The second half of short dramas: high-quality, artistic, vertical, and IP-based

The recent explosion of short short dramas has made the industry flourish, but the rapid development has also led to uneven quality. This article starts from the current regulation policy of the short drama industry, analyzes the future development trend of the short drama market, and points out the development direction of the high-quality short drama. It is recommended for students who are interested in the short drama industry.

1. The short drama market is undergoing a transformation

According to the Datawin report, the number of new micro-short dramas launched in the first half of this year has exceeded the total number for the whole of last year. This launch speed is amazing, but this speed has also brought about problems such as the uneven quality of micro-short dramas and serious homogeneity.

But the market has actually changed quietly.

For example, the short drama "Xu Yan" was praised as "B-level cost, A-level production". Its wonderful plot and fast pace won the recognition of the audience, and its Douban score reached more than 7 points. For example, as a derivative short drama of "Strange Stories of the Tang Dynasty", "Su Wuming from the Tang Dynasty" is comparable to long dramas in terms of cast, shooting level, costumes and props.

Zi Fan, a short drama producer at Huace Film & TV, believes: "Before the regulatory policy for micro short dramas came out last month, the market had already given a direction, and some high-quality content began to sell well in the market. At this time, with the guidance of policies, the transformation period of micro short dramas has accelerated."

With the changes in the market demand for micro-short drama users, the participation of more professional institutions, policy guidance, and follow-up governance by major platforms such as Douyin, the micro-short drama market will also usher in the reconstruction of order.

2. Future trends of the short drama market

When the market changes, short dramas face a comprehensive upgrade from production to distribution. The general trend is to move towards high-quality, artistic, vertical and IP-based.

1. Artistic content and diversified value

Film is called the seventh art, and the essence of short plays is also film and television. In the final analysis, they rely on content and artistry to win. Excellent short plays are not only the transmitters of emotional value, but also should explore the social value behind the works.

For example, "There's Wind on My Way Home", a collaboration between Huace Film & TV and Douyin, tells the story of a white-collar worker in Beijing returning to his hometown and exploring his self-worth. It hits the current sentiment of people fleeing Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

In addition to emotions, the short drama also found a special expressive element - intangible cultural heritage. In the story, the protagonist met the inheritor of intangible cultural heritage food. Through the intangible cultural heritage food that young people are interested in, it expressed respect for traditional culture and embodied its social value.

During the filming preparations, "There's Wind on My Way Home" chose Chengdu, Leshan and Mount Emei in Sichuan as the filming locations to increase the authenticity of the story and the richness of the regional culture.

When talking about the artistry of film and television dramas, Wood, the project manager of "The Little Nyonya" believes that long dramas are about "examination", which is to look at other people's stories and other people's lives to examine myself, while micro-short dramas are about "gazing", in which users watch the people on their phones intently, like a video chat, staring at each other's performance and emotional expression.

An ideal short drama should have both the "gazing" effect of stimulating emotions and the "examination" effect of gaining deep value.

For example, the series "The Full-time Househusband Training Program" focuses on the daily life of a full-time househusband and shows their struggle between traditional gender roles and the expectations of modern society.

The drama depicts emotions in detail, such as the difficulty of the protagonist in dealing with household chores and the communication barriers with his spouse, allowing the audience to focus on the emotional expression of the characters, reflecting the "gaze" effect. From the perspective of "examination", the theme of the drama will guide the audience to think about deeper social issues, such as gender equality, family responsibilities and personal choices.

2. Professional and high-quality production

As mentioned earlier, from the user's perspective, the market is already looking forward to high-quality dramas. Driven by demand, a large number of professional film and television organizations are entering the micro-short drama market. China Online, Huace Film & TV, Mango Super Media, Huayi Brothers, Lemon Studios, and Changxin Media have all decided to deploy Douyin and increase their investment in micro-short dramas.

The entry of these professional institutions into the market not only means more sufficient funds and resources, but more importantly, it brings stricter production standards and quality control.

For example, Huace Film & TV has built a team of more than 10 people in the short drama team configuration, including the screenwriter group, production group, director group, editing group and operation group. They and Douyin will jointly launch the short drama "My Way Home Has Wind", which has set high standards in the selection of directors and actors. In terms of polishing the script, mature screenwriters have optimized four or five drafts before finally confirming the script that can be put into preparation.

For example, "Su Wuming from the Tang Dynasty", jointly produced by Changxin Media and Douyin, has a script and plot that blends historical and modern elements. By placing ancient characters in a modern environment, it shows unique creativity and novel narrative techniques. In terms of production, the drama pays attention to details. Whether it is costumes, props or scene design, it strives to restore the style of the Tang Dynasty and demonstrates a high level of visual effects. In terms of lineup, director Bai Shan and actors Yang Zhigang and Gao Siwen are all professional actors who starred in "Strange Stories of the Tang Dynasty".

"Whether it is a short series or a long series, our requirements for film and television content are unified. We don't lower our requirements just because its final output port is not the big screen. This is also a respect for the audience ." Fang Yijia, vice president of Bad Monkey Pictures and head of the series, said when talking about this issue.

These professional institutions will undoubtedly use their experience and professional capabilities in the traditional film and television industry to raise the overall level of micro-short dramas.

The support of content platforms has also greatly promoted the high-quality development of short short dramas. For example, Douyin has previously launched the "Drama Gravitation Plan" to help creators create high-quality short short dramas. At present, more than 300 organizations have participated in the production of short short dramas on Douyin. By the end of the year, the science fiction suspense short short drama "Seven Two Lives", the first spy-themed short short drama "Autumn Cicada", and the movie IP derivative short short drama "Assassination of Novelist" will be launched.

When there are more and more high-quality micro-short dramas on the market, the audience will naturally choose the better ones.

3. Rich themes and vertical types

Previously, the themes of micro-short dramas were mainly cool dramas such as domineering boss love and time travel. The core reason was that such dramas satisfied the audience's demand for instant entertainment with fast-paced plots and simple and direct emotions, and were verified by the market.

But this does not mean that there is no market for themes other than cool dramas. It is just because micro-short dramas are currently in their early stages and there is a shortage of micro-short dramas with richer themes.

Fang Yijia believes that the reason why "brainless and enjoyable dramas" are popular now is not because the audience has low taste, but because consumers have no choice. The current market only provides them with enjoyable dramas, and there are no more choices. When the supply of short dramas with rich themes increases, the short drama market will definitely usher in changes.

Bad Monkey Pictures, where Fang Yijia works, has recently been preparing a spin-off series of "All or Nothing" in collaboration with Douyin. This short drama is a suspense theme, which is also the type of realistic theme that Bad Monkey has always been good at.

This year, "Goddess Hotel", which is quite popular on Douyin, is a short drama that combines suspense and fantasy elements. It tells a story that takes place in a mysterious hotel. It shows the characteristics of this theme in the following aspects:

Scene setting: With a hotel as the background, it cleverly interweaves reality and surreal elements to create a unique space that is both modern and full of mysterious power.

Psychedelic plot: The strange wishes of the guests and the hidden secrets of the hotel are intertwined into an intricate story line full of suspense.

Deep themes: Although on the surface it is a fantasy story about wish fulfillment, it actually explores the relationship between wishes and costs, choices and consequences, prompting the audience to think.

Rich visual effects: Combining suspense and fantasy elements, the drama has put a lot of effort into the visual effects, enhancing the appeal of the story through exquisite pictures and special effects.

As the types of micro-short dramas become more diverse, vertical institutions focusing on specific types and fields will become an important force in the micro-short drama market. Suspense, crime, and animation themes can find segmented audiences on major platforms.

The verticalization process also means that every link from production to commercialization can be carried out around a specific audience. The production team can formulate precise content strategies for the target group, and the brand can also conduct more precise marketing. This will make the returns of vertical micro-short dramas more stable.

4. Content IP

In movies and long dramas, high-quality IP can create lasting value, and the future of short dramas will also have this trend. Long dramas can be mutually extended with short dramas. The rich stories of long dramas provide content resources for short dramas, and the innovation of short dramas can bring new vitality to long dramas.

Like the micro-short dramas mentioned above, "Su Wuming from the Tang Dynasty" is a spin-off of the TV series "Strange Stories of the Tang Dynasty", and "Goddess Hotel" is a spin-off of "Love of Nanyang Girls". In addition, spin-off micro-short dramas of a series of popular film and television dramas including "Assassination of Novelist" and "Lion Young Man" are also being prepared.

These short dramas, by creating the same worldview as the original work, simplify the audience's understanding of IP characters and background world, satisfy the curiosity and expectations of drama fans, and create a new incremental market.

For film and television organizations, developing and deepening their own short drama IP has become a strategic trend. By creating and maintaining a unique story world, production organizations can continuously develop new content. Such a strategy can help organizations keep their content fresh and attractive in a highly competitive market.

As Wood said in an interview: " The ultimate goal of film and television companies entering the micro-short drama market is IP development. "

3. Conclusion: The development of short dramas into high-quality ones is an inevitable trend

The future of short dramas is bound to be refined. Refined dramas do not simply mean large-scale productions or excellent casts, but the entire industry must pay more attention to the depth of content, the spread of stories, and the value of culture. The refinement of short dramas will encourage creators to dig deeper into the connotations behind the stories, so that each work is not just a brief visual experience, but an unforgettable emotional journey and a journey of value.

This is a challenge for creators and an opportunity for the entire industry.

High-quality micro-short dramas can attract a wider audience group, especially those who have higher demands for high-quality content, which will bring more audience base and market potential to the industry.

As content quality improves, micro-short dramas will also provide more business opportunities for production companies, investors and advertisers, such as brand cooperation and derivative product development.

The future micro-short drama market will no longer be just a competition for traffic, but a stage for showcasing content quality and creativity.

Author: Xunkong

WeChat public account: Xunkong’s Marketing Revelation (ID: xunkong2005)