Reporter Liu Yuhan
Micro-short dramas are not only popular with "rustic flavor". The director Zeng Qingjie, who is called the "short drama ceiling" by netizens, proves that micro-short dramas can also harvest traffic through works such as "Nian Nian Nian Wuming" and "Xu Yan". "Nian Nian Wuming" broadcast in the first half of this year exceeded 600 million views, and reached the second and third place in the rankings of multiple online dramas in the same period. "Nian Nian Nian Wuming" is called the "costume version of Smiths". The pictures are beautiful, the costumes and sets have aesthetic artistic conception, and the martial arts scenes are also neat and neat. The audience said, "It's much better than those dramas with forty or fifty episodes." Director Zeng Qingjie said that "no second is unnecessary" in micro-short dramas, which brings a refreshing viewing experience to the audience who have suffered from "water-injected dramas".
Another micro-short drama "Xuyan" directed by Zeng Qingjie was just launched at the end of September. The cumulative number of views has exceeded 500 million, and it also received a 7.4 rating on Douban. The drama revolves around two pairs of CPs. The young artist Shiqi and the prime minister Shen Qin "changed their faces" and married the loved ones they love, but the loved ones they love could not recognize each other, forming a theme of sweet and tragic intertwining of the whole play. The audience commented, "It's not rustic but not procrastinating, but it's not old-fashioned."
"Nianmin Wuming" and "Xuyan" are both from Mango TV's "Da Mang Plan". The "Da Mang Plan" began in 2019 and focuses on micro-short dramas. Producer Zhan Yali proposed that the key points of the production of micro-short dramas are "new concepts, outstanding highlights, and strong dramatic tension." In addition, Mango TV also launched the new short drama APP "Daman" at the end of 2021. It focuses on high-quality short drama content with about 7 minutes with the slogan "Looking forward to the next 7 minutes".
All major video platforms have begun to accelerate their layout in the micro-short drama track: Douyin has launched a "new episode plan", and Kuaishou has the "Star Plan". Tencent Video has created the "Mars Plan" and also the "Ten Theater", covering different types such as comedy season, national style season, and passionate season. B site invites top UP hosts to jointly create a "light theater". The micro-short drama "Set Diary" produced by 四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四四� The incubation work of the "Capsule Program" of Bilibili's animation short film support project was also officially unveiled recently. BesTV and Rabbit Culture jointly produced the classical and bizarre short drama "Amazing Things in the Mountains and Fields". The drama has completed the second season of filming and is expected to be serialized.
There is no need to deliberately cultivate the audience's habit of watching micro-short dramas. Everyone has long evolved short-short, fragmented, and explosive viewing habits in the torrent of short videos. Micro-short dramas are catering and adapting to this.
For platform and content producers, squeezing into the micro-short drama track is also a forced survival strategy. Compared with long dramas and online movies, micro-short dramas have lower production costs, shorter shooting cycles, faster capital recovery, and may receive higher traffic feedback, which is more competitive and more survivable. The total cost of a micro-short drama may not be as good as the promotion and distribution cost of a long drama, with greater fault tolerance and stronger risk resistance. The platform is reducing costs and increasing efficiency, and the demand for purchasing film and television works has decreased. In order to relieve the pressure, film and television production companies have to try out micro-short dramas, which is a last resort.
For actors, starring in micro-short dramas is an excellent stepping stone for the "little transparent" in the entertainment industry. Many of them are professional actors, but their chances of appearing are scarce, so they can only become "sole actors" in conventional film and television works. In micro-short dramas, they can play the leading role and get higher exposure and fan conversion rates. Like the male star in "Nian Nian Nian Wuming", Cheng Lei, who plays the general Xiao Hansheng in "Xuyan", and Dai Gaozheng, the "second master" in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", they have all accumulated their fans.
Idol idols and professional actors are also joining the micro-short drama circle. For example, the "Left Beads" contestant Li Zixuan in " Creation 101" participated in " Tang Dynasty Foodie ". Zhang Zining , who is also a talent showman, and Qin Fen, partnered in "There is a Peach Blossom Demon next door". Jin Jing starred in "Dream! Jingjing" last year, including Chen He and Wang Dongcheng's guest appearance; actor Yu Shasha participated in "The World of Auntie"; Li Muchen , who played supporting roles in " Si Teng " and " Dream Hualu ", starred in "The latest short drama "Provocation" directed by Zeng Qingjie as the heroine.
More IPs will also be micro-shortized, such as the Korean drama "Two Worlds of W" and the fantasy drama "Liuli" broadcast in 2020, which have all reported new trends in micro-short adaptation.
