'Shoestring crew' puts drama and passion back into videos

As AI-generated short videos proliferate online, a self-described "shoestring crew" in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, has taken a different path, adapting stories from Chinese-language textbooks into live-action short dramas.

Its Douyin account, @Haojiahuo, has more than 5.06 million followers, and some of its videos are now shown in primary and secondary school classrooms.

The team started in mid-2024 with four young novices and 30,000 yuan ($4,470) in startup capital.

None of them knew how a production crew should operate, nor did they have formal film or television training. But they studied historical material for content, polished scripts and insisted on shooting on location.

The word "haojiahuo" is a homophone of a Shaanxi dialect expression roughly meaning "good heavens" or "wow". It is a plain and down-to-earth expression.

"At first, we just hoped that after watching our videos, viewers would say, 'Good heavens! Well made!'" said Zhang Shuaipeng, the director and writer.

The inspiration for their productions came from his favorite China Central Television program China in the Classics. "I realized historical stories could be performed with powerful details," said Zhang, who studied marketing.

Over a meal, he recruited Zhang Zhiyuan as the lead actor because he had taken a half-year acting elective in university. Also joining the team were a producer nicknamed "Big Beard", who prefers not to give his real name, and cinematographer Tang Dekai, a new graduate.

The four hit it off and decided to start turning Chinese-language textbooks into live-action dramas. The subject matter varied, but some of the stories were based on real historical events or characters.

In November 2024, their first adaptation, Kong Yiji, the story of a failed scholar, was released. The response was lukewarm.

Viewers were blunt in pointing out the problems. Zhang still remembers comments such as: "Makeup and costumes look like an old-fashioned stage play", "Stiff acting", "Continuity errors".

At the time, the team lacked video-making experience and had rudimentary equipment. Looking back, Zhang concedes the result was rough.

The shoot was completed at a restaurant in Xi'an, with nearby villagers used as extras. The story by the famous writer Lu Xun takes place in a small town in Jiangnan, the region south of the Yangtze River. But the people in their video spoke with strong Shaanxi accents.

There was, however, some positive feedback. Many viewers said they saw their own lives in the video and shared the protagonists' emotions such as helplessness and self-mockery. Some teachers and parents told the team they had played the video for their students and children.