The short play is fierce: a Pinduoduo-style victory

It took long videos 12 years to barely make a profit, but short micro-dramas have the ability to attract money since their birth. Why are short micro-dramas so popular? With the same low cost, high turnover, and focus on the sinking market, can they win a "Pinduoduo-style" victory?

When Taobao was at its peak, no one could have imagined that Alibaba’s market value would one day be surpassed by Pinduoduo, which offered free shipping for 9.9 yuan.

Youku, iQiyi, and Tencent Video would never have imagined that one day the one who crushes them might not be their old rivals, but a new species.

"The production cost is 500,000, and the recharge turnover is 100 million"

"The script will be ready in one week, the filming will be completed in two weeks, and the payment will be received in three months"

Since the second half of last year, the micro-short drama industry has been constantly producing various astonishing wealth-making myths.

It took 12 years for the long video platform to barely achieve profitability, but micro-short dramas have the ability to attract money since their birth.

Why is this new species of short drama so fierce? With the same low cost, high turnover and focus on the sinking market, will short drama create a victory similar to Pinduoduo?

1. Can’t tell the difference between short plays, micro short plays, and mini-program plays?

To discuss skits, let’s first define what a skit is.

In fact, according to the official definition, most of our current usage of short dramas is wrong. According to the "Opinions on Promoting the Prosperity and Development of Short Drama Creation" issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television in December 2022, short dramas can be divided into three categories: one is a series of less than 20 episodes, with variable length of each episode, such as the 12-episode "The Long Season"; one is unit dramas such as "Meritorious" and "Together", each "unit" is an independent short drama; and another is a series with a single episode length of 15 to 30 minutes, such as the 22-episode "Feng Yue Chang" with 20 minutes per episode. It can be seen that the short dramas currently known in the industry are not within the above categories.

The short dramas that everyone is talking about at this stage should be more accurately called micro-short dramas, which are currently divided into three categories: The first category of micro-short dramas usually have a duration of 7 to 15 minutes per episode, and are launched on traditional medium and long video platforms such as iQiyi, Youku, Tencent Video, Mango TV, and Bilibili. Most of them are within 30 episodes and shot in horizontal screen. Except for the shorter time, the audio-visual, narrative, and business model are no different from long dramas.

The second type of micro-short dramas usually last 2 to 5 minutes per episode and are launched on short video platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou. Most of them are within 30 episodes and are shot in vertical format. This type of drama mainly relies on the plot accounts and expert accounts incubated by MCN organizations. They are generally customized by brands and earn revenue through brand placement and patch advertising.

The third category is the one that has attracted much attention recently. This type of drama usually has a duration of 1 to 2 minutes per episode, and most of them are around 100 episodes. They are shot in vertical screen and launched on mini-programs on platforms such as WeChat, Douyin, and Kuaishou. Therefore, they are also called mini-program dramas.

Image source: WeChat screenshot

It can be seen that what is currently popular are mini-program dramas that fall within the concept of micro-short dramas.

In fact, short dramas are nothing new. As early as 2017, the new content form of "vertical screen short drama" surfaced on the back of short videos. Three years ago, the short drama industry had produced a hit such as "The Crooked Mouth Dragon King".

However, the birth of micro short dramas feels like an accident. In the early days, the production of micro short dramas such as "The Crooked Mouth Dragon King" was just the copyright holder's attempt to attract traffic to online literature platforms and online games, so they extracted the most exciting parts of online literature and adapted them into films and released them on short video platforms. However, the producers gradually found that such short films with melodramatic, earthy and awkward plots were unexpectedly popular, so they simply filmed the online literature directly into a series of short dramas, and the vertical screen micro short dramas came into being.

Classifying mini-program dramas as micro-short dramas actually somewhat buries its unique value and significance to the market. For the short video and film and television industries, mini-program dramas are a brand-new species, and their business models are completely different from those of traditional TV dramas and web series. Regardless of the length of traditional dramas, web series or TV series, they are still purchased by the platform and rely on advertising for profit, with a B2B2C model; while micro-short dramas are B2C models, with user recharges as the main profit channel. In this way, the producers can abandon the platform and face consumers directly, without middlemen making a profit from the price difference, and without middlemen to represent user tastes. Mini-program dramas can reflect user preferences to the greatest extent.

This is very similar to Pinduoduo's model. There are no more agents, but factories directly face consumers.
Ah

2. Victory in the sinking market: shorter, faster, and more enjoyable

If "no middlemen to make a profit" is the reason for Pinduoduo's victory on the supply side, then focusing on the sinking market is its magic weapon for winning on the demand side. Just like Pinduoduo, the victory of micro-short dramas is a victory in the sinking market.

Previously, the mainstream film and television drama market focused on the emotions and tastes of urban white-collar workers and the middle class, ignoring the vast sinking market. With the growth of per capita GDP, the consumption capacity of the sinking market is increasing. In China, young people in small towns, students, and farmers and workers engaged in manual labor are the majority, and they are also the main consumer group in the mobile Internet era.

It can be said that the mainstream consumer group of micro-short dramas is not the migration of traditional drama users, but the large number of new online literature users. Considering their needs, the style and tone of micro-short dramas are very similar to online literature. First of all, the story setting should be simple. If it is too complicated, users will not understand it, and they will not have the patience to understand it; second, the characters should be highly stereotyped and easy to identify; third, the content must be attractive enough to keep people watching, so there should be a big reversal in each episode, a small reversal in each scene, and "the pace should be fast and there should be no extra shots and lines."

Micro short dramas tear off the masks and disguises of the middle class and can better satisfy the most instinctive desires of human nature. In micro short dramas, you rarely see the kind of glorious and high-sounding things in long dramas, but are full of plots that are not often encountered in daily life, such as "getting rich overnight", "reversing and killing", and "deus ex machina".

Only this kind of content can make less educated workers, inexperienced students, and people in third- and fourth-tier cities pay. The common feature of these people is that their lives are particularly oppressive and they have a strong sense of "deprivation". They need a way to release their accumulated grievances and resentment, and micro-short dramas can provide them with a "revenge" opportunity that does not exist in real life, satisfying their most secret psychological needs.

Image source: Tik Tok short drama

Rather than saying that micro-short dramas are shorter web dramas, it is better to say that they are visualized online articles, a new track derived from "online articles + information flow advertising". Behind them are the most basic human nature and the most primitive desires on the Internet.

3. The victory of sociology: atomized society, fragmented time

Why did Pinduoduo's 9.9 free shipping (of course, Taobao also has 9.9 free shipping now) initially become a weapon to crush Taobao, because people have been suffering from group buying for a long time. Why do people not like to group buy, because fragmented time and atomized society are increasingly rejecting group buying.

China is experiencing a trend of family miniaturization. According to the 2021 census data, by 2020, the number of people living alone in my country had reached 125 million, of which the population aged 20-59 accounted for more than 63% (about 79.79 million). In the past three decades, rapid urbanization and economic growth have brought about a large number of population migration and a continuous decline in the marriage rate. These two reasons have led to the atomization of population distribution.

The increase in people living alone is subverting the traditional family structure and the traditional business model. Whether it is industrial consumer goods or cultural consumer goods, they are increasingly focusing on personal feelings rather than family tastes.

This change is an opportunity for Pinduoduo, and also the sociological basis for the rise of micro-short dramas.

Living room scenes are gradually disappearing, large screens are replaced by small screens, and literary works no longer need to take into account the needs of different family members. The content can be more private and more in line with individual desires. It would be embarrassing to watch a plot like having six beauties fall in love with you at the same time with your family, but you can enjoy it by yourself.

Fragmented time and fast-paced life also bring opportunities to micro-short dramas. In the past, ordinary TV dramas were 40 minutes to 1 hour per episode, and it took a long time to lay the foundation for emotions and atmosphere. Audiences who are accustomed to short videos find it difficult to get used to such a narrative rhythm. Fast-paced short dramas have 5 stories in 10 minutes and 8 reversals in 1 minute, which can stimulate the audience's dopamine secretion and are more suitable for their fast-paced lifestyle. On the set, the actors in micro-short dramas speak their lines at 1.5 times the speed, and the plot will constantly create misunderstandings and reversals.

Image source: Tik Tok short drama

The emergence of each cultural product has its own unique historical background. Although some people may question the justice of the plot setting of the micro-short drama (gangsters eating gangsters, extreme revenge), no one doubts the "justice" of its emergence itself (in line with the laws of social development).

4. Victory of business model: Lower threshold, attracting many players

Pinduoduo has grown rapidly and attracted many merchants to join the market because the threshold for opening a store is lower. It only requires a deposit of 1,000-2,000 yuan, and you can even not pay it in the early stage, and pay it after three withdrawals or when the deposit reaches 2,500 yuan, which has attracted a group of small and medium-sized sellers to join the market. The same is true for short dramas. Its emergence has lowered the entry threshold of the industry and provided opportunities for inexperienced practitioners and newly emerging short drama companies.

Before short dramas, investment in film and television dramas was a game for big players, and it was hard to imagine that the cost of a TV drama could be less than one million. But now, you can invest in a drama with as little as hundreds of thousands or tens of thousands of yuan.

In addition, micro-short dramas have a fast payback period and high capital turnover rate. In the past, film and television drama investment was a long-term, high-risk industry. Sometimes the actors failed to be accepted, and sometimes they failed to pass the review. It would take at least one or two years to get the money back. Once the show failed, the money would be lost. Nowadays, micro-short dramas pay back in an average of three months, which inevitably attracts many investors to try.

The emergence of short dramas is also good news for industry practitioners. For example, for screenwriters, it used to take a group of people four or five months to write a TV series, and the platform and investors would review it repeatedly by scene and episode. It might take two or three years to finalize a script. If it cannot be filmed after it is finalized, it will be difficult to get the final payment. After the script of a short drama is written, it can be confirmed in just a few days, and the payment can be received in one or two months.

But from another perspective, the emergence of micro-short dramas does provide opportunities for many newcomers in the production process.

A short drama practitioner said in an interview, "Anyone can shoot a short drama, photographers, lighting technicians, and people who do live broadcasts can all direct the drama", "Anyone can act, internet celebrities, models, and anchors."

In the film and television industry, where polarization is extremely serious, micro-short dramas have objectively improved the living space for mid-level screenwriters, producers, and actors.

In addition, short dramas have also ushered in a new round of development in the online literature market, especially for mid-tier works. In the past two years, a large number of short drama companies have emerged in the industry. The founders' backgrounds are mostly related to online literature IP operations and Internet content distribution, and most of the short drama screenwriters are also online writers.

Although some practitioners say that 9 out of 10 short dramas will lose money, due to low investment costs, short production cycles, and fast returns, as long as one drama becomes popular, it can make up for all losses and even achieve tens of times the profit. The wide-ranging investment in micro short dramas has reduced the risk of investors and brought the entire market to a climax.

5. The next stage: Get rid of vulgarity and disorder and move towards high-quality products

Any industry will go through a period of rapid and extensive development. At this time, speed is the first priority, and some problems are inevitable. In the micro-short drama market, problems such as similar themes, rampant piracy, and vulgar content have also caused a lot of controversy.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has implemented a "registration system" for short dramas since November 2022. In November last year, it launched a new round of special rectification for short dramas, intensified the handling and exposure of illegal online short dramas, and accelerated the formulation of detailed rules for the review of short dramas. Since then, platforms such as Douyin, Kuaishou, and WeChat have also immediately issued their own announcements to crack down on illegal short dramas.

At the end of last year, Douyin updated the qualification requirements for new clients who placed short drama ads. Starting from December 23, it will not accept new short dramas on behalf of others, and requires advertisers to have three certificates: a radio and television program production and operation license, an audio-visual license or an online literature license, and a value-added telecommunications business license. This means that Douyin has begun to gradually raise the threshold for short drama investment, which will promote the compliance development of short drama advertising business. Kuaishou stopped all commercial launches of third-party micro-short drama mini-programs that need to jump outside the site at the end of last year.

According to Internet news, a total of 31,700 short dramas were removed from various platforms in the period after the announcement was released. Among them, "The Black Lotus Manual" by Mi Meng's label "Tinghua Island" attracted nearly 20 million yuan in recharges within 24 hours of its launch, relying on the themes of revenge, cool dramas, and big women. However, it was removed from the entire network in just two days, sparking heated discussions.

It is not difficult to see from the Spring Festival period that with the increase in the audience group, the subject matter of short dramas is also generalizing. No longer limited to themes such as counterattack and face-slapping, domineering boss and sweet pet, new directions of content such as social issues, family education, and warm New Year greetings have emerged.

Today’s short dramas are still enjoyable, but they are enjoyable in a way that conforms to the correct values.

The participation of professional teams and Internet giants has also objectively promoted the standardization of the micro-short drama market. After the beginning of the year, long video platforms such as China Literature Group, iQiyi, Youku and Tencent Video, as well as short video platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou have been active in the field of micro-short dramas, competing to launch various traffic incentives and revenue incentive plans. Douyin also invited Stephen Chow to create the "9527" theater.

With the participation of professional institutions and the implementation of supervision by relevant departments, short dramas are developing towards high-quality development.

Conclusion:

Micro short drama is not just a shorter drama, it is a brand new species in the field of cultural consumption, and it is the product of the development of online literature, short videos, information flow advertising, mobile payment, and content payment to a certain stage. Its popularity is the victory of the high-level content form of mobile Internet. The rapid overseas expansion of micro short dramas further proves the advanced nature of its model. China's overlord is reaping the attention of the sinking market around the world. In the past, China relied on its industrial chain advantages to harvest global consumers with high-quality and cheap industrial products. In the future, we hope to achieve a counterattack in cultural exports through cultural fast-moving consumer goods such as micro short dramas.

Of course, there are still many problems in the micro-short drama market. For example, the current payment price of a single micro-short drama is relatively high, reaching more than 100 yuan, because the investment cost is too high. If it can be reduced to less than 20 yuan, thereby increasing the payment base, the entire industry may usher in a new model subversion.

Author: TOP Jun

Source: TopMarketing (ID: TMarketing), when it comes to Marketing, Top is a belief - TopMarketing.