Producing Commissioned Drama for Chinese Short Video Platforms: Power, Dependence and Creative Control

The production of short online dramas has grown into a significant industry in China. “Micro dramas” have evolved into a distinct genre that refers to a high-volume serial format with fast-paced individual episodes of only a few minutes duration, distributed on Chinese online video platforms. This article discusses the production structures and processes in the Chinese micro drama industry. Drawing on research combining practitioner interviews and industry observation, it maps the current production system and its key roles. Drawing on Idiz and Poell’s conceptual framework of dependence, it analyses the relationships between platforms and micro drama producers and argues that the latter’s structural dependence on the former creates creative constraints based on platforms’ commercial preferences.