DUANJU

In an interview with WenWen Han on the YouTube channel Short Drama Decode , American producer Chris Wicke looks back on his career and his immersion in the world of duanju, these short vertical fictions born in China. Long confined to Asia, the format is now attracting professionals from around the world. In Los Angeles, Chris Wicke, a former reality TV specialist, is one of the first Americans to embark on the adventure. With his company Ember Entertainment , he develops his own vertical series while co-producing fiction for Flex TV , Dreamy Short and Salty TV . His first project, Mr. Williams, Madame is Dying , shot on a shoestring budget, became a phenomenon: it generated more than $10 million, won an international award, and was a revelation for his entire team. " We discovered a very codified, very melodramatic genre. We decided to fully embrace that tone. And in the end, it worked." Since then, Chris Wicke has been interested in the deeper mechanisms of the format. "It's not at all a shortened version of a film or a series. You have to rethink everything: the rhythm, the emotions, the narrative structure. Traditional scripts don't work. I showed 25 American scripts to Flex, none of them were suitable." The question of cultural adaptation is at the heart of his work. While some plots from the Chinese web find their audience in the United States, others are met with incomprehension. " The vengeful mother character in Evil Bride vs. CEO's Secret Mom was too much for me. But at the same time, I wanted to see how it would end," he confides, amused. With Ember, Chris Wicke now wants to go further. He's preparing the launch of a 100% American app, focused on romance, the genre that works best, but with the ambition to explore other territories: horror, science fiction, comedy. "The vertical is the new Wild West. Everything remains to be invented." But the stakes are also industrial. For Wicke, failures like Quibi's are due to a misdiagnosis: "They wanted to impose Hollywood grammar on a format that came from elsewhere, with totally different usage logic. They invested millions in stars. It didn't work. Here, everything is based on immediate emotion." We wish Chris Wicke the best of luck in his ambition to expand the boundaries of duanju and contribute to its development on an international scale. If needed, activate subtitles in your language.

In London, Sea Star Productions is one of the young teams exploring the language of vertical storytelling. Under the creative direction of Bethany Thomson, the British company seeks to combine technical rigor with the joy of telling short stories. Between film and digital content, its ambition is simple: to create, learn, and bring new forms of storytelling to life. The vertical format as a testing ground Specializing in the production of micro-fictions shot for smartphones, Sea Star Productions approaches each shoot as a stylistic exercise in its own right. “We treat each episode like a mini-movie,” explains Bethany Thomson, who oversees creative and strategy for the studio. The teams come from film and television backgrounds, but adapt their methods to the speed of the vertical format, emphasizing spontaneity and rhythm. A European vision of micro-drama For Bethany Thomson, the vertical isn't just a passing fad. She envisions a natural evolution of the format, adapted to European tastes: social comedies, urban thrillers, intimate dramas, at the crossroads of genres. The studio wants to draw inspiration from the dynamism of Asia, while developing an identity specific to British culture. On set, the approach is collaborative. "The first time you step onto a vertical set, everything seems different: the framing, the direction of actors, the rhythm..." This framework allows young directors and technicians to quickly learn, experimenting with new methods. Sea Star regularly works with new talent and considers each shoot as a shared learning experience. The company also places a strong emphasis on distribution. Bethany Thomson sees marketing as a natural extension of creation: communicating is also about storytelling. Using social platforms like TikTok and Instagram, Sea Star combines emotion, storytelling, and visibility. The idea isn't to sell, but to involve the viewer in a universe. Under the leadership of its founder Dennis, the studio cultivates an atmosphere of trust and boldness. "If you believe in it, do it," he likes to repeat. This climate of freedom transforms Sea Star into a true collective workshop, where experimentation takes precedence over demonstration. For Bethany Thomson, this is what makes the vertical so vibrant: a space where you learn by creating, with no other ambition than to tell a better story. Interview by Maëlle Billant #MaelleBillant

Alipay, China’s largest mobile payment app, has taken a bold step into entertainment with the launch of its brand-new “Alipay Short Drama” portal. Officially added to the homepage function area of the app, the feature allows users to dive directly into short drama content without leaving the platform. And audiences are responding quickly: data shows that over 500,000 users have already experienced the short drama function since its launch. What’s Streaming on Alipay? According to DataEye’s short drama observation, Alipay has rolled out several titles to kickstart the portal, including: Falling in Love with a Big Shot Can You Love Me Again Don’t Call Me Brother-in-law In addition, Alipay has been actively promoting short drama content within the app. The ADX industry version shows that in the past seven days, clips such as Has Mrs. Qin Been Exposed Today? have been advertised on the platform, signalling a serious commitment to content discovery and visibility. Massive Content Push The numbers are equally impressive. In the past 30 days alone, the Alipay app has hosted 12,068 advertising materials containing the keyword “short drama.” This surge highlights how aggressively the platform is moving to establish itself as a major new player in China’s fast-growing micro-drama market. Why It Matters China’s short drama sector is booming, with audiences flocking to fast-paced, emotionally charged, mobile-friendly storytelling. By embedding short dramas directly into its ecosystem, Alipay is blurring the lines between finance, lifestyle, and entertainment—and capturing more user attention in the process. With half a million users already onboard and content pipelines expanding, Alipay’s short drama portal could become a new powerhouse, further transforming how Chinese audiences consume entertainment in everyday apps. Article written by Blessing Azugama #BlessingAzugama Sources: Alipay official announcement via WeChat DataEye Short Drama Observation ADXray Industry Edition

Registration is now open for Content London 2025, the world’s leading development market, conference, and screenings event, which will take place from December 1–4, 2025. This year’s edition will bring together more than 3,000 leaders and decision-makers from across the global content industry, with a central theme of  “Navigating the New Content Economy.” The event begins on December 1 with an opening night premiere screening and the prestigious Rose d’Or Awards, followed by a full three-day conference program running from December 2–4. As part of this year’s program, the Vertical Programming and Microdrama Summit will highlight the rapid growth of short-form storytelling and the new opportunities it creates for global audiences and producers. This segment is expected to provide valuable insights into how microdrama is shaping the future of content consumption. A limited number of Tier 3 registrations are available at £999, designed to support new partnerships within the evolving content landscape. Various Speakers already confirmed for Content London 2025 include: With its focus on development, partnerships, and progressive ideas, Content London remains the premier platform for industry professionals seeking to define their future in a rapidly changing market. Some Confirmed participants in this Summit include industry leaders such as: Jana Winograde, Co-founder & CEO, MicroCo, the first U.S.-based studio and AI-native platform dedicated to microdramas. Alexandre Perrin, Co-founder of StoryTV, France’s pioneering vertical drama studio and streaming platform, with over 50 original shows and 40M+ monthly views. Scott Brown, CEO of Second Rodeo, Emmy-nominated director and producer known for work with The Rock, MrBeast, and Kevin Hart, now focused on elevating vertical microdramas. Jen Cooper, Founder of Vertical Drama Love, a leading global platform for vertical drama critique, reviews, and fan engagement. For more details on the speakers, Event and registration information, visit the official website: Content London 2025 . Sources Content London 2025 Official Website C21 Media: MicroCo, StoryTV, Second Rodeo and Vertical Drama Love join Vertical Programming and Microdrama Summit  Article written by Blessing Azugama #BlessingAzugama

India is stepping into the spotlight of the global micro-drama wave, with homegrown startups, streaming majors, and international investors all chasing the promise of serialised, phone-native stories told in just two minutes per episode. What began as an experiment inspired by China’s runaway success is now becoming one of India’s fastest-growing entertainment trends. Short, binge-worthy dramas of one to two minutes, ending on cliffhangers designed to hook the next view, have become a serious content play. Startups like Flick TV, Eloelo, Kuku FM, Chai Shots, and ReelSaga are building platforms dedicated to these stories, while larger players, including Amazon, ShareChat, and Zee Entertainment, are testing their own micro-drama offerings. Manohar Charan, CFO of ShareChat, said that in just the past three months, 1.5 crore users consumed drama shorts on Moj and Quick TV, with more than 10 crore episodes watched daily. “The end game is to have the largest user base,” he noted, emphasizing that professional-quality, serialized storytelling is what separates micro-dramas from the short, disconnected clips dominating Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Investors are taking notice. Bengaluru-based Flick TV raised $2.3 million from Stellaris Venture Partners earlier this month, while ReelSaga attracted $2.1 million in May from Picus Capital. Hyderabad-based Chai Shots is reportedly close to securing a $5 million round. Mayank Jain of Stellaris explains the appeal: “Micro-dramas promise the best of both worlds—short formats that match shrinking attention spans, but with emotional engagement and structured narratives that users connect with.” Major entertainment groups are also diving in. Amazon MX Player already streams MX Fatafat, a slate of mini-series built around two-minute episodes. Zee Entertainment has partnered with Bullet, a content-tech startup, to launch a micro-drama app targeting young audiences within its Zee5 ecosystem. Meanwhile, Eloelo is preparing to debut Story TV, and ShareChat has rolled out Quick TV as a paywalled platform for dramas and films. Kuku FM, best known for audio storytelling, recently expanded into video with Kuku TV. These moves signal not just experimentation, but the serious beginnings of a new market. The biggest question is monetisation. India’s entertainment industry faces low average revenue per user (ARPU), making it harder to sustain new formats. Flick TV is betting on a micropayment-per-episode model with the option to scale into subscriptions. ShareChat is exploring a mix of ads and subscriptions, estimating that micro-dramas could account for a “mid to high teens” share of its revenue within 18 months. Production costs are dropping dramatically thanks to generative AI, which is now being used for scripting, storyboarding, dubbing, and editing. ShareChat estimates costs have fallen by as much as 75% in two years, making experimentation with volume and speed more viable. Still, not everyone is convinced. Platforms like Pratilipi are holding back, preferring to wait for the hype to settle and the market to consolidate before making their own push into vertical dramas. What’s next? India’s micro-drama scene is still in its early stages, but it’s already attracting millions of daily views, millions of dollars in investment, and buy-in from both startups and media giants. If China’s experience is any indication, the next phase will be about refining business models, building loyal audiences, and proving staying power beyond early buzz. For now, India looks set to become the world’s next major testbed for whether two-minute fiction can scale into a sustainable global business. Article written by Blessing Azugama #BlessingAzugama Sources Economic Times , June 17, 2025

In the article " When Comics Created Weekly Suspense " I said, but without elaborating, that the arrival of digital had transformed the economic model of comics (although classic albums remain very numerous on the shelves of our bookstores!). This deserves to be addressed here. So let's go! This is direct online publication, which does not only mean a change of medium: these creations, from the end of the 90s of the 20th century, would influence major elements, such as graphic style or fragmented narration. And this for the better (rich and unforeseen innovations) or for the worse (facilities, inconsistencies, immediate correspondences with advertising concerns). See Maliki, XKCD or The Oatmeal. The link with the reader was also disrupted: possibilities of immediate reactions generating a new form of interaction. Apparent distancing of publishers in the usual sense of the term, although traditional publishing houses are also evolving by offering digital versions of their collections... While conversely, digital comics can give rise to... Paper editions! Applications were going to correspond to these new trends: Izneo, Tapas or Webtoon. We talk about scrolling format, namely the fact of scrolling content on a computer screen (scroller), including vertical reading (we know!). It is difficult to fully describe a fluid universe, by nature unstable, capable of doing without the famous text bubbles or of suddenly integrating elements of augmented reality, hyperlinks or even video games! Note, financially, for the actors, the new role of participatory financing ! What conclusion should we draw? But... should we draw a conclusion? This is a new stage still in progress: I have already mentioned, in my opinion, what are its clearly visible characteristics. Here at our Duanju site, we'll be keeping an eye out! As always... Article written by Jean-Marie Sanjorge #JeanMarieSanjorge

A familiar figure to 1980s TV viewers, Michel La Rosa made his mark as a host before turning to fiction. His unique journey resonates today with the revival of a series he proudly leads. Michel La Rosa established himself on television thanks to his ability to unite audiences and highlight prominent guests. His memorable interviews, now preserved at the National Audiovisual Institute (INA), demonstrate the diversity of the personalities he hosted: Jean Rafa, Isabelle Aubret, Odette Joyeux, Jacques Demy, and Darry Cowl. He then went on to popular programs: Tremplin on FR3 Méditerranée (1985-1987), then in 1990 on Antenne 2 with Matin Bonheur, Été Show, Villa de star and Ça va tanguer. A trajectory marked by success, abruptly interrupted in 1990, when he left television at the request of President François Mitterrand, at the time of the announcement of France's entry into the Gulf War. This decision pushed him to reinvent himself, cultivating a fresh perspective on creation and sincerity in his profession. The fame he acquired quickly opened up new horizons for him: he returned to the microphone on France Inter, then returned to TF1 as host of Shopping Avenue Matin and Télévitrine (1998-2013). Michel La Rosa joins the "King Gandolfi" series Under its former name, Draculi & Gandolfi, the series made its mark on cable and regional TV channels in the 2010s with its quirky tone and deep roots in medieval heritage. Regional and national press, from Var-Matin and Sud-Ouest to La Provence and including Télé-Loisirs and Premiere, extensively covered its spectacular film shoots. These productions were notable for their costumes, casting, and the large number of extras, particularly in Marseille, Les Goudes, the Frioul islands, the Gaou peninsula, the Château de Tarascon, and various other historical monuments in the south of France. You can hear Michel La Rosa discussing the series in 2020 on Radio Maritima, during screenings in the south of France, or with Benjy Doti, to talk about the series' success on social media. June 14, 2025 Screening Michel La Rosa is participating in a screening organized by the Studio Phocéen association on June 14, 2025, in Paris. On this occasion, he spoke about his meeting with Guillaume Sanjorge, the director of the series King Gandolfi which was shown that evening. Their meeting was not a recent one, dating back about fifteen years, thanks to Frédéric Perrin, the director of the Le Prado cinema in Marseille. Michel La Rosa recalled being struck by the young director's passion and conviction: "This young man spoke to me with an obvious passion, with a desire, and I sensed talent." Convinced, he agreed to play King Gandolfi, the central character of the series' medieval universe. Discover Michel La Rosa's speech from the June 14 screening: Roi Gandolfi, a Saga Reborn Today, the story is being reborn under the title "King Gandolfi," adapted for current technology and the Duanju format: vertical, short, and fast-paced episodes designed to be watched on a phone. More than just a simple comeback, this project embodies the dialogue between television history and digital innovation, driven by the commitment of an actor, Michel La Rosa, who has successfully spanned the eras. Source : VarMatin , Auguste 26, 2020 Southwest , September 10, 2019 All Culture , April 28, 2016 Télé Loisir , Télé 2 Week on February 17, 2016 Provence , July 3, 2012 Premiere , August 20, 2010

During the roundtable discussion, "Short Drama Forum 2025," organized by Wenwen Han, Sanidhya Narain shared his experience and vision for the Indian mobile drama market. As co-founder of Dashverse, a mobile-first entertainment service with products like DashReels, he represents a generation of entrepreneurs directly shaping the future of the format. A colossal and young market For Sanidhya Narain, India has an incomparable asset: an extremely young population, massively connected to smartphones. Consumption habits are evolving rapidly, and viewers are demanding formats adapted to daily use, fragmented and immersive. Duanju perfectly meets this need. With Dashverse and its offshoots like DashReels, Sanidhya is already exploring new ways of storytelling. He emphasizes the ability of Indian creators to test new narratives, to play with verticality, and to imagine plots calibrated for the speed of consumption. Where some markets hesitate, India is daring, seeking models that will work on a large scale tomorrow. Beyond the domestic market, Sanidhya sees duanju as an opportunity for intercultural dialogue. Local stories, he says, can travel and reach other audiences if they find the right outlets. As a narrative laboratory, India could thus become a key player in the format's international growth. Through his words, the profile of a passionate entrepreneur emerges, attentive to the evolution of uses and convinced that duanju is not a passing fad but a new audiovisual grammar. The entire Short Drama Forum 2025 is available on YouTube . #WenwenHan

From November 5 to 6, 2025, Shanghai will host the Global Traffic Conference, a major event dedicated to video games, digital applications, technologies, and brands seeking to expand internationally. Organized by Beluga Global, this event attracts thousands of professionals from China and many other countries each year. A program focused on global innovation The program will take place at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center and will feature several thematic summits. Discussions will focus on video games, artificial intelligence, vertical short fiction, and global brand development. Alongside the conferences, a vast exhibition area of 15,000 square meters will host nearly 200 exhibitors from diverse sectors, ranging from consumer technology to short fiction, AI, and video games. More than 30,000 attendees are expected, making this space an international showcase bringing together creators, investors, and digital industry players. The Beluga Pioneer Award, a showcase of international successes Each edition of the GTC is marked by the presentation of the Beluga Pioneer Award, which recognizes companies and creators who have significantly contributed to international expansion. In 2025, the evaluation committee will, for the first time, include the participation of a French producer, Guillaume Sanjorge, founder of the media outlet Duanju.fr and president of the Studio Phocéen Association. He collaborates in particular with the Chinese platform Stardust TV, which distributes his productions. This development reflects Beluga Global’s commitment to strengthening the international scope of the event and fostering exchanges between different cultures within the digital industry. To learn more about the Beluga Pioneer Award 2025 and discover the jury members: here The Global Traffic Conference in Shanghai has established itself as one of the major events of the year. It is a place where new cooperations are taking shape and strategies are being developed to support the growth of digital content and services on a global scale. Sources: • Baijing.cn , 2025 • ClonBrowser , November 22, 2024

In 2020, in the midst of the municipal election campaign, 5G entered the public debate. Green mayor Éric Piolle launched a striking statement on RTL: "5G is so we can watch porn movies even when you're in your elevator in HD." A provocation intended to denounce the energy consumption of digital technology and question the notion of progress. Five years later, what was a witty remark has become reality: 5G makes it possible to seamlessly watch Duanju series even in the most unlikely places. The installation of 5G had sparked heated controversy in France. The debate focused on the environmental impact, persistent territorial inequalities, and technological sovereignty issues linked to dependence on foreign suppliers. China at the forefront of deployment 5G testing in France began in 2018, ahead of a commercial launch in 2020. The issue quickly took on a geopolitical dimension: China sought to impose Huawei and ZTE, while France limited their access to the market. ANSSI restricted the use of Huawei equipment, forcing Bouygues Telecom and SFR to replace thousands of antennas, while Orange and Free favored Nokia and Ericsson. Huawei also announced plans for an equipment factory in Alsace, an investment of €200 million, expected to open around 2025, but without compensating for the loss of ground. 5G then became a battleground where sovereignty counted as much as innovation. China plays a pivotal role in global 5G, with approximately 4.5 million base stations deployed by the end of 2025. Its operators have built a dense domestic network, while Huawei and ZTE are equipping many countries, and brands like Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo are rolling out affordable 5G smartphones. Driven by sustained investment and turnkey deployments, this presence extends from infrastructure to devices and is accelerating mobile adoption worldwide. The Evolution of Streaming: From Computers to Phones Streaming hasn't always been instantaneous. In its early days, it meant endless loading times on computers, hampered by still-slow connections. The arrival of broadband enabled the rise of YouTube and then Netflix, giving streaming its credentials. With the widespread adoption of smartphones, video became mobile, but for a long time it was limited by 3G and then 4G, which were too narrow for mass consumption in high definition. This is where 5G has opened a new chapter: increased speed, reduced latency, and enhanced stability, even in places previously inhospitable to the signal. Streaming first attacked cinema and television, then invaded our phones, and now 5G offers it optimal conditions for a lasting establishment. Duanju series, designed for mobile, thus find their natural home in this new ecosystem. What some in 2020 considered superfluous has become a technological and cultural reality. 5G has not only transformed digital usage; it has enabled the phone to become a central screen for entertainment. Duanju, short, vertical formats, have benefited from this evolution. Article written by Guillaume Sanjorge #GuillaumeSanjorge Sources • RTL , July 5, 2020 • Le Monde , August 17, 2020 • Reuters , July 22, 2020 • RCR Wireless , June 27, 2025 • China Mobile – 2024 Annual Results (PDF) , March 20, 2025