Recently, the relevant person in charge of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television introduced the situation of accelerating the high-quality development of radio, television, and online audio-visual at the "15th Five Year Plan" series themed press conference, stating that the number of users of micro dramas in China has exceeded 800 million, and the market size will exceed 100 billion yuan by 2025. In the first eight months of this year, 430000 micro dramas were launched, which is 13 times that of last year. Among them, AI dramas accounted for over 90%, and artificial intelligence technology has been widely applied in micro drama creation.
Starting from September 1st, the "Management Measures for the Development of Short Dramas" will be officially implemented. As the first document in China to systematically regulate micro dramas in the form of departmental regulations, the method provides a series of regulations for the creation, production, broadcasting, dissemination, and industry development of micro dramas, while encouraging artistic expression and innovation in the application of new technologies, and supporting the creation and broadcasting of excellent micro dramas. The introduction of new regulations coincides with an important stage of rapid development of micro dramas. From an emerging form of online content to deeply integrating into the daily cultural life of billions of viewers, micro dramas have become a vibrant audio-visual form in the new popular literature and art. Nowadays, there are more and more micro drama works, and production is becoming more and more convenient. What kind of stories can make the audience willing to watch and remember is increasingly testing the true skill of creators.
Since the beginning of this year, policies supporting and regulating the development of micro dramas have been continuously improved. The 13th China Internet Audiovisual Conference officially launched the "Micro Short Drama Boutique Creation and Communication Plan", increasing support for boutique creation and striving for more communication resources for excellent works; In May, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television released the "Implementation Plan for the Creation and Dissemination of Excellent Micro Short Dramas", further clarifying the guidance for launching a thousand excellent micro short dramas throughout the year; In June, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television issued the "Management Tips (Classification and Grading Standards for AI Short Dramas)", responding promptly to the new situation of AI technology widely entering the production of short dramas, classifying and managing AI short dramas according to themes and investment amounts, and establishing a specialized governance framework. From supporting high-quality works with real money and silver, to providing more dissemination resources for high-quality works, and to continuously improving rules and policies based on new technologies and formats, the direction of policy support is becoming increasingly clear. The goal is to maintain the creative vitality of micro dramas while producing more good works that can withstand audience scrutiny.
Traffic once achieved short dramas. With the help of mobile Internet and short video platform, micro skits quickly entered the mass cultural life. AI generation technology has further lowered the production threshold. Today, the competitive conditions in the micro drama industry are undergoing changes. The content supply is becoming increasingly abundant, and the audience's choices are also increasing. It is difficult to support a work to go further based solely on its online speed and temporary popularity. What can truly be remembered by the audience in a vast amount of content ultimately depends on innovative stories and captivating expressions. The relevant person in charge of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television also stated that live action dramas are the main force of high-quality creation, and real money should be used to support them, so that good works have a market and returns. Good works not only receive one click, but also accumulate into word-of-mouth, thereby enhancing the industry's confidence in continuously investing in high-quality content. The ability of an industry to continuously create high-quality content is tested, from pursuing a momentary 'heat' to forming a lasting 'good'.
The sustained creativity of micro dramas cannot be achieved without clear and stable rules. The "Management Measures for the Development of Micro dramas" implement classified management based on investment quotas and themes, and adopt corresponding filing and review methods, taking into account the reality that micro dramas have different volumes and diverse creative forms, and also making the industry more aware of where the innovation space and regulatory bottom line lie. The vitality of micro dramas largely comes from the openness brought by lightweight production, and many new themes and expressions are growing through continuous experimentation. Clear rules can reduce uncertainty in creation, allowing creators to focus more on the content itself and providing a clear framework for new attempts.
Good works still need to be seen. The "Micro Short Drama Boutique Creation and Communication Plan" implemented this year proposes to ensure high-quality communication resources through fixed homepage entrances, key recommendations, and other methods. Refinement is not just a creative proposition, the dissemination side also needs to provide more ample space for high-quality content. A healthy content ecosystem should not only be able to produce good works, but also deliver them to the audience. When high-quality content has more opportunities to reach audiences, traffic can further be transformed into a positive force that encourages creation and rewards excellence.
Technological progress has made image production more convenient, and "micro drama+" has also brought more real life into the creative field. After the production threshold is lowered, what truly widens the gap in works is creativity and content. Currently, micro dramas have a considerable user base and strong production capacity. As a new form of popular art deeply integrated into the cultural life of the masses, micro dramas ultimately rely on high-quality works to win audiences. Moving from the 'traffic dividend' to the 'creative dividend' means transforming the already formed production scale into the ability to continuously create high-quality products, allowing more good stories with a sense of life and emotional warmth to emerge, and allowing the market heat of micro dramas to settle into lasting cultural influence. (Outlook New Era)