In 2024, China's micro-short drama industry ushered in a structural turning point in the turbulent surge. From "barbaric growth" to "intensive cultivation", from "grassroots entertainment" to "new mainstream literary and artistic form", in this year's industry map, the four key words of high-quality, mainstream, digitalization and globalization outline the evolutionary direction of micro-short dramas, and their social value and cultural carrying capacity are redefined. According to data, the market size of micro-short dramas has exceeded 50 billion yuan, surpassing the movie box office for the first time. The subject structure, user groups and industrial ecology have undergone profound changes - family, urban and emotional themes account for more than 70%, and the production cost has jumped to 3 million yuan. More than 30 works have landed on provincial satellite TV, and overseas applications such as ReelShort have swept the European and American charts... Behind the prosperity, policy norms, technological iterations and market differentiation are also reshaping industry rules.

In this regard, Yang Lin, a professor at the School of Journalism and New Media of Xi'an Jiaotong University, accepted an exclusive interview with The Paper. She pointed out that in the face of the triple pressure of "stricter supervision, technological disruption, and escalating competition" in 2025, the combination of "keeping the right path" and "innovation" is an effective way to improve the level of short drama creation: it is necessary to keep the artistic rules and value orientation of "drama", and to use AI and VR to break through the boundaries of narrative, such as using LED virtual studios instead of real-life shooting to improve the quality of the picture; secondly, it is necessary to deal with the monopoly of platform traffic, and explore the ecological integration of "short drama +", and constantly explore new narrative techniques and technical applications in the new media environment to meet the growing cultural needs of modern audiences. The industry needs to find a balance between keeping the right path and innovation.

Yang Lin, Professor of Xi'an Jiaotong University

It is worth noting that although AIGC technology has broad prospects, whether it can become a dominant force in the future remains to be seen, which involves multiple factors such as technological maturity, market acceptance and policy support, as well as copyright issues and personal privacy issues that need to be resolved. Creators and platforms also need to find a balance between the originality crisis and compliance issues that may be brought about by the use of AI.

Regarding the future development direction of micro-short drama content, Professor Yang Lin proposed that, first, the rise of "main melody and positive energy themes" will become a major trend, reflecting changes in policy guidance and market demand; second, "deepening of realistic themes", especially family, workplace, campus and other content targeting middle-aged and elderly audiences, will become an important source of content; third, the continued popularity of "cultural tourism and intangible cultural heritage themes" and the continuous expansion of the "micro-short drama + N" model have demonstrated the potential of micro-short dramas in cultural communication and social hot spots; finally, the rise of "AIGC-oriented suspense, mythology, and science fiction themes", as well as attempts to enhance interactivity and gamification, aim to attract more young audiences and maintain their attention and stickiness.

Looking ahead, platforms will face challenges such as intensified competition, traffic monopoly, scramble for IP resources, and the impact of the popularization of free models . Producers will face pressures such as upgraded requirements for high-quality content production, cost and profit pressures, and profit models.

【dialogue】

Four major issues that need to be solved from wild growth to high-quality development

The Paper: In 2024, short dramas have made significant progress in the Chinese market. What key changes do you think are worth noting in the content creation of short dramas this year? Can you summarize it with a few keywords?

Yang Lin: First of all, there is an obvious trend towards high-quality works . The subject selection, production level, story type, narrative method and connotation expression of micro-short dramas have been significantly improved. The overall quality of realistic works has improved. Family, emotional and urban themes have become the mainstream, with the proportion increasing from 2.6% in 2023 to 8.0%, urban themes increasing from 15.5% to 23.7%, and emotional themes increasing from 37.8% to 39.6%.

The high-quality development is not only reflected in the choice of subject matter, but also in the increase in production costs and the emergence of leading production agencies. While the general production cost of micro-short dramas is maintained at a level of 200,000 to 300,000 yuan, the production cost of high-profile micro-short dramas has reached 3 million yuan, and there is a trend of continuous increase. The increase in the production cost of micro-short dramas has promoted the high-quality development of micro-short dramas, and the creators have stabilized their creative mentality, shifting from pursuing blockbusters to improving the average quality of dramas, and the long-tail effect of leading works has emerged.

Secondly, the mainstream trend of micro-short dramas is becoming more and more obvious . It has not only received widespread attention from the academic community, but also received high attention at the policy level; not only is the content closer to the public's aesthetic taste, but it has also achieved diversification in communication channels. The introduction of a series of policies on micro-short dramas fully reflects the high attention paid to micro-short dramas at the policy level. From another perspective, continuous standardization is also a manifestation of entering the mainstream; the first comprehensive evaluation system for micro-short dramas constructed by the China Radio and Television Association and Xi'an Jiaotong University promotes development through "evaluation", reflecting the think tank power of academia and industry associations; from the perspective of broadcasting platforms, in 2024, more than 30 micro-short dramas will be broadcast on provincial satellite TV stations across the country. This mainstream trend also reflects the transformation of micro-short dramas from a simple form of entertainment to a content form that combines social responsibility and emotional resonance.

Third, the trend of digitalization has become a "testing ground" for the application of new technologies such as AI and VR , bringing a new viewing experience to the audience. For example, Sanxingdui: Future Revelation, the first AI full-process science fiction short series produced by Bona Film Group, greatly improved the visual effects of the short series.

China's first AI full-process science fiction short series "Sanxingdui: Future Revelation"

Fourth, short dramas going overseas have become a new outlet for online audio-visual. Data shows that in 2024, the top short drama APPs going overseas will have in-app purchase revenues of up to RMB 700 million to 800 million. ReelShort has successfully ranked among the top three in the App Store rankings in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, becoming a dark horse app that has overshadowed TikTok. The global popularity and commercial development of short dramas have shown us the good results of "building ships and going overseas" in the field of cultural trade.

The Paper: In 2024, "high-quality" has become a key word in the short drama industry. From your research, what kind of market changes and social needs does this reflect? From the wild growth to high-quality branding, what urgent problems need to be solved?

Yang Lin: "Refinement" has become a key word in the micro-drama industry. Behind this, first of all, it reflects the market's demand for the improvement of the content quality of micro-dramas, the diversification of business models, and the upgrading of the industry ecology . From the perspective of users, the user scale and market are rising rapidly, and the middle-aged and elderly groups are rising. From the perspective of the market, the audience is no longer satisfied with curious and shoddy works, but is more pursuing texture, connotation, plot, etc. Modern audiences have higher requirements for the quality and values of content, and are more inclined to watch works with depth and connotation . For example, micro-dramas with the theme of "dominant president" have obviously declined in 2024, while themes close to real life such as family and city are more popular. This reflects the audience's expectations for the authenticity of the content and emotional resonance. Another obvious change is that the role of micro-dramas in cultural communication has become more prominent . For example, micro-dramas with cultural and tourism themes combine culture and entertainment through the "Travel with Micro-dramas" plan, meeting the audience's dual needs for knowledge and entertainment.

From wild growth to high-quality branding, there are many problems that need to be solved. First, the problem of content innovation and homogeneous competition . Although the subject matter is more diversified, the short drama industry still needs to be vigilant against the problem of homogeneous competition, avoid falling into the dilemma of routine and modeling, and continue to segment and verticalize.

Second, the balance between supervision and creative freedom . The SARFT’s classified and layered review system places higher demands on the content and production of short dramas.

Third, the sustainability of the profit model . For example, many viewers prefer to watch free dramas and have a low willingness to pay. Creators and platforms need to find a balance between user experience and profitability and explore more sustainable profit models, which can force producers to strengthen IP and content creation.

Fourth, brand building and long-term development . The short drama industry needs to shift from short-term traffic thinking to long-term brand building.

Stricter industry supervision and subject matter-driven innovation create new literary and artistic forms

The Paper: The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has tightened regulations on short dramas over the past year. What do you think are the key roles these policies play in the healthy development of the industry? Will regulation continue to tighten in the future, and what does this mean for creators?

Yang Lin: First, we need to regulate the market order, improve the quality of content, and strengthen the construction of the industry ecosystem. There are indeed many problems in the wild growth stage of micro-short dramas, such as vulgar and kitsch content, violence and blood, and distorted values, which not only affect the audience's perception, but also pose a threat to the sustainable development of the industry. The policy encourages creators to pay more attention to the quality of content and value orientation, and promote the transformation of micro-short dramas from "wild growth" to "fine products".

Second, promote innovation and diversified development in the industry. The policy guidance is not only about regulation, but also about encouraging innovation. For example, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has promoted the integration and innovation of micro-short dramas with different fields through the "Micro-short Drama +" action plan, which not only provides creators with more diverse creative directions, but also injects new vitality.

Judging from the current trend, the supervision of micro-short dramas will continue to be strict in the future. In early January 2025, the 2025 National Radio and Television Work Conference was held, and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television will formulate the "Micro-short Drama Management Measures" to further improve the management of program-related audio-visual content. For creators, first of all, it means that the threshold for creation has been raised, and more attention needs to be paid to the legality and value orientation of the content, and to avoid vulgar, violent and other bad content. Secondly, it is necessary to constantly explore new themes and forms of expression to meet the market demand for high-quality content. Although supervision has been tightened, favorable policies have also provided more support for creators. On the one hand, it can effectively protect the copyright of creators, and on the other hand, it requires creators to continue to innovate and break through limitations. At the same time, various places have successively introduced policies such as financial support, publicity and promotion. Therefore, opportunities and challenges coexist for creators.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television actively carries out the management of short dramas

The Paper: Recently, the Network Audiovisual Program Management Department of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television released the third batch of recommended plays for "Traveling with Micro-Short Plays". Since the launch of the "Traveling with Micro-Short Plays" creation plan in the first half of this year, micro-short plays have empowered the cultural and tourism industries in many places with remarkable results. The combination of micro-short plays and local cultural tourism has become a new attempt. What impact and value has this cooperation model brought to both parties? In the future, what other cross-border or integration effects may micro-short plays have? Will it develop into a new form of literature and art?

Yang Lin: First of all, the empowerment of local cultural tourism industries has attracted a large number of tourists to check in. The 15 scenic spots in Zhejiang Province where short dramas were filmed received a total of 87.4593 million tourists from January to September 2024, a year-on-year increase of 9.05%. This model not only enhances the local visibility, but also drives the prosperity of related industries such as catering, accommodation, and handicrafts.

Secondly, break through the traditional cultural tourism promotion model and promote the dissemination and inheritance of traditional culture. As a new form of art, short plays spread excellent local traditional culture in a vivid and intuitive way in the shortest time. For example, "Return to the Yongle Encyclopedia" shows the hardship and significance of ancient book restoration, while "Jinyi Lane" incorporates Sichuan opera face-changing, iron flower making and other intangible cultural heritage into the plot, triggering the audience's thinking about cultural inheritance.

Short plays such as "Return to the Yongle Canon" and "Jinyi Lane" incorporate traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage.

Thirdly, short dramas will achieve more cross-border development and produce a fusion effect. Cross-border cooperation will bring broader development space for short dramas. For example, the "Learn Law with Short Dramas" creation plan popularizes legal knowledge through short dramas and explains the law through cases.

Micro short dramas have become a new form of art, showing strong vitality and innovation potential. Their fast-paced, high-density content format, low-cost, short-cycle production advantages, and down-to-earth, close-to-life communication characteristics enable them to reach a wide range of audiences and quickly open up multiple distribution channels.

2025 Micro Drama Outlook: AIGC empowerment, commercial balance and innovative challenges of diversified content tracks

The Paper: There are still many problems with short short dramas. The threshold for creation and production is relatively low, which provides more creative space for content creators, but also comes with the risk of uneven quality. What key issues do you think platforms and production companies should focus on solving in the future, and what key points should they work on to effectively improve the creation level of short short dramas and avoid homogenization?

Yang Lin: Generally speaking, it is a combination of "maintaining the integrity" and "innovation".

The so-called "keeping the right path" means keeping the "original intention" and "nature" of micro-short dramas . Micro-short dramas are first of all "dramas" that have the same artistic laws and values as movies, dramas, and TV series; the so-called "innovation" means following the new laws and continuous innovation vitality such as the laws of new media, the requirements of the new era, the needs of new audiences, and the blessing of new technologies . Specifically, first, in terms of innovative themes and narrative techniques, platforms and production companies should explore stories with greater depth and breadth.

Second, strengthen character portrayal and emotional depth. At present, many short short plays rely on a single plot to promote the story, lacking the exploration of the inner world of the characters. Creators should focus on the three-dimensional shaping of characters, be more diverse in emotional expression, and avoid single emotional output.

Third, we try to promote the deep integration of technology and content. For example, the film "Seven Two Life" uses LED virtual studio to replace real scene shooting, which improves the picture quality.

"Qi Er Sheng" uses LED virtual studio instead of real scene shooting

Fourth, reduce dependence on inherent IPs such as online literature and animation, or enhance screening of traditional IP types, strengthen original IP creation, and focus on branding.

In addition, pay attention to copyright, strengthen supervision of popular IPs or narrative templates, and crack down on serious plagiarism.

The Paper: In 2024, the commercialization of short dramas has gradually deepened, and brand placement and advertising cooperation have become important ways to make money. How do you view the balance between commercialization and freedom of content creation? How will this balance change in 2025?

Yang Lin: At present, many short dramas are exploring the deep integration of brand and content through the combination of customized content, plot-based narrative and brand concepts.

Some of the changes I think might happen by 2025 include:

First, the deep integration of content and business. The report shows that the sales effect of "micro-short drama + brand" is good and has become an important means of brand online marketing. By cleverly implanting narrative content, it accurately reaches consumers, improves user stickiness, and promotes online sales growth. For example, the brand customized drama "I Opened a Starbucks in Ancient Times" has been exposed to more than 100 million people, helping to increase the exposure of the live broadcast room by 356%, and driving the audience to buy beverage coupons.

Second, the diversification of paid and free models. In 2025, the business model of short dramas will be more diversified, and paid and free models will coexist. For example, platforms such as Douyin will launch combined copyright operations, allowing copyright holders to conduct free and paid operations on the end natively. This model will provide creators with more profit opportunities and provide viewers with more flexible viewing options.

In short, as a popular form of entertainment, micro-short dramas are bound to continue to strengthen commercialization, but the product makers must respect the audience's viewing experience and believe in the professional ability of the creators, and carry out implantation without affecting the development of the plot.

The Paper: In 2024, the content creation of short dramas will be more diversified. In which direction do you think the content development of short dramas will expand in the future? Which themes are expected to dominate the short drama market in 2025?

Yang Lin: First, the rise of main themes and positive energy themes . With the changes in policy guidance and market demand, main themes and positive energy themes will become an important development direction for micro-short dramas. Second, realistic themes will continue to deepen, focusing on the needs of middle-aged and elderly audiences . For example, family, workplace, campus, etc. will continue to be an important source of content for micro-short dramas. With the continuous increase in the proportion of middle-aged and elderly netizens among netizens and the emergence of the retirement wave of the post-60s, non-traditional realistic themes that adapt to the middle-aged and elderly groups, such as love stories of the middle-aged and elderly groups, will become an important focus.

Third, cultural tourism and intangible cultural heritage themes remain popular , and the "micro-short drama + N" model continues to expand. At the same time, micro-short dramas also have a trend of constantly paying attention to social hot spots. The creation of micro-short dramas takes a shorter time, and compared with TV dramas and movies, they are more conducive to speaking out for social hot issues .

Fourth, AIGC-oriented suspense, mythology, and science fiction themes continue to heat up, and enhancing interactivity and even gamification may become a new growth point for short dramas. Enhancing interactivity and trying gamification will become a new attempt to attract the continued attention of Generation Z and maintain audience stickiness.

The Paper: Looking ahead to 2025, from the perspectives of platforms, producers, and audiences, what important changes and challenges do you think short dramas will face in the industry in 2025? Can you talk about this using a few keywords?

Yang Lin: For the platform, it will face challenges such as intensified competition, traffic monopoly, IP resource competition, and the impact of the popularization of the free model . In 2025, leading platforms such as Douyin, Kuaishou, and Tencent will continue to consolidate their traffic advantages, while platforms such as Baidu, iQiyi, and Youku are also accelerating their layout, and it seems that they are all trying to get a piece of the pie. As the traffic dividend fades, the platform's voice will be further enhanced, and most of the profits will still be concentrated in the hands of the platform that controls the traffic. In addition, the free model will continue to be an important strategy for the platform to attract users . Attracting traffic through free content and then making profits through advertising, brand cooperation, etc. will become the mainstream model.

For producers, they will face the pressure of upgrading the quality requirements of content production, cost and profit pressure, profit model , etc. Producers need to pay more attention to the quality of content, and production costs will rise further, especially the cost of streaming may account for more than 80% of the total cost, and the profit margin will be further compressed; at the same time, the application of technologies such as AI and virtual reality will be more extensive, which is an important way to improve the quality of works.

For the audience, how to meet the diverse and quality needs has become the key . The audience has more room to choose, which will increase the quality requirements for short dramas, forcing the producers of short dramas to improve quality and strengthen innovation. In addition, the audience will form a social group trend and form a large community of like-minded people. How to better improve and meet the satisfaction of the silver-haired audience with micro short dramas has also become an aspect that needs attention.

The Paper: The application of new technologies such as AIGC is one of the highlights of 2024. What kind of changes have these technologies brought to the content production, distribution and consumption of short dramas? Is it possible to become the dominant force in 2025? What challenges and opportunities will this bring to creators and platforms?

Yang Lin: The use of AIGC has greatly improved the efficiency and quality of the creative realization of micro-short dramas . For example, the art, storyboards, videos, dubbing, and music of "Chinese Mythology" were all completed by artificial intelligence. The creation of real-life micro-short dramas is also trying to solve the problem of rough production with the help of a series of new technologies. The three AI micro-short dramas "Hero", "Love Never Ends", and "Fantasy Store" produced by China Central Radio and Television Station show the effective help of AIGC in character creation, emotional expression, and theme expression, fully demonstrating the multi-dimensional and multi-level combination of AI technology and art.

China's first AI full-process short drama "Chinese Mythology"

AIGC technology has broad application prospects in the micro-short drama industry and is expected to become an important leading force in 2025. On the one hand, using AIGC for script creation, storyboard writing, scene rendering, etc. can speed up the shooting process, reduce the pre-production and post-production time, and thus reduce production costs . Character consistency and action interaction still need to be improved, but these technical bottlenecks are expected to be broken in the future. On the other hand, AI innovation can, to a certain extent, break through people's imagination , achieve more creative ideas that challenge the limits of the human brain, and even merge to form a new style. At the same time, AIGC technology can break the threshold of creation , so that short drama creation can move from professional production to ordinary enthusiasts. For the platform, AI assists in the precise delivery of content, and generates customized delivery content by analyzing user hobbies, thereby cultivating user stickiness and improving audience experience. In terms of consumption methods, AI assistance is more convenient for cross-language and cross-cultural communication, and can also obtain feedback from consumers in different countries, so as to carry out short drama overseas.

However, whether AICG can become the dominant force in 2025 needs further observation . This depends not only on the maturity of technology, market acceptance, and policy support, but also on the scientific and technological ethics of AI technology applications, such as copyright issues and personal privacy issues of AI-generated content . It is particularly noteworthy that creators need to adapt to the new model of AI-assisted creation to avoid over-reliance on technology and loss of creative subjectivity . Platforms need to find a balance between technology application and content review to ensure the quality and compliance of AI-generated content.