Author|Zhang Yihong
In April 2024, a new regulation on micro-short dramas caused a shock in the industry. According to the online "Latest Work Tips on the Filing of Micro-short Dramas", each platform should report the relevant information of the repertoire of micro-short dramas that are currently broadcast online without filing to the provincial-level competent department of radio and television for the record before May 31, 2024. From June 1, 2024, micro-short dramas that have not been reviewed and filed shall not be disseminated online.
In the past Beijing Film Festival, the short video theme forum launched a heated discussion on micro-short dramas, and the roundtable forum set up two hot topics: "New Quality Production and Content Breakthrough of Micro-short Dramas" and "Behind Hundreds of Millions of Myths: New Challenges, New Opportunities and New Journeys".
At a time when regulatory policies are becoming stricter but support is gradually becoming stronger, challenges and opportunities coexist in the micro-short drama industry. Where does the micro-short drama industry go in the future?
Starting from the relevant policies of the state, local radio and television bureaus and various platforms, Entertainment Capital tries to give three directions for the future of the micro-short drama industry: 1) From the perspective of content, the transformation of micro-short dramas to high-quality products is an inevitable trend under regulatory requirements; 2) From the perspective of industry, the center of the traditional film and television industry + some new first-tier cities are the main positions for the production of micro-short dramas; 3) From the ecological point of view, micro-short dramas can be incorporated into the existing IP ecology, and "micro-short dramas +" will become the main exploration direction of the industry.
Radio and Television Policy: What Do We Think About Micro-Short Dramas?
The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television's guidance on micro-short dramas began in December 2020 with the Notice on Issues Concerning the Review of Micro-short Dramas in Online Film and Television Dramas. But at that time, it was mainly limited to traditional broadcast platforms, and there was also the concept of "home page and first screen". By the end of 2022, with the blowout outbreak of micro-short dramas, especially mini-program dramas, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has started multiple rounds of governance of micro-terminal dramas and introduced relevant management measures.
Figure 1 Review of the regulatory policies of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (Source: Public Information Collation)
Figure 2 The governance work of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television since December 2022 (source: public information collation)
Looking at the governance of micro-short dramas for more than a year, it is not difficult to find that there are three core trends in the regulatory policies of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television: 1) the normalization of micro-short drama governance, 2) the continuous expansion of the coverage of micro-short drama governance, and 3) new requirements for platforms to assume roles.
The regulatory requirements of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, as the primary standard for the governance of the micro-short drama industry, have an absolute influence on the development of the entire micro-short drama industry. The current micro-short drama industry must find a new creative direction and development direction through transformation. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television not only put forward supervision and restrictions on micro-short dramas, but also expressed its attention and support for micro-short dramas.
The 10th China Online Audiovisual Conference in March 2023 put forward the high-quality development direction of online micro-short dramas: "micro but not weak", "short but not shallow", and "drama with quality". There is no doubt that whether it is from the perspective of industry norms or audience needs, high quality has become the indisputable development direction of the micro-short drama industry.
Figure 3 Requirements and expressions for micro-short dramas in mainstream activities (source: public information collation)
So, how to give full play to the unique advantages of the medium of micro-short dramas and create popular and popular micro-short drama works? It is worth paying attention to the creation plan of "following the micro-short drama to travel" issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television. The plan aims to combine micro-short dramas with cultural tourism, "promote a number of physical filming locations to follow the popularity of micro-short dramas 'out of the circle', and create a new trend of following micro-short dramas to all parts of the country to 'check in'".
From this expression, it is not difficult to find that in addition to the characteristics of fast new launches, large quantities and rich themes mentioned above, the main competitive advantage of the creative form of micro-short drama is that it has a wide audience and can comprehensively present a variety of complex elements, so it is an important supporting medium for the "culture + consumption" business model.
In general, what do we think of micro-short dramas? Different from the dividend period of rapid development in the past, the future micro-short drama industry will inevitably go mainstream, and "micro-end drama +" will become an important direction for the expansion and sustainable development of the industry.
Local Industrial Policy: Where is the micro-short drama industry going?
After the release of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television's "Follow the Micro Short Drama to Travel" creation plan, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television actively responded to the call to introduce corresponding support plans to select outstanding micro short drama works. In fact, in addition to "traveling with micro-short dramas", some local radio and television bureaus and governments have issued relevant micro-short drama industry policies, and the current micro-short drama industry pattern has gradually taken shape.
Judging from the registration place of the head related party in the first quarter of 2024, the existing head companies of micro-short dramas are concentrated in Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Guangdong and other regions.
Figure 4 Registration place of related parties in Q1TOP20 in 2024 (Source: Dataeye, public information collation)
Judging from the relevant policies issued by local radio and television or local governments, the current micro-terminal drama industry has formed industrial centers in Hangzhou, Xi'an and other regions. There are several paths to the formation of regional micro-short drama industry centers:
Figure 5 Content of support policies related to micro-short dramas in some regions (source: public information collation)
1) Relying on the existing film and television industry facilities to develop the micro-short drama industry: represented by Shanghai (Chedun Film and Television City) and Hengdian in Zhejiang, with complete supporting facilities; 2) Relying on the contractor to build the micro-short drama industry: represented by Xi'an and Zhengzhou, a large number of advertising producers gathered; 3) Creating a micro-short drama industry through venture capital and other support policies: Represented by Sichuan and Guangdong, encourage the establishment of micro-short drama projects locally.
From the perspective of the industry, the agglomeration effect of the micro-short drama industry is relatively limited due to the small number of fixed assets and high personnel mobility; with the maturity of the micro-short drama industry and the gradual formation of the head, the current layout of the micro-short drama industry of "traditional film and television centers + some new first-tier cities" will soon enter a steady state.
Platform policy: How to proceed with the next step in the creation of micro-short dramas?
As mentioned above, the regulatory policies of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television have repeatedly emphasized the self-inspection responsibilities of platforms. WeChat, Douyin, and Kuaishou, as the main positions of Mini Program dramas, have responded to the requirements of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television to carry out many activities on the governance of Mini Program dramas. It is obvious that under the existing governance system, the creative mode and homogeneous mass production model that create a refreshing feeling in an extreme, curious and other ways will gradually be eliminated from the market, accelerating the transformation of the micro-short drama industry to high-quality products.
Figure 6 Announcement on the governance of Mini Program dramas on each platform (source: public information collation)
For high-quality short dramas, various platforms never hesitate to provide traffic and financial support. Short video platforms (including Doukuai, Tencent Weishi, Baidu Baijiahao, etc.) have fewer restrictions on creative entities, and encourage film and television companies, MCNs, and individual creators to participate in creation, while long video platforms (Aiteng Youmang, etc.) mainly cooperate with head production companies and strive to be high-quality. With a large number of mainstream film and television production companies entering the micro-short drama, the increase of long video in the micro-short drama will help to undertake this part of the production capacity.
Figure 7 Support plans for micro-short dramas on various platforms (source: public information collation)
In the statements of various platforms on the support plan for micro-short dramas, "IP" is a high-frequency word. IP adaptation is the main source of micro-short drama scripts, and the IP sources of micro-short dramas cover multiple channels such as online texts and animation. It is not difficult to find that many IP platforms have launched relevant plans for the adaptation of micro-short dramas. The rise of micro-short dramas has also enabled Tencent's China Literature and Byte's Tomato to play the role of the previous industrial ecological layout. It can be said that as an emerging medium, micro-short dramas can be naturally incorporated into their existing IP development system.
Figure 8 Development plans for micro-short dramas on various IP platforms (Source: Public Information Collation)
Conclusion: Create a micro-short drama ecology around IP
In the past, Mini Program dramas had regulatory difficulties such as the fast pace of new launches, the scattered Mini Programs or accounts they belong to, and the large number of them. In the future, as regulatory policies continue to evolve according to the above trends and the audience's aesthetic requirements for Mini Program dramas continue to improve, the relative advantages of Mini Program dramas such as fewer restrictions and short cycles will be affected or even gradually disappear.
In order to complete the transformation to high-quality micro-short dramas, it is necessary to give full play to the positive value of micro-short dramas, explore more "replicable and promotable" business models, and strengthen the cultural core carried by micro-short dramas. Under the current IP ecological development model, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television leads the development direction of the industry from the overall situation, and the local government mainly assists the development of the micro-short drama industry by providing convenience in filming, and the platform (including IP supply platform and video platform) controls the quality of content, and finally combines the advantages of micro-short drama with the demand for industrial extension to create a healthy and sustainable micro-short drama ecology.
Figure 9 Building a micro-short drama ecosystem around IP