With the rapid development of the micro-drama market, this emerging content form is more easily consumed, captures the audience's attention quickly, and fills the fragmented time of modern individuals, demonstrating powerful appeal and dissemination capabilities.

On October 12, under the guidance of the National Radio and Television Administration's Network Audio-Visual Program Management Division, the "Brand Through Micro-Drama" creation plan was launched, announcing the micro-drama projects of this plan and holding the forum "Revitalizing Business Models, Enriching Perspectives – Micro-Drama's Role in Empowerment," where leaders, creators of micro-dramas, platform representatives, and experts discussed the characteristics and potential development of this format.

Launch ceremony of the "Brand Through Micro-Drama" creation plan

Actively Engaging in the Wave of Micro-Drama Creation

According to Dong Xin, Deputy Director of the National Radio and Television Administration, micro-dramas are favored by viewers for their distinct themes, compact plots, and concise length, playing an important role in promoting artistic innovation and empowering economic and social development. "Statistics show that the number of micro-drama users has reached 576 million, with an internet usage rate of 52.4%, becoming an important artistic form that enriches people's spiritual lives."

He emphasized that micro-drama is a lightweight online audio-visual art form with an inherent "latecomer advantage." It is a vigorous newcomer without burdens and has significant vitality. "We need to leverage its advantages by closely aligning with overarching themes, making effective use of small narratives, and promoting the filming and dissemination of micro-dramatic works that gather public interest, resonate with people, and are vital."

Although the ultimate beneficiaries of micro-dramas are the general public, platform development and technical support are also crucial. Dong mentioned that creating micro-dramas requires establishing systems, processes, content, products, and brands, indicating that content quality enhancement is the theme for development in the present and future.

Under the guidance of the National Radio and Television Administration's Network Audio-Visual Program Management Division, 18 organizations jointly launched the "Brand Through Micro-Drama" creation plan. This is a significant attempt to explore the integration model of "micro-drama + brand," aiming to promote the empowerment of brands through micro-dramas, enrich content ecology, and encourage production agencies to participate in storytelling through micro-dramas, thereby establishing a crucial bridge for lively interaction between brands and consumers, allowing brand concepts to deeply resonate with the public and aiding in the dissemination of brand culture.

The "Brand Through Micro-Drama" creation plan initiated by 18 organizations, including The Paper

The Paper is also one of the initiators of the "Brand Through Micro-Drama." As a mainstream media outlet, The Paper launched the "Drama Spotlight" quality micro-drama co-creation initiative in September this year, with its video product innovation platform, "Yuan Shen Video," dedicated to producing authentic original visual products.

The "Yuan Shen Pin Yao" initiative encourages and supports the creation of high-quality micro-drama content that can be tailor-made according to brand needs, developing content products with brand characteristics. Centering on the brand or product, it deeply integrates brand concepts and product features into the plot, showcasing brand ideals and cultural values through storytelling, character development, and emotional resonance, thereby creating an emotional connection with viewers and enhancing brand image, recognition, and purchase intention. Additionally, utilizing media resources from The Paper and its partners allows for the multi-channel and multi-platform dissemination of micro-dramas, expanding brand exposure.

Currently, The Paper has collaborated with Lianjia to release a series of micro-dramas about "home," including titles like "The Mysterious Phone Booth," "The Sewn Phone Number," and "Dinner," paying tribute to those fighting for life who hope to find their own light in the city. These stories depict how real estate agents work diligently in the pursuit of realizing the dream of "home," overcoming obstacles such as breaches of contract, deceit, and poor quality alongside their clients, each embarking on a new chapter in life.

Micro-drama produced in collaboration with Lianjia by The Paper

Simultaneously, The Paper is also working with Dongfang Securities to create micro-dramas concerning the professional values and ethics of securities practitioners. For instance, "Crisis Moments – A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Securities Practitioners" uses engaging micro-stories to illustrate the harms of negligence, betrayal, and reckless behavior in work life, expressing the importance of establishing a good professional outlook among those in the securities field.

Micro-drama produced in collaboration with Dongfang Securities by The Paper

A Drama that Sparks Interest in a City: Micro-Dramas Empowering Cultural Tourism

As an increasingly popular audio-visual art form, micro-dramas not only serve as a bridge connecting creators and audiences but also open up entirely new pathways for tourism promotion. This year, the "Travel with Micro-Dramas" initiative has brought regional culture, natural scenery, and cultural stories to life, reaching each audience member eager to explore and passionate about travel beyond the confines of the screen.

Wang He Yun, an inspector at the Resource Development Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, stated in his keynote speech on "Micro-Dramas Supporting Tourism Promotion": "In recent years, we have actively collaborated with localities to creatively and warmly promote tourism, encouraging people to leave their homes to appreciate the beauty of the countryside, feel the inheritance of culture, experience local customs, and enjoy leisure time. Simultaneously, we have worked hard to transform the advantages of traffic into advantages for industrial development, with 765 million domestic tourism trips and expenditures reaching 700.8 billion during the recent National Day holiday."

Wang He Yun believes that innovative efforts in cultural and tourism promotion have yielded remarkable success, citing many success stories where a piece of music, a dance, or a culinary delight has invigorated a city. "We are also delighted to see the burgeoning creation of micro-dramas in recent years, with the 'Travel with Micro-Dramas' activity paving new pathways and expanding new spaces for tourism promotion. Overall, micro-dramas not only possess significant artistic influence but also showcase advantages like low investment, short duration, and quick effectiveness, gradually revealing their ability to enhance tourism promotion."

"Come to Fujian, Happiness is Enough" takes viewers along the No. 1 Coastal Scenic Road, traversing Fuzhou, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, and Ningde

During the "How to Empower" forum, the fourth batch of recommended works from the "Travel with Micro-Dramas" initiative was announced, showcasing excellent thematic works based on the eight key topics identified at the beginning of the creation plan.

Four works, including "Water Rhythm and Emotion in Mentangxi," depict the scenery of rural revitalization; six works, such as "Haihun Line (Season 1)," tell historical and cultural stories; 15 works, including "Carry Bricks, Young Lady!" and "The Sixth Awakened Lion," showcase the charm of intangible cultural heritage; five works like "True Detective: One Nine Two Seven" explore the profound heritage of cultural relics; four works, including "Mythical Beast River Chronicles," support the construction of national cultural parks; two works like "Ningbo in 144 Hours" highlight industrial development; 11 works such as "1818 Editing Department" and "Stories of Macao" sketch the tapestry of urban civilization; and eight works, including "Scenic Hunters: Chaka Salt Lake Edition" and "Here Leads to the Stars," reveal the beauty of ecological civilization.

The micro-drama "Reunion" from Shanghai is one of the fourth batch of recommended works in the "Travel with Micro-Dramas" initiative

Units within the broadcasting system are actively entering the micro-drama field, injecting professional energy into the high-quality development of micro-dramas, while the prosperity and rapid development of the industry have made micro-dramas a new highlight for business growth across different broadcasting units. Since the release of the "Several Measures for Promoting the Micro-Drama Industry Development in Shanghai" earlier this year, Shanghai has seized the opportunity within this emerging micro-drama sector, effectively enhancing industry confidence and development momentum.

The "Quality Eastern Plan: Five Major Actions for Premium Micro-Dramas," developed jointly by the Shanghai Radio and Television Station and the China Network Audio-Visual Association, has entered a vigorous promotion phase. Starting October 14, "Quality Eastern: Micro Theater" will air during prime time on Dongfang Television. Zhou Jie, chief editor of Shanghai Radio and Television Station, revealed that the first batch of 12 premium short dramas combines reputation and attention, hoping that broadcasting them on a large screen will further enhance the influence and exemplary role of these works.

Ying Jian Yong, Director and Party Secretary of the Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism, and Director of the Ningbo Cultural Relics Bureau, stated that to promote the development of micro-dramas, Ningbo has intensified policy support by including micro-dramas in grant reward schemes. Additionally, they implement a list management system for key projects collected nationwide, providing comprehensive services throughout the process along with preferential policies. This year, five drama teams have already received rewards and subsidies, truly realizing that good works yield good returns and that micro-dramas empower the high-quality development of cultural tourism.

Ningbo's selected micro-drama "The Bone Whistle of Hemudu"

Beijing's Deputy Mayor Si Ma Hong first provided a set of data: the number of micro-drama platforms in Beijing accounts for two-thirds of the national total, with significant enterprises such as Douyin, Kuaishou, Dianzhong, and Chinese Online gathering in the city, which boasts 17,000 film and television production organizations.

"The theme of our forum focuses on 'How to Empower,' and Beijing empowers in three aspects: cultural empowerment, policy empowerment, and technical empowerment. We use small narratives and micro dissemination to tell the deep-rooted cultural stories of the ancient capital, the rich and heavy red culture, distinct Beijing cultural flavors, and the innovative culture that is thriving; we also unite relevant departments, industry associations, broadcasting platforms, and production agencies to provide comprehensive support services for key projects and fully leverage the role of film and television cultural industry parks in attracting high-quality micro-drama enterprises and creative teams to settle in, nurturing and expanding our industrial cluster. On the technical front, this year Beijing launched the country's first micro-drama employing virtual production technology, "Qiliang's Life," along with pioneering a micro-drama created using generative artificial intelligence titled "Future Revelation from Sanxingdui," both receiving widespread acclaim from netizens."

Still from the micro-drama "Qiliang's Life"