Hong Kong's film and television production is going through a tough winter, with even fewer movies being made, very few New Year films slated for next year, and television drama production also on the decline. There are reports that production volumes will drop further next year, prompting many filmmakers and TV producers, directors such as Stephen Chow (Sing Yeh), Wong Jing, and even some artists to turn to China’s short drama industry, hoping to seize the “gold rush” for self-preservation!
The rise of short dramas in China is due to their quick pace and tight storytelling, with each episode only lasting about 3 to 15 minutes, making them perfect for watching in short bursts—anytime, on the bus, even while walking—catering well to the fast-food culture of modern audiences. It’s said that by the middle of last year, China already had nearly 576 million short drama users, showing astonishing potential and ongoing growth. No wonder Wong Jing has recently set up a short drama company in Shenzhen, “Jingdian Media,” to explore cross-industry collaborations and officially tap into the short drama market.
Stephen Chow got in even earlier last year, producing the short dramas Golden Pig Jade Leaf and A Chinese Odyssey: A Chinese Odyssey. Although Chow and Wong Jing were legendary figures in the movie industry, their ventures into short dramas have repeatedly fallen short, receiving only average feedback. Two years ago, Wong Jing dipped his toe into the water with the short drama Billionaire Foolish Prince starring his protégé Ho Ho-man, but it ended in failure. Sticking to the popular “overbearing CEO” trope in Chinese short dramas, they expected audiences to buy in, but ended up getting harshly criticized for lacking creativity, with some even demanding a “refund”! Chow, together with a Chinese streaming platform, co-founded the “9527 Theater,” launching its first premium micro-short drama, Golden Pig Jade Leaf, which used the backdrop of online fraud and a lighthearted, humorous approach to satire. It surpassed 5 million views within 5 hours of airing, but reviews were polarized. Some directly accused Chow of having a “professional obsession,” saying his vision and techniques were still stuck in a film mentality, which made the series less binge-worthy. Some online commenters went as far as bluntly stating: “It’s not funny! It has absolutely nothing to do with Stephen Chow!”