China: Chinese micro-dramas go local to take root in US.

Storyline Chinese micro-dramas go local to take root in US The latest Chinese import to hit American shores are micro-dramas - fast paced, super short and highly emotional stories that are taking the world by storm. At this film set in Los Angles, crews are matching the Chinese production model, as well as its pay-per-episode business model. U.S. directors say this style of filmmaking can be liberating. Tristan McKenzie, American director, screenwriter: "Chinese dramas, something they really focus on is the key points of the plot. I find that to be honestly pretty liberating when you're embracing the huge swings in terms of their emotions and stories and things like that." The business model itself is quite novel in the United States. Unlike traditional TV series that rely on cable subscriptions or full season streaming deals, micro-dramas offer the first few episodes free, and charge per episode to unlock the rest. This facilitates a shorter production cycle, real-time feedback, and allows creators to adjust quickly. Tristan McKenzie, American director, screenwriter : "[The production model of short dramas] kind of reaches a medium from maybe lower budgets and higher budgets and finding a sort of safe space where they can thread the needle. I think it's a great bridge in terms of trying to direct bigger scale stuff. You learn a lot and you learn very quickly what exactly you want and what exactly you need with these types of small budgets." Market research data predicts that the sector will generate about 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in revenue this year in the United States, with that figure projected to approach 2 billion dollars next year. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]