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Editor: Lao Zhe Tea Party
A high-risk, high-reward game in the skit industry
The skit industry is experiencing fierce competition like never before, and every aspect of production is full of stakes. Production costs and risks are rising, and industry practitioners are carefully balancing between costs and benefits like walking a tightrope. Money, talent, time, and even fate are all betting on this gamble in pursuit of the unpredictable miracle of the hit.
High costs go hand in hand with high risks
The overall cost of short dramas has increased by 50% compared to 2023, including the cost of scripts, actors, directors, cinematographic production and streaming. In this industry, "ten pieces and nine losses" have become the norm, and the launch of every short drama is like revealing Gu, and it is difficult to predict whether it will be successful or not before it is officially launched. Production costs are rising, and the entry of professional directors and teams has disrupted the original pattern of the short drama industry.
The short drama producer's emotion: "Casting a short drama is like revealing Gu, before it is officially launched, you don't know what film can explode." Li Sanping, the head of Shenzhen Migratory Bird Star Technology Co., Ltd., is preparing his next overseas short drama in the lesser-known Middle East. In the production cost, the screenwriter accounts for 30%, the actor 20%, the director 10%, the photography and production 30%, and the food, clothing, housing and transportation 10%. The entire industry is full of variables in its daily operations, and changes in any one link can be the key to success or failure.
The driving force behind rising costs
There are a variety of reasons for the rising costs in the skit industry. From script to post-production, every step is being put into the mix. When it comes to scripts, good original content is becoming more and more scarce, so screenwriters' salaries are rising. In order to attract audiences and improve the quality of the production, producers have to spend more money on the selection of actors and directors. The daily salary of popular actors is as high as thousands of yuan, while the daily salary of ordinary actors is also about a few thousand yuan, which is a lot of money for the production of short dramas with a tight budget.
Huge pressure on the cost of streaming
The cost of streaming accounts for a considerable proportion of the entire short drama production. The cost of streaming in China is close to ten times that of the sum of the script and production cost of short dramas, which makes it very difficult for many short dramas to recover their costs in the launch stage. The pitcher is considered to be the person who decides the life and death of a drama, and a huge amount of money is invested in the stream, with an average daily cost of millions of yuan.
There used to be a boss of a head short drama who relied on online loans to invest in streams, as long as the stream can be successful, you can make money by investing in it. Relying solely on user payment will lose money, so in the future, it is necessary to deeply develop products in market segments, and use good books with explosive potential to attract advertisers and discuss cooperation. Li Sanping clearly plans the future, if he relies on the stream, the company's commission is 6 points, the investment platform draws 94 points, and the profit dances on the tip of the knife.
Uncertainty about capital investment and returns
The short drama market is full of uncertainty, and even with a large amount of money, there is no guarantee that high returns will be obtained. Investors face not only the high cost of production and streaming, but also the unpredictability of market reactions. In many cases, the success of a short drama does not depend on the quality of its production, but on whether the streaming strategy is appropriate and whether it can catch the audience's attention in a short period of time. There is a myth of "getting rich overnight" in the market, but more often than not, it is the reality of losing money.
Intensified competition in the market
As the short drama market continues to grow, more and more competitors are pouring in, not only traditional film and television companies, but also Internet giants and emerging entrepreneurial teams. With their strong resources and platform advantages, these new entrants have conquered the city in the field of short dramas, further pushing up the competition level of the industry. Audience tastes are also changing, and skit producers must keep up with market trends in order to stay ahead of the fierce competition.
The importance of the script
The polishing of the original script is the key to the success of the short play, and each short play needs to go through multiple rounds of review and revision before starting. Li Sanping requires that each short drama must go through three rounds of review and revision before starting to ensure that the script can move the audience. Only a touching story can win in this gamble.
The importance of script review
The review and revision process of the script is crucial. Li Sanping emphasized that a successful script must have a unique storyline and deep emotional resonance. He did not hesitate to invest a lot of time and resources in the polishing of the script. His team conducts multiple rounds of review of each script to ensure the quality and watchability of the script. This strict review system not only improves the quality of the script, but also increases the probability of success of the short play.
Scarcity of screenwriting resources
Fu Dongdong of the knight's short drama said that it was difficult to find a good book last year, and in the past two years, a large number of online writers have poured into the short drama screenwriting track, although there are many good books, but the quality is still uneven. Finding a high-quality script becomes even more difficult. Fu Dongdong believes that although the market is flooded with a large number of scripts, there are very few scripts that can really impress the audience and have the potential to become a hit. The scarcity of screenwriting resources has made excellent original scripts a sought-after commodity for major production companies.
The contradiction between the quality of the script and the cost
Production companies are often faced with a dilemma between script quality and cost. High-quality scripts often mean higher screenwriting fees, and the quality of cheap scripts on the market cannot be guaranteed. This contradiction makes the investor fall into the dilemma of "wanting a good book, but also worrying that the cost is too high to bear". Fu Dongdong pointed out that the short drama industry needs to find a balance between the two, in order to control costs while ensuring the quality of scripts.
The market demand for a good script
The demand for good scripts is increasing, and quality content has become the foundation of the success of short plays. Audiences are demanding more and more from short plays, and they expect to see new, interesting, and profound stories. This demand drives production companies to constantly seek out and invest in great original scripts. Li Sanping said that the market's desire for good scripts is the driving force that drives him to continuously improve the standard of script review. He believes that only by continuously improving the quality of scripts can we remain invincible in the fierce market competition.
The competition of the screenwriter track
With the boom of the short drama market, more and more online writers have poured into the short drama screenwriting track. These new entrants bring a lot of script ideas, but they also increase competition in the market. Fu Dongdong believes that this kind of competition has improved the overall level of short drama scripts on the one hand, and on the other hand, it has also made screenwriters face greater pressure and challenges. Short drama production companies need to be discerning in the fierce market competition and select those original scripts that have real potential.
Huge pressure on the cost of streaming
The cost of domestic streaming is almost ten times that of the script and production cost combined, which makes it difficult for many short dramas to recover their costs in the launch stage. The pitcher is considered to be the one who decides the life and death of a drama, and a huge amount of money is invested in the stream, with an average daily cost of 60 million. In order to stand out in the investment war, major production companies have increased investment, and even did not hesitate to borrow money to operate.
Low profit and high risk
The high cost of production and streaming has led to meager profits in the industry, and the success rate and explosion rate are decreasing. With an investment of more than one million, there is a ticket to the capital table. The short drama industry, with low investment, low risk and short cycle, is facing the risk of being reshuffled. Competitors have entered the game, with traditional film and television companies, Internet giants, emerging start-up teams and independent producers all battling it out in the market.
The "Latest Work Tips on the Filing of Micro Short Dramas" issued on June 1, 2024 pointed out that short dramas that have not been reviewed and filed shall not be disseminated online, and a "classified and hierarchical review" system will be implemented. The new regulations implement a categorical and hierarchical review of micro-short dramas, and "key micro-short dramas" with a total investment of 1 million yuan or more are uniformly filed and publicized by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television; "Ordinary micro-short dramas" with a total investment amount of between 300,000 yuan (inclusive) and 1 million yuan and not recommended by the provincial radio and television department shall conduct planning and filing review and complete film review; For "other micro-short dramas" with a total investment of less than 300,000 yuan and not recommended for key purposes, the online audiovisual platform that broadcasts or directs or pushes traffic for them is to perform the duties of content management, and is responsible for content review and copyright verification.
Market turbulence and opportunity
Despite the challenges facing the industry, there is an influx of practitioners and outsiders looking to become the winning gold diggers. The turmoil in the skit market has brought new opportunities, and many believe that this is the next gold mining town in California, USA, and that they will eventually be the gold diggers.
In this gamble, the conflict between cost control and quality, art and commerce, has become an endless game. Every link is full of uncertainty, and only by respecting the market and the industry can we win in this gamble. The success of the final work depends not only on the script and actors, but also on the cooperation of all parties and the acceptance of the market. In this gamble, every decision can make or break the event.
The short drama industry is like a high-risk and high-reward game, and every practitioner is chasing the dream of a hit. In the future, the short drama industry will continue to move forward in turmoil and meet more opportunities and challenges. Only those producers who truly understand the laws of the market and have the spirit of innovation can have the last laugh in this gamble.
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