better content attracts more viewers. More viewers drive more revenue. The flywheel is built into the education layer.