Sydney, Aug 19 (The Conversation) What can occur in just 60 seconds? In the realm of short dramas, or "micro dramas," a billionaire CEO might fall for his contractual spouse, or a werewolf mafia leader could break a curse. These minute-long, vertically-framed serials are transforming how we engage with screen entertainment.
Leading platforms like ReelShort, NetShort, and DramaBox dominate this space. DramaBox has surpassed 100 million downloads on Google Play, while ReelShort has ranked second among Apple's top free entertainment apps, surpassing giants like Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video, and Disney+.
This innovative format originated in China in the early 2020s, via short video platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou. Worldwide expansion followed, facilitated by Chinese platforms and social media apps like TikTok and Instagram, aligning with a broader trend toward brief, scrollable smartphone content.
Our recent research, which included interviews with 12 industry insiders, highlights the job opportunities emerging from this sector. However, its rapid expansion outpaces regulation, raising potential concerns.
Optimized for fragmented consumption on smartphones, short dramas combine TikTok's rapid plotting with familiar screen genres, unfolding over 50 to 100 episodes. Their allure lies in dramatic narratives and cliffhangers, with each episode pivoting around a compelling twist. As ReelShort aptly remarks: “every second is a drama.”
Consider the popular series Playing by the Billionaire’s Rules as a case in point, spanning 89 episodes, encompassing contractual romance, massive debts, unexpected pregnancies, and secret love triangles. Although lacking Hollywood's plot, dialogue, and acting finesse, it captivates with conflict-driven stories and sometimes amateurish acting.
Despite its logical narrative shortcomings and stereotypical character portrayals, short dramas are highly profitable. In 2023, The Economist dubbed this "latest Chinese export to conquer America" a fusion of TikTok and Netflix. Their success is partly attributed to the COVID pandemic and the Hollywood writers' strike, both of which disrupted the global screen industry.
Our findings indicate that Chinese-led short drama production teams have expanded globally, including to the US, Australia, Eastern Europe, and Asia, seeking collaborative initiatives. Los Angeles is emerging as a key production hub. According to the LA Times, non-Chinese short drama apps generated USD 1.2 billion last year, with 60% of revenues originating from the US.
Businesses worldwide are seizing this opportunity, with Spanish-language media company TelevisaUnivision and Ukrainian startup Holywater—leveraging AI for synthetic short dramas—entering the market. Even Hollywood's Lionsgate is examining this format's commercial viability.
Short dramas might pave the way for new contenders in the streaming world. Although Netflix hasn't yet invested in short dramas, it has experimented with the vertical short format in its mobile app. Short dramas' adaptability allows for easy replication across varied markets, facilitating localized content strategies. For instance, Breaking the Ice reimagines a Chinese campus romance into a hockey-centric tale for North American audiences.
Genres featuring werewolves, vampires, and witches have achieved universal success, often employed by Chinese producers as low-risk, easily localizable categories to test new markets.
Nonetheless, our research uncovers that while the short drama industry promises job creation and exposure for actors and creators on limited budgets, it remains less regulated than traditional screen industries.
The industry is fraught with labor exploitation, copyright violations, and uncertainty about its long-term sustainability. A Los Angeles-based producer we spoke with highlighted worrisome issues like overtime, script theft and recycling, undercompensation of film school graduates, and unfair screenwriter contracts.
Screenwriters report not receiving due credit and being restricted by "buyout contracts," excluding them from additional earnings despite scripts attracting millions of views. Earlier this year, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance and Casting Guild of Australia issued a joint advisory urging actors to verify the credentials of any "vertical series" production teams prior to contract commitment.
Nevertheless, the short drama format captures significant interest across the screen industry. Beyond a fleeting trend, this may indicate a structural shift in what "television" entails: cost-effective, easily reproducible, and intensely fast-paced content.
(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
