Yao Wen Appointed Production Designer for Scroll&Swoon's Vertical Series 'Carole's Regrets'

The appointment of production designer Yao Wen to Scroll&Swoon's upcoming vertical-format series Carole's Regrets represents a significant development in the evolution of digital storytelling for mobile audiences. As production designer, Wen will lead the visual design for the series scheduled for production from October 1, 2028 through December 15, 2028, with distribution planned for leading short-form content platforms Vigloo and Goodshort.

Wen's role encompasses concept development, art direction, and the creation of modular, adaptable set environments specifically optimized for vertical storytelling formats. Her collaboration with Scroll&Swoon co-founders Arwen (Ziyu) Wang and Jocelyn Koo, alongside Academy Award-winning director Rommel Villa, positions her at the creative center of a project that aims to redefine cinematic standards for mobile-first content. The production model emphasizes modular design frameworks capable of evolving across brands, genres, and campaign cycles, representing a strategic approach to sustainable digital production.

Producer Arwen (Ziyu) Wang highlighted Wen's unique qualifications, stating that she brings intuitive architectural precision and emotional clarity to her design approach. Wang emphasized Wen's ability to shape physical spaces that reflect character psychology while maintaining production efficiency, describing this combination as invaluable to the company's 2028 production slate. This endorsement underscores the strategic importance of Wen's appointment beyond a single project, positioning her work as foundational to Scroll&Swoon's broader creative ambitions.

The significance of this appointment extends beyond individual creative credentials to address fundamental challenges in vertical content production. Wen's implementation of scalable art direction systems ensures that Scroll&Swoon's signature visual tone remains consistent across its portfolio while maintaining flexibility for seasonal and commercial adaptations. This approach represents a maturation of production methodologies for short-form digital content, moving beyond experimental phases toward established, repeatable processes that can support both artistic integrity and commercial viability.

Producer Jocelyn Koo framed the project's importance within the context of evolving audience consumption patterns, describing Carole's Regrets as a deeply modern, emotionally intelligent narrative designed specifically for the mobile screen generation. Koo emphasized that Wen's designs provide the narrative with a vivid, cinematic language that balances expansive storytelling with the intimate viewing experience characteristic of mobile platforms. This balance addresses a critical challenge in digital content creation: maintaining cinematic quality within the constraints of vertical formatting and shorter attention spans.

Wen's responsibilities extend through the entire production lifecycle into post-production, where she oversees visual audits, brand alignment updates, and long-term maintenance of Scroll&Swoon's design assets. This comprehensive approach ensures that Carole's Regrets not only elevates artistic standards for vertical cinema but also establishes a sustainable model for high-value production design in digital-forward storytelling. The project represents a key milestone in Scroll&Swoon's creative ecosystem, uniting an international production team within Los Angeles's independent content community while advancing methodologies that could influence industry standards for mobile content production.