Chinese creatives are refining a new trend in entertainment: the super-short streaming series. Each episode in the series typically lasts less than two minutes, making them easily consumable on mobile devices. Each series consists of 20 to 100 episodes in total, and covers a wide range of genres such as comedy and romance.
“The mini-drama series is the industry’s response to the new mode of viewing enabled by portable devices such as mobile phones,” said Emilie Yueh-yu Yeh, dean of arts and director of the Centre for Film and Creative Industries at Lingnan University. “Miniaturization of the interface entails miniaturization of the product. We can call it TikTokization.”
Key players in the sector include short video platforms operated by Kuaishou, BiliBili and Tencent Holdings, while apps ReelShort, DramaBox, Sereal+, ShortTV, GoodShort and FlexTV are also players in the super-short scene. Douyin, the Chinese sister company of TikTok, recently announced a deal with Hong Kong filmmaker Stephen Chow (“Kung Fu Hustle”).The company said that Chow’s first series project is called “Jinzhu Yuye” and is currently a work-in-progress that could be delivered by May. He is understood to be working with other creators.
One of the major advantages of these mini-dramas lies in their remarkably low production costs and swift turnaround times. With just seven to 10 days needed to shoot an entire series and costs ranging between 300,000 and 500,000 yuan ($41,000-$69,000), it’s astonishing how lucrative they can be.
According to Nikkei Asia, the most successful productions rake in tens of millions of dollars within a few days of release. MIT Technology Review reported that the entire market for short dramas in China surpassed $5 billion in 2023, with CGTN projecting it to reach 100 billion yuan ($13 billion) by 2027.
“Lower production costs and barriers to entry allow for greater creative experimentation and innovation, while the mobile-oriented distribution meets the audience’s preference for on-the-go entertainment,” said Ashley Dudarenok, founder of China consultant firm ChoZan.
Complementing the prompt production cycles and cost-effectiveness is the monetization strategy employed by Chinese platforms. Users usually watch the first few episodes for free, but at some point, they have to pay for the subsequent episodes, forking out up to $20 to gain access, and some even higher.
Another revenue model involves purchasing in-app coins. Platforms like FlexTV allow users to buy these coins, which they can then use to unlock episodes. Users can also earn in-app rewards by watching ads, sharing the app or simply checking in every day on the platform.
Despite early successes, the short drama industry in China faces obstacles as government censorship tightens. CCTV News reports that the government banned 25,300 micro-short-dramas in a three-month period ending February 2023, due to concerns over violent and “vulgar” content. Because of this regulatory crackdown, some companies are looking to expand in foreign markets, like the U.S., where censorship is less of an issue.
That strategy is paying off. ReelShort has started to see success abroad. Consultancy Data.ai revealed that in 2023, ReelShort was downloaded by over seven million users in the U.S. across Apple and Android devices.
Professor Yeh points out that the concepts behind the stories might have the potential to be exploited by other countries and regions for remakes. “The turnover of trends goes so fast,” she says, “I expect that ‘adaptation and expansion’ of formats will renew itself into the next era, by which time it will be bots and AI processors enjoying their own reflections.”
