China News Service, Jinhua, March 15th (Qian Chenfei, Dong Yixin) "The monitor was used in the past when filming commercials and long dramas. The characters displayed on it were still horizontal, so you had to tilt your head to read them." In Zhejiang Hengdian Film and Television Director Zhang Moxian, who has been engaged in the shooting of horizontal screen dramas for nearly 20 years, joked at a micro-short drama shooting base in the city.
Since September 2023, he has filmed 7 vertical screen micro-shorts. Talking about the reasons for "changing careers", Zhang Moxian said bluntly: "It's so popular. As an 'old man' who has been in the film and television industry all the way from the film era, I also want to embrace new changes. As for the future prospects, it's hard to say, but I am still optimistic. ”
A vertical screen monitor at a micro-short drama shooting site in Hengdian. Photo by Dong Yixin
As a new form of online audio-visual business, the micro-short drama industry is "boiling". The "2023-2024 China Micro-Short Drama Market Research Report" shows that the size of China's online micro-short drama market in 2023 will be 37.39 billion yuan (RMB, the same below), a year-on-year increase of 267.65%.
Hengdian, Zhejiang, which has gathered more than 1,900 film and television companies, has undergone tremendous changes due to the craze of micro-short dramas, and is nicknamed "vertical store". Here, the needs of all aspects of the film and television industry chain such as scenes, costumes, equipment, and extras can be met at any time. The high cost performance has attracted many micro-short drama crews to gather together, and the concept of "shooting in 7 days, 100 million yuan in 8 days, and wealth in 10 days" was born The business myth of freedom.
In June last year, the previously idle comprehensive building in Banbangshan Village in Hengdian was successfully rented out and turned into a micro-short drama shooting base, covering 16 modern drama interior shooting scenes such as company offices, hospitals, villas, flat floors, and abandoned construction sites.
“There are four or five micro-short drama crews filming every day, and many short dramas are popular overseas.” Xu Gang, the person in charge of the base, said that as the works gradually become more sophisticated, the crew will definitely put forward higher requirements for the scenes. "The industry is changing rapidly, and we must keep pace with the times. If we can't keep up, we won't make money."
Not only Xu Gang, the booming lightweight film and television industry has also attracted more practitioners to "get a share of the pie."
"I was an actor before, and later I worked behind the scenes, and I also have some fixed investments. We have acted in and invested in short plays, but finally stopped temporarily. Frankly speaking, later marketing and promotion is more "cost-intensive" and the return rate is not High." Li Ruixue, chief producer of Zhejiang Dongyang Ruiyi Film and Television Culture Co., Ltd., said that although she has not joined the game, she has been communicating with some micro-short drama production companies from time to time.
Some people are waiting and watching, while others are focusing on the micro-short drama segment to seek differentiated development.
"At present, the micro-short drama industry is no longer extensive and disorderly, and the threshold is getting higher and higher. We believe that brand-customized micro-short dramas may become the next trend." Li Rui, founder of an e-commerce live broadcast base in Hengdian, said, Based on the above considerations, his company switched from live broadcast operation to short drama operation, combined with product placement, talent "planting" and other forms, aiming to cater to young consumers.
Yang Ji, a professor at Zhejiang University of Communication and media commentator, said that in the current streaming media and digital entertainment, micro-short dramas are another brand new category in addition to the commonly known as "Internet University", online dramas, online variety shows, audio books, and online music. form of media. Its "one-minute episode", narrative rhythm, refreshing layout, broadcast platform and even business monetization model are all brand new. So as far as the audio-visual genre is concerned, it is a new "species"; and as far as communication expression is concerned, it will open up a new paradigm.
Yang Ji believes that as the micro-short drama industry continues to boom, there will continue to be new "interlopers". The healthy and long-term development of the industry requires attention to three aspects: first, system compliance, including filming, production, and publicity. The qualifications, filing, review, and supervision processes must be standardized; secondly, be cautious and restrained. Each industry has its own development rules and cycles, and it is not appropriate to exaggerate publicity and blindly enter the industry; thirdly, policy guidance, and we hope that regulatory authorities will issue more detailed , opinions with operational guidelines should be avoided, and appropriate support and encouragement should be paid attention to. (End)
(China News Network)
