What is it like to watch an episode of a variety show during a cup of coffee?
In the micro-variety show "To You, My New Business Card" jointly produced by Douyin and Hunan Satellite TV, Zhang Yixing served as the MV director for the first time, and he was very satisfied with his new identity; opening the Kuaishou self-made micro-variety show "Yue Is Lucky", Yue Yunpeng incarnated as a "dry rice man", in order to win food coupons and chat awkwardly with Uncle Park... In the era of fragmentation of user attention, the content presentation method that fits the mainstream preferences of users has become an effective way to attract users' attention. Recently, Kuaishou, Douyin, Tencent Video, and Good-looking Videos have turned their attention to the "small and beautiful" micro-variety shows, that is, the miniature version of variety shows: there is a complete program model, there are celebrities and guests resident, there are people, there are plots, and there are documentary reality show shooting methods; what is different is the length of time.
Micro-variety show "blossoming everywhere"
"Micro-variety show" usually refers to a program with a duration of about 20 minutes, and the quality and investment are higher than short videos, but lower than those of traditional variety shows. It has a clear story direction and theme, but it is short, small, and fast-paced. Short video platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou are the main battlefields of micro-variety shows. Recently, the short video food social variety show "Yue Is Luckier to Work Harder" produced by Kuaishou Entertainment ended, which is also the first S+ grade self-made variety show of Kuaishou Entertainment. The program was hosted by Yue Yunpeng and Sun Yue as resident guests, and invited Phoenix Legend, Zhao Xiaotang, Du Haitao, Liu Yun, Huang Shengyi and others to participate in the recording. On November 20th, "To You, My New Business Card" was launched, designing a new theme and identity around each issue of Zhang Yixing's customized variety show "Quan "Xing" Project" to unlock Zhang Yixing's B-side life through different identities. Douyin, which focuses on the content of artists, has previously cooperated with many stars to customize variety shows, such as "Return to Zero", "Mr. Moxi", "It's a pleasure to know you", and cooperated with Zhang Yixing, Luo Yunxi, Zhou Xun and Aya. Douyin also combined musical elements with micro-variety shows, and launched "JJ's Coffee Tune" and "Hi, Izumi Listen to Me!" and other programs.
The video community and information platform that focus on the concept of video also regard micro-variety shows as important content territory and continue to cultivate: the price exploration of the price of the hundred houses is interesting, the science micro-variety show "Why is so expensive", the focus is on the "valuable" things in daily life, and the commercial value, emotional value and social value behind the price are revealed with interesting stories; the trend dressing challenge documentary micro variety show "My Pretty Sister" produced by Baijia is being broadcast, and the program invites star transformation officers to team up with professional dress stylists. For guests with different wear and transformation needs, the trend of cross-dressing transformation, focusing on subdivided vertical users; NetEase LOFTER broadcast the first self-made micro-variety show "Attack on inspiration teenagers" in September this year, using the form of script killing, inviting young creators on the station to appear; watermelon video has launched "I am a chef in the palace", "Cake Mother's Crazy Weekend" and other micro-variety shows.
In addition to the development of head variety shows, long video platforms often launch small and beautiful high-quality short variety shows in the form of derivative programs or member programs. For example, "Talk Show Meeting" that talks about the "Talk Show Conference" in front of and behind the scenes, shares interesting stories about the creation of actors, and "Singers Look More" with the "Singer" behind-the-scenes story as the focus, etc., its characters and content are complementary to the main film. In addition, Tencent Video has opened up a new category track "Small Fresh Variety", positioned in a short and medium-term variety show of about 15 minutes, and programs such as "Guide to the World", "Only One Day to Love", "Promising Me", "Mao Xuewang" and other programs have been launched.
Enrich the platform content ecology
"After experiencing the era of television stations and video websites, variety shows will usher in the explosive form of short video brands in the short video era, which is our judgment on the general direction of the industry." Zhao Ran, head of Kuaishou Entertainment's self-made variety show, told Variety News. Micro-variety shows are lightweight, flexible viewing time and occasions, and adapt to the content ecology of short video platforms. He revealed that after the end of "Yue's Efforts and Luckier", Kuaishou Entertainment will also start a new micro-variety show in December, "Kuaishou continues to increase this new outlet, just to find a new form of variety show that belongs to the short video platform." ”
Compared with long variety shows, micro variety shows have the characteristics of "light volume and heavy content", and "micro drama roundups are the direction of force chosen by Baijia in order to match the consumption characteristics of platform users." Some insiders said that Baidu App, as a comprehensive information and information service platform, has two distribution methods of information flow recommendation and search, in the current fragmented consumption scenario, users like efficient content, characterized by "short and fast", so it has spawned a vivid content form of micro-variety.
In the view of Yuan Xi, head of Tencent's online video program content production department and producer of the "Mao Xuewang" program, Tencent Video's development of "Xiaoxian zong" IP mainly includes three factors. First of all, "small fresh synthesis" can meet the needs of users for small volume content during fragmented periods. "Entertainment methods are rapidly iterating, entertainment means such as mobile games, script killing, and secret rooms continue to grab users' attention, and variety shows also need to find new ways to play on the basis of the original, open up new ideas, and let users get a new viewing experience." Secondly, the playing style of the long video content market has become mature, and the "small fresh roundup" will be a new attempt by Tencent Video in the field of young content. Based on the fast-paced, strong interaction, and exquisite characteristics of micro-variety shows, the creative team of "Xiaoxian Variety" can be more free and flexible in content creation and trial and error, helping the platform to open up new content tracks. Finally, the video volume of "Small Fresh Roundup" is light, and it can quickly catch up with the pain points that young people are interested in in terms of speed. "These strong interactions based on content and form are bound to continue to make blood for the content ecology of the platform in the future, and export their own experience and methods." Yuan Xi said.
Deep ploughing and refinement
Delicious tastes that mobilize taste buds, exotic travel, fashionable outfits that express attitudes... Recently, the micro-variety shows that have been launched on various platforms have preferred the life elements that conform to the observation direction and companionship of short videos in terms of theme conception. Compared with long variety shows, in addition to the shortening of the duration, the selection of topics and gameplay are also more focused, with the characteristics of verticalization and subdivision.
For example, the personal micro-variety documentary "Fruit Hunter Yang Xiaoyang" launched by Baijia last year in conjunction with Baidu's "knowledge net red" and yang Xiaoyang, the head kol in the fruit field, is a personal customization to the content; the knowledge science category "Why is it so expensive", the trendy dressing category "My Beautiful Sister", and the pan-cultural tourism micro-documentary "Earth Roaming Plan" belong to the vertical field of specific theme content. At present, the micro-variety themes produced by Baijia include personal customized content, vertical field-specific theme content, and brand-customized content for advertisers.
Tencent Video's "Small Fresh Roundup" is also deeply cultivating and exploring vertical content. For example, "Guide to the World" benchmarks professionals and focuses on the personal experience of different occupations; "Only One Day to Love" shows the emotional outlook and values of independent women; "Promising Me" borrows the "Plus Size Girls" group to discuss women's figure and appearance anxiety, help ordinary girls rebuild their self-confidence; in the recently launched "Mao Xuewang", Mao Buyi and Li Xueqin, friends who have known each other for many years, provide young audiences with companionship samples between real friends in a natural chat mode.
Talking about the creative characteristics of micro-variety shows, Yuan Xi said, "This is using a flexible and light volume, responding quickly to the current user needs, and catching up with the changing mood of the times with speed." This determines that it is difficult to have the explosive power of large-scale seasonal variety shows, but it can achieve the timely capture and effective penetration of "in a short period of time and on a single social emotional pain point". ”
Huo Gang, the chief producer of "Yue's Efforts and The Luckier" and the founder of Perfect Joy Culture, said the biggest feature that distinguishes micro-variety shows from long-term variety shows: "Fragmented content + perfect fit the genes of artists." "Huo Gang, who has been working in the variety industry for many years, believes that the creative ideas of micro-variety shows must completely break the underlying logic of long variety shows, in addition to being more vertical and subdivided, they also need to conform to the user habits of short video platforms." More real, more immersive, need to empathize with the audience. Zhao Ran said that in order to avoid users from violating the sense of harmony when brushing variety shows on Kuaishou, the micro-variety shows produced by Kuaishou Entertainment in the future will strengthen fast-paced editing, "The duration can even be cut to less than 5 minutes." In addition, live variety shows are a good carrier and more in line with the characteristics of short video platforms. ”
Based on this, "Yue Strives to Be Lucky" original "short video + medium video + live broadcast" combination broadcast form, the audience can choose to watch 40 minutes of live broadcast room carousel video, or 15 minutes of essence version of the video, you can also watch 30 seconds - 2 minutes of strips and card segments in fragmented time. Unlike Kuaishou's previous official account release of "Olympic First Grade" and "New Knowledge club" and other special variety show collections, "Yue Strives to Be Lucky" innovates the mode of live broadcast of artist accounts, platform account review and all-weather irregular live broadcast, which is convenient for users to watch and tip at any time.
How can micro-variety shows better highlight the core content of the program and catch the user's attention in a short period of time? Yuan Xi said that it can start from the program model, narrative perspective, value intention and other aspects. "First of all, we must ensure that the program has a distinctive style, which is refreshing, and we must also try to make the artists and the program highly matched, the program process is fresh, and the memory points are clear." He said that "Mao Xuewang" threw out topics such as "how to quickly choose takeaways that do not step on thunder", "how to achieve high-quality door cutting", "Do you mind friends playing with people you hate", which triggered discussions and grasped the audience's "chase" preferences.
Does short variety show have a "long" future?
According to public data, as of November 8, the total number of topics of "Yue Hard and The Luckier" program was 8.88 billion, and the total number of people covered by the program exceeded 310 million; as of November 25, the home page of the "To You, My New Business Card" program had been played 40.2 million times, and both programs had been on the search list of The Kuaishou station. However, like many micro-variety shows, they have insufficient topics on social platforms such as Weibo, and Douban, Zhihu, etc. also do not show ratings due to insufficient number of viewers.
How can micro-variety shows break through the circle and attract a wider audience?
Zhao Ran believes that breaking the circle is a hot discussion of the whole people on the one hand, and on the other hand, the emotional resonance of the audience. Short video platform has strong marketing attributes, once there is a hot spot, there will be many creators to create two, "how to use the two creators, the use of short video platform interest recommendation logic, is a fulcrum to create explosive content." Zhao Ran also mentioned that at this stage, everyone generally believes that micro-variety shows are low-cost content forms, "abandoning this concept, increasing production costs, card lineups, can achieve better marketing effects, but also hope to make explosive content." ”
Yuan Xi said frankly that with the volume of micro-variety shows, there is still a long way to go to achieve circle communication and wall breaking, "The most important goal at this stage is to accurately find, serve and operate and maintain the target core audience, and form a deep binding and long-term link with it." At present, the "small fresh roundup" strategy has achieved good results, as of November 30, "Mao Xuewang" Douban has a score of 7.9, and 72 hot searches on Weibo, of which 8 times have won the "top ten of the total list".
Huo Gang said that micro-variety shows need to present content in a more "direct" way and with stronger saturation, rather than continuing the flat and direct narrative of long variety shows, "Of course, the transformation of thinking mode requires a process. ”
In order to achieve vertical circle breaking and reaching more users, Baijia prefers variety shows with the theme of "stars/celebrities + vertical fields" or "cross-domains", and uses the sense of new knowledge and freshness to increase popularity in non-circle groups. Taking "My Pretty Sister" being broadcast on Baidu, Good-looking Video, and Mango TV as an example, on the publicity channel, the program will not only be broadcast on Mango TV, but will also be delivered to overseas markets such as Internet TV and YouTube; in terms of communication planning, the program should not only grasp the point of view, but also seize the empathy, such as in the "Mother-daughter Exchange Dress" program, the #Chengdu Girl For Mother Wedding Dream # topic has become a hot topic on Douyin because of the "news points".
Driven by the high-quality short video and the short video of long variety shows, micro-variety shows may become one of the mainstream forms of content consumption. "From the consumer side, watching dramas at double speed has become the consumption habit of most young people, long-form water-injected content has been abandoned by users, and video entertainment will change from kill time to save time." According to the analysis of industry insiders, from the production side, players in the field of micro-variety shows are mainly emerging short video platforms and information platforms. "For the platform, micro-variety shows are a good foothold for refined operation and professional content precipitation, which can achieve the expansion of vertical content on the platform to a certain extent, enrich the platform content ecology, and improve user stickiness."
Image source Douban