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Potentially succeeding where Quibi failed, several Chinese apps (DramaBox, Reelshort) alongside others (Pocket FM, Good Novel) are pushing for 1-minute episodes of micro-series. Often depicted as being of trashy quality, they do seem to attract some eyeballs. Yet, what are the creative conditions to produce such Fifty Shades-esque stories, and is the market where we think it is?

Featuring
- Jack Li: Scriptwriter
- Anaïs Clément : Actress and Theatre Maker
- Yang Tingting: TWOC - Journalist

To go further
- Middle Earth episode #59 China micro-series’s boom
- Middle Earth episode #08 How to Make a Movie in 14 Days
- High Stakes in Short Takes: China’s Booming Micro-Drama Business, article by Yang Tingting
- the international micro-series "The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband"
- the chinese micro-series 《我在八零年代当后妈》

Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next film or look for a specific talent, please get in touch!

Chinese speaker? Follow our Bilibili account 阿拉丁_说电影

With thanks to Sean Calvo for music support.

The World of Chinese Magazine
A magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, arts, language, and more.

The World of Chinese Magazine
A magazine about Chinese society, culture, history, and more. Support the pod by buying a copy ;)

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