In recent years, online micro-dramas have matched the fragmented viewing habits of internet audiences, resulting in a "viral" trend that shows no signs of slowing down. The iterative advancements in technology, the rise of short video platforms, and the influx of talented creators have provided robust support for the production and dissemination of online micro-dramas.

However, the development of high-quality online micro-dramas still requires creators to accurately grasp their artistic characteristics and narrative strategies, continually enhancing their aesthetic value and ideological guidance to create more works that not only meet public entertainment needs but also contain positive energy, ultimately pushing the industry toward a direction of high quality, refinement, and sustainability, achieving a win-win situation in both social and economic benefits.

This article was published in the July 2024 issue of China Television.

Written by | Li Wening, Feng Zhaolin

Edited by | Yang Yang

In the era of smart media, online micro-dramas have immense development potential. Their continuously expanding boundaries and deep-seated drive to lead industry change highlight the unprecedented importance of producing high-quality content. Effectively managing traffic resources and converting them into productive forces for quality content creation, as well as successfully guiding content innovation to attract and retain internet user groups, are pressing challenges in the realm of online micro-drama creation.

01

Analysis of the Reasons Behind the Surge of Online Micro-drama Creation

In recent years, the creation of online micro-dramas has gained significant momentum. In 2023, the phenomenon-level "hit" Escape from the British Museum achieved a dual "breakthrough" in both viewership and reputation, showcasing the considerable potential of online micro-dramas. Tracing the development trajectory of online micro-dramas, the pioneering works Diabolic Men from 2012 and Unbelievable from 2013 marked the beginnings in this field. Although they gained considerable attention in a short time, they failed to maintain long-lasting influence. In 2020, the National Radio and Television Administration added a "rapid registration module for online micro-dramas" in the "Key Online Film and Television Drama Information Registration System" and implemented standardized regulations in the field through various measures. Since then, the creation and dissemination of online micro-dramas have entered a phase governed by regulations. Traditional and new players in the industry, including long and short video platforms, MCN institutions, satellite TV stations, IP providers, and internet companies, have begun to vie for this new arena. However, the creation boom in online micro-dramas is not a coincidence; it stems from profound underlying reasons and inherent logic.

(1) Social Acceleration Provides a Psychological Fit for Online Micro-drama’s Rise

German social critic Hartmut Rosa points out in his theory of "social acceleration" that "technological advancement, social change, and the fast pace of life have formed a mutually reinforcing feedback system. In a late modern accelerated society, the experience of acceleration is no longer a liberating force but has become a pressure that enslaves people." The process of social acceleration has not only somewhat reconstructed individuals' perceptions of time and space but has also deeply influenced the structure of people's aesthetic experiences. In a fast-paced social reality, individuals' perceptions of life seem to be in a constant fast-forward state, fueling a preference for immediate, fragmented ways of acquiring information, as well as a pursuit for brief, efficient, and compact narrative art forms. "Social acceleration has produced new spatiotemporal experiences, new social interaction models, and new subject forms," which indirectly changes the consumption and appreciation habits of current internet users. This trend in cultural consumption provides a robust psychological and market foundation for the rapid emergence of online micro-dramas, making them widely accepted by audiences.

(2) Technological Iteration Provides Efficient Tools for Content Production in Online Micro-dramas

The evolution from television dramas to online dramas and currently to online micro-dramas vividly illustrates the profound impact that technological innovation has had on the genre, content volume, and expressive form of artistic works. As Marshall McLuhan stated in Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, "All technologies possess the nature of alchemy. Whenever society develops technology that extends itself, all other functions within society must change to accommodate that form of technology. Once new technologies penetrate society, they immediately infiltrate all of its institutions; thus, new technologies are revolutionary agents." Currently, with the continual iteration of internet technology, the robust rise of streaming services, and changes in receiving mediums, a series of technological advancements and social transformations have collaboratively fostered a nurturing ecosystem for the thriving of online micro-dramas, granting significant momentum for their vigorous development. Meanwhile, the shifting habits of user information acquisition are, to some extent, rapidly differentiating the audience groups for longer series.

By June 2023, the number of internet users in China reached 1.079 billion, an increase of 11.09 million from December 2022, resulting in an internet penetration rate of 76.4%. With short videos becoming the primary medium for entertainment and social interaction, short video platforms are actively exploring and developing story-driven micro-drama content to enhance user engagement, catering to users' demands for swift and intense viewing experiences. Simultaneously, long video platforms, in order to maintain and expand their target audience, are strategically positioning themselves in the micro-drama market, striving to construct a diversified content matrix. It's noteworthy that production companies, originally focused on long series such as Noon Sunshine, Huace, Perfect World, and Ningmeng, have also entered the competition in the online micro-drama market, reflecting their innovative momentum and market value.

(3) Talent Drive Provides a Fertile Ground for Deep Transformations in the Industry

In 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly stated at a symposium on press and public opinion work of the party, "The key to media competition lies in talent competition, and the core of media advantages is talent advantage." This assertion highlights the critical role of talent in the development of media enterprises. The report of the 20th National Congress further emphasizes: "Technology is the primary productive force, talent is the primary resource, and innovation is the primary driving force." The prosperity of online micro-drama creation is attributed to the internet providing a free creative space for relevant professionals, significantly stimulating the creative potential of media and arts talents, and strongly propelling the rapid development of the online micro-drama industry. On one hand, film and television companies focus on talent-driven creation when entering the micro-drama arena, employing various support programs to excavate high-quality ideas, providing comprehensive guidance, and nurturing premium projects. On the other hand, online micro-dramas serve as a stage and medium for self-media creators to express their creativity and showcase their talents. For example, the crime-themed micro-drama Extraordinary Police Cases exemplifies the creative and performance talents of Bilibili users, demonstrating the remarkable potential of self-media creators.

02

The Creation Dilemmas and Aesthetic Limitations of Online Micro-dramas

In recent years, online micro-dramas have experienced rapid development akin to mushrooms sprouting after rain, with a significant increase in user reach; however, the quality of the works remains inconsistent. Creators must fully recognize the current creation dilemmas and aesthetic limitations, actively leading and promoting online micro-dramas toward higher quality and greater influence through refined development strategies.

(1) Flat Character Development and Simplified Emotional Expression

A scholar from China has proposed the principle of dual character combinations in his work The Theory of Character Combinations, suggesting that the richness of character personalities is reflected in the dialectical unity of opposites, manifested in the coexistence of various internal contradictions such as "good and evil, true and false, beautiful and ugly, joyous and sorrowful," etc. However, within the current creations of online micro-dramas, due to length constraints, main characters are often limited to two or three individuals, leading to overly simplistic and biased portrayals. Most creators resort to creating "extreme" character archetypes, such as the long-suffering wife, the husband who betrays the family, the stereotypical villainous mother-in-law, and the immoral evildoers. These character setups are flat and lack in-depth, multi-dimensional exploration and presentation of personalities, resulting in an overall negative emotional message.

In emotional expression, while using exaggerated techniques to rapidly establish romantic relationships between male and female leads may be valid, excessive use can lead to artistic deviations and imbalances. For instance, in Don't Mess with Sister, the CEO Jin Rongrong and university student Gu Congbei's romantic relationship development skips the gradual buildup of their emotional connection, favoring exaggerated courtship scenes that substantially detract from the overall artistic tone of the work. Therefore, in the processes of character portrayal and emotional expression, creators should carefully weigh the rules and scales of artistic expression to avoid compromising the aesthetic value of the works.

(2) Lack of Logic and Cohesion in Dramatic Conflict Setup

The duration of online micro-dramas imposes certain limitations on artistic creation. Some creators struggle to adapt to and skilfully grasp the narrative space and rhythm, resulting in an intentional weakening and abstraction of the environment and societal context in which the characters exist. This approach diminishes the authenticity and artistry of the work, leading to a strong sense of detachment between characters and plots in some pieces. For example, in No Results, the repeated use of medium and close-up shots to present the protagonist Nie Xiaozhou's reactions and counterattacks against her boyfriend Qing Chuan's selfish actions amplifies emotions and interactions. However, the excessive abstraction of the story’s background and environment severely impairs the logicality and rationality of character development and motivations.

To evoke intense dramatic conflict and multi-faceted plot twists within limited narrative spaces, some creators opt to sacrifice the internal logic and cohesion of plot development, occasionally leading to logical breaks that greatly undermine the overall coherence, reasonableness, and rigor of narrative structure. For instance, in The Good Deeds of Xiangyashan, to achieve multiple plot twists in a short time, the first episode sets up a series of events including Xie Guangkun winning a large lottery, the lottery being lost, an accident causing a fracture, a diagnosis of late-stage brain cancer, the unexpected recovery of the lost lottery, and ultimately confirming the cancer misdiagnosis, all to act as a "catalyst" to lead the protagonist on a benevolent path. However, such forced and exaggerated plot designs reveal narrative logical defects.

(3) Excessive Daydreaming and a Lack of Correct Values

Some creators, driven by economic interests, focus their creative perspective on negative societal topics and sensationalized, trending themes that cater to audience psychology. Such works often contain implicit references to soft pornography, violent scenarios, and promote negative ideologies such as materialism and nihilism, leading to the dissemination of harmful values. In certain productions, the characters of the "tyrant CEO" and the "CEO's wife" are frequently employed, easily resolving various conflicts in real life and workplaces but misleading the audience to believe that "wealth and status can solve all problems." The disconnection between such works and real life has negatively impacted the establishment of worldviews, life perspectives, and values among young people, touching upon the social responsibilities and ethical standards that should be upheld in internet cultural creations.

Some works, in pursuit of the so-called "feel-good" factor, are keen on creating "daydreams" for internet users, selling anxiety through storytelling akin to adult fairy tales, using overly idealized lifestyles to escape the pressures and dilemmas of reality—mainly depicted through narratives of underprivileged employees' rise to success, the disappearance of female appearance anxiety, fortune falling from the sky for debt holders, or the love stories between "ugly ducklings" and "tyrant CEOs." For example, in one episode, a ring with the ability to grant wishes allows the female protagonist to effortlessly overcome her appearance anxiety and workplace bottlenecks while achieving great wealth, ultimately reaching the summit of her life. Such setups clearly deviate from realistic life, as overly gamified and embellished plot designs diminish the relevance and credibility of the works to social reality.

03

Creation Strategies for the High-Quality Development of Online Micro-dramas

To continuously produce benchmark works for high-quality development, the National Radio and Television Administration launched a series of "Micro-drama Creation and Dissemination Projects" starting in 2023. Works such as The Pursuers and The Case of Shi Junfeng have engaged high-level creative teams, providing insightful approaches for the refined development of online micro-dramas. In early 2024, the National Radio and Television Administration issued a notice planning to release 100 outstanding micro-dramas themed "Travel with Micro-dramas." Among them, works like My Journey has Wind and Your Island has Arrived vividly showcase Chinese stories brimming with human warmth, immersively integrating urban images and regional culture into online audio-visual works, allowing audiences to appreciate the beauty of life amidst diverse local customs. It's fair to say that online micro-dramas are breaking through from a "quantity plateau" to a "quality peak." In order to better promote excellent traditional Chinese culture and contemporary spirit, the creative strategies for the high-quality development of online micro-dramas mainly focus on the following three aspects.

(1) Character Development and Relationship Settings Should Align with the Creation Characteristics of Online Micro-dramas

Online micro-d