How Hollywood Screenwriter Sal Paskowitz Found a New Home in Vertical Drama with Step by Step

When Hollywood screenwriter Sal Paskowitz first discovered vertical dramas, he didn't see a niche format or a passing trend. He saw something he had loved his entire career: romance, drama, emotion and characters audiences could become invested in.

Best known as the writer of The Age of Adaline, Paskowitz has spent years creating stories that blend emotional realism with heightened romantic stakes. His first venture into vertical drama, Step by Step, brings that same approach to a format that is rapidly attracting both viewers and industry talent.

The result is a series that feels familiar to vertical drama fans while also bringing a distinctly cinematic approach to character and storytelling.

Discovering Vertical Drama

Paskowitz was introduced to vertical dramas by his wife and quickly found himself drawn to the format.

The appeal wasn't the business opportunity or the technology. It was the storytelling.

The heightened emotions, romance, melodrama and relationship-driven plots immediately felt familiar. Rather than seeing vertical dramas as something completely different from traditional film, he recognised many of the same ingredients that had attracted him to cinema in the first place.

What interested him most was the possibility of combining those strengths with a more cinematic approach to character development and performance.

Building Step by Step

The idea behind Step by Step came from a situation Paskowitz had been thinking about for years.

What happens when two adults meet for the first time, begin to form a connection, and then suddenly find themselves labelled as family because their parents fall in love?

For him, the interesting part wasn't the taboo. It was the contradiction.

The characters have no shared childhood, no family history and no established relationship. Yet everyone around them suddenly expects them to see each other as brother and sister.

That tension became the foundation of Step by Step, creating a romance that feels both emotionally complicated and surprisingly relatable.

Rather than focusing on sensational twists, Paskowitz was interested in exploring how real people might react when placed in such an awkward and emotionally confusing situation.

Bringing Together a Dream Cast

A key figure in bringing the project to life was Nicole Mattox.

Paskowitz had known Mattox before entering the vertical drama space and credits her as being instrumental in helping assemble the cast for Step by Step. Alongside Mattox, the production brought together Seth Edeen, Haley Lohrli and Molly Anderson, creating a cast that many vertical drama fans already knew and loved.

What particularly excited Paskowitz was the opportunity to showcase different sides of these performers.

Seth Edeen's Parker was deliberately written as a departure from the more familiar dominant male archetypes often found in the genre. Instead, Parker is relaxed, understated and emotionally intelligent.

Rather than encouraging a larger-than-life performance, Paskowitz asked Edeen to keep everything natural and grounded. The result is a character who feels remarkably authentic.

Nicole Mattox's Piper, meanwhile, balances ambition and vulnerability. Although she initially appears guarded and in control, the story gradually reveals a much more emotionally exposed side to her personality.

That vulnerability sits at the heart of the romance and gives the series much of its emotional weight.

The Small Details That Make a Difference

One of the qualities that helps Step by Step stand out is its attention to everyday life.

The WiFi password becomes a source of negotiation. Zoom meetings feature participants who are professionally dressed only from the waist up. Characters interact in ways that feel recognisable rather than purely plot-driven.

These details may seem small, but they help create a world that feels contemporary and believable.

For Paskowitz, these moments are just as important as the larger romantic scenes because they help audiences connect with the characters as real people.

Creating Something Different

Throughout the production, Paskowitz was determined not to simply follow trends or chase whatever happened to be performing well on social media.

He has spoken openly about his belief that stories should be driven by human emotion rather than algorithms.

That philosophy became one of the foundations of Super Punchy, the platform he co-founded with business partner Tim Nelligan.

The company's goal is simple: create stories that put character, emotion and entertainment first.

Rather than trying to imitate existing successes, Super Punchy aims to develop projects with a distinct voice and personality.

A Seven-Day Shoot Powered by Creativity

Like many vertical dramas, Step by Step was filmed on an ambitious schedule.

The production was completed in just seven days, requiring cast and crew to work quickly while maintaining quality.

According to Paskowitz, the atmosphere on set was unusually collaborative, with everyone focused on finding creative solutions rather than dwelling on limitations.

One example was the now memorable rain sequence.

Faced with challenging weather and limited equipment, the crew improvised a custom solution that allowed the camera to move directly into the rain and capture the intimate close-up shots Paskowitz wanted.

Moments like these helped define the production and contributed to the sense that everyone involved was working towards the same goal.

Supporting Characters Who Steal Scenes

Although the romance between Parker and Piper sits at the centre of the story, the supporting cast plays a huge role in making Step by Step memorable.

Haley Lohrli's Holly brings a chaotic, unpredictable energy that frequently steals scenes, while Molly Anderson leaves a strong impression despite limited screen time.

Paskowitz has hinted that future projects will give these types of supporting characters even more opportunities to shine, particularly in Super Punchy's next production, The Layover.

What Comes Next?

For fans who reached the end of Step by Step and immediately wanted more, there is reason to be optimistic.

Paskowitz has already begun discussing ideas for a sequel and has suggested that the next chapter would explore the consequences of the decisions made in the first series rather than simply moving on from them.

If it happens, viewers can expect the same combination of romance, humour, emotional vulnerability and character-driven storytelling that helped make the original stand out.

A Different Kind of Vertical Drama

At a time when more traditional film and television creatives are beginning to explore the vertical drama space, Step by Step offers an interesting example of what can happen when Hollywood storytelling techniques meet a format built for mobile audiences.

The series embraces the romance, tension and cliffhangers that vertical drama fans enjoy, while also placing a strong emphasis on character, performance and emotional authenticity.

For Paskowitz, it is not about reinventing vertical drama.

It is about taking the things audiences already love and telling those stories with as much heart as possible.

And judging by the reaction from viewers so far, that approach appears to be working.

Images and interview courtesy of Super Punchy Studios

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