"Watch short micro-dramas and enjoy the Chinese New Year." On January 21, 2025, The Paper's Short Drama Channel was officially launched, and at the same time, the "Chinese Dream, New Journey" outstanding short micro-drama New Year screening event was launched.
16 dramas that echo the values of contemporary young people
In this screening event, The Paper will broadcast online for free 16 high-quality short dramas selected by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television in 2024 for the "New Journey of the Chinese Dream" original online audio-visual program collection and broadcast activity. These dramas cover areas such as love, family, workplace, education, society, and intangible cultural heritage. They closely follow social hot spots, show the struggles and growth of ordinary people from multiple angles, and echo the values and lifestyles of contemporary Chinese youth.
For example, " Anti-Fraud Storm " takes the fight against telecommunications fraud, which has received much attention in recent years, as its entry point. It tells the story of public security police officers fighting wits and courage with telecommunications fraud gangs, and penetrating through numerous lies and scams. The characters are vivid, suspenseful, and full of fireworks; "Master" tells the story of a police academy graduate who enters the police station and, under the leadership of his master, tracks drug users, hunts down and interrogates drug dealers, leads to drug-making gangs, and finally fights the mastermind behind the scenes, going deeper and deeper in the thrilling missions; "Surpass! The protagonist Ajuan in the TV series "Ajuan" goes to the big city to open a lion dance hall. She is constantly questioned and ridiculed, but still sticks to her ideals; the rich and colorful content of "Happy Family" covers common problems in different families such as husband-wife relationships and parent-child education; "The Peanuts (Season 1)" is set against the backdrop of China's great development and changes in the past decade, and portrays representative groups of struggling young people such as returning young people who start businesses in their hometowns, college student village officials, and new farmers; "Your Island Has Arrived" uses delicate and beautiful shots and plots to portray the romantic love story that took place on Yinling Island... These works convey the diversity and rich connotations of Chinese society and culture, allowing the audience to experience stories from different regions and cultural backgrounds, and feel warmth and hope.
It is the Spring Festival, so naturally there are short plays that fit in with the reunion atmosphere of the Spring Festival and the feelings of young people during the Spring Festival. For example, "Big New Year's Day" tells the story of a young couple who are facing a crisis of love and family affection on New Year's Eve. They are wondering "whether to divorce" and set off on the road to their hometown with many bags. However, they unexpectedly find new answers in being forced to get along with each other; "Lonely Travel Group" tells the story of lonely people such as the elderly whose children are abroad and no one is with them, the middle-aged man who lives alone with a successful career, the boy who planned to propose but was broken up, the marriageable woman who avoids the pressure of marriage and blind dates, and the divorced single mother with children. The story of a group that formed by chance during the Spring Festival, and their souls were healed by the beautiful scenery and delicious food of Guangxi and their fellow travelers during the trip; " There's Wind on My Way Home " tells the story of 28-year-old Xu Youfeng, a migrant worker in Beijing, who returned to his hometown of Sichuan in order to fulfill the last wish of his competitor and met the inheritor of intangible cultural heritage food. The two used food to heal themselves, felt the warmth of their hometown, and found their original intentions; and "We Going in Different Directions" reflects the current living conditions of young people, and deeply explores the value and significance of "going home" for young people. At the same time, the audience can also appreciate the profound historical heritage and unique charm of the characteristic cultural and tourism landscape of Xi'an, Shaanxi.
"Mainstream media promotes high-quality development of the micro-short drama industry"
Micro dramas continue to gain influence due to their short length, concise content, and wide and accurate dissemination. According to the White Paper on the Development of China's Micro Drama Industry (2024) released by the China Internet Audiovisual Association, 2024 is defined as the "year of the beginning of the Micro Drama 2.0 era". As of June 2024, the number of micro drama users in my country has reached 576 million, accounting for 52.4% of the total number of netizens. The industry estimates that the market size of micro dramas in China will reach 50.44 billion yuan in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 34.90%. This figure indicates that micro dramas have become an important choice for young audiences and mass entertainment consumption.
Under the equal emphasis on regulation and guidance by the competent authorities, the micro-short drama industry has developed rapidly and has become the hottest new track in the audio-visual entertainment industry. In particular, since January 2024, the State Administration of Radio and Television has launched the "Travel with Micro-Short Dramas" creation plan, which has recommended many creative and excellent works. These works not only showcase the humanistic style of various parts of China, but also reflect the unique role of micro-short dramas in promoting social values and spreading positive energy. Subsequently, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television organized the 2024 "New Journey of the Chinese Dream" original online audio-visual program collection and broadcasting activities, and announced the results of the selection of excellent programs at the end of the year. 17 original micro-short dramas were shortlisted, with themes such as "Travel with Micro-Short Dramas" and "See Intangible Cultural Heritage with Micro-Short Dramas". They are exquisite in art and well-made, and have a demonstration and leading role in the creation of online audio-visual programs.
Against this background, The Paper has been actively deploying in the field of micro-short dramas since 2024 to promote media convergence, industry integration and content innovation. "The launch of The Paper's short drama channel has further enriched the content ecology of The Paper, provided audiences with more diversified viewing options, and enhanced The Paper's brand influence and market competitiveness. In particular, as a mainstream media, the participation of The Paper will help promote the further development and standardization of the micro-short drama industry." Zhang Zheng, general manager of Shanghai Film Culture Technology Co., Ltd., said, "By providing high-quality micro-short drama industry reports and services, mainstream media will surely attract more producers, platforms and brands to participate, jointly promote the prosperity and development of the micro-short drama industry chain, and help the micro-short drama industry move towards a high-quality development stage of high-quality and integrated development."
In September 2024, The Paper, Shanghai Film Culture Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai Yangpu Science and Technology Innovation (Group) Co., Ltd., Huaying Jiutian (Shanghai) Culture Development Co., Ltd., Guangxi Yaoxiang Culture Communication Co., Ltd., the operator of the "China-ASEAN Network Audiovisual Industry Base", and Shanghai Qimao Culture Media Co., Ltd., and other six parties launched the "Ju Guang Deng" boutique micro-short drama co-creation plan, intending to jointly create a micro-short drama industry service partner platform covering the entire industry chain including script creation, production and shooting, review and approval, broadcast promotion, investment and financing.