Micro-dramas reshape China's film economy

For some younger locals, the work is less stable but still attractive.

Ding Junyan, born in 2007 in Shangrao, joined the local actors' association after graduating from high school. She first saw the opportunity on a recruitment app.

"I wanted to be an actress when I was a child," Ding said. "Even though I only appear in micro-dramas for a few minutes, I am still happy."

She now works about 10 days a month on average and earns about 5,000 to 6,000 yuan.

Rao Wenhua, head of the Guangfeng Actors Association, said the association has more than 1,000 registered actors, over 80 percent of them from Shangrao. Ordinary background actors usually earn 100 to 300 yuan a day, while those with lines or specific performance requirements can earn at least 300 yuan, and sometimes up to 1,000 yuan per day.

The association helps organize actors, connect them with crews, provide free training and offer support in labor disputes, Rao said.

Impact of AI

What is happening in Guangfeng is one version of a wider industry shift.

At Hengdian World Studios in Dongyang, Zhejiang province, the rise of vertical-screen dramas has added a new layer to an established film industry. Hengdian received more than 2,300 vertical micro-drama crews in the first seven months of 2025, surpassing the total for the whole of 2024, according to data cited by Securities Times.

The pressure on space has changed how the film town is used. A service company official told the newspaper that micro-drama crews could be seen shooting outside his office window every day. Even an office building with a glass facade had been used repeatedly as a stand-in for airport and railway station scenes.

An actor identified by the newspaper as Chen Lin said schedules could be packed closely together. Sometimes, he said, he would finish one production one day and enter a new crew the next.

In Hangzhou's Linping district, the model looks different. There, the Linying Factory, a professional micro-drama production base, has more than 50 indoor filming scenes, along with dormitories, canteens, costume and makeup services and an actors' guild. The district has also linked the factory with old streets, ancient towns and other local locations to form a wider filming network.

The pattern is similar in different places: a short production cycle requires concentrated scenes, fast coordination and a local labor pool that can be called in quickly. For crews, the question is no longer only where a story should be set, but where it can be completed at the required speed and cost.

But the same industry that brought crews and actors into these bases is changing quickly.

Zhou said he has already felt the impact of AI this year.

"AI has indeed brought an impact to micro-dramas," he said. "It has shortened the production cycle and greatly reduced costs. The income of background actors has also been affected, and some people are getting fewer jobs."

Still, he does not think live performers will disappear.

"On the other hand, it is also pushing micro-dramas toward higher quality," he said. "Some platforms are also checking the AI content in dramas. I don't think AI performance can replace real people for now."