Behind the Scenes Drama in Dramaland

From the latest entertainment industry trends and its role in the economy, to the latest censorship head-scratcher, to fandom wars and celebrity scandals, the Chinese and Korean entertainment industry can be just as fascinating, colourful, wild, and terrible as Hollywood. A lot of it can remain inaccessible to non-Chinese or Korean speaking fans, however, but once in a while, someone writes a great piece that puts a spotlight on these industries.

The popularity of K-pop and K-dramas means there is growing coverage in the West, but coverage on China remains relatively sparse, so I’m especially interested when I do come across an article or feature about China’s film and television sector.

Curious about micro dramas? How much actors and extras make? Read on! (I’ll be updating this space whenever I come across articles and features worth sharing.)

Micro dramas shake up China's film industry and take aim at Hollywood Reuters, Sept. 22, 2024

This is a rare glimpse (at least for Western viewers) into the Chinese drama industry, focusing on the $5 billion micro drama business popular on Bytedance and Kuaishou.

Fabric of Time: The Group Reproducing China’s Ancient Style, The Sixth Tone, Sept. 4, 2024

This isn’t quite about the drama industry, but if you love costume dramas and the gorgeous outfits and lush fabrics, this is a visual treat about a Shanghai lecturer who is “working with like-minded culture fans to research and replicate traditional Chinese outfits, bringing their beauty into the 21st century.”

With AI, China’s New Hit Dramas Are Virtually Writing Themselves, The Sixth Tone, August 24, 2024

An increasing number of China’s ultrashorts are now being crafted entirely by AI, from script to special effects, according to this piece that looks at the changes AI is bringing to the industry and the concerns this technology is raising.

Flash Fiction TV: Why China Is Betting Big on Ultrashort Dramas, The Sixth Tone, Jan. 24, 2024

I wonder if Reuters’ piece was inspired by this one, a longer feature that explores the same subject. If you thought English titles for regular dramas are bad…lol.

The Chinese government’s unlikeliest standoff is with … fandom Vox, Oct. 17, 2022

Why China’s Short Drama Boom Matters For Luxury, Jing Daily, Dec. 4, 2021

This is an earlier piece that looks at China’s micro drama industry.

Why China is pretending this year’s Academy Awards don’t exist The Globe and Mail, April 20, 2021

The internet’s most beloved fanfiction site is undergoing a reckoning Vox, Feb. 26, 2021

If you were around for The Untamed, and witnessed the rise and fall — and rise again — of actor Xiao Zhan, this is a deep dive into a side story on how one WangXian fanfic published on Archive of Our Own (AO3) disrupted the entire community. (To read more about Xiao Zhan, I also wrote about toxic fandoms, the back story about his fall, and his eventual comeback.)

Winter has come for China’s movie extras Sixth Tone, Jan. 23, 2020

This story was published just as COVID-19 was becoming a concern in China and just as the industry was cooling dramatically amid tax evasion scandals and new censorship and regulatory changes, so it is a bit dated, obviously. But it is an interesting glimpse into some recent history as well as the birth of micro dramas (and doubts about its longevity). It also captures the enormous struggle to make a survivable living while trying to crack into the Chinese drama industry.

How Chinese Sci-Fi Conquered America The New York Times, Dec. 3, 2019

The New York Times profiles Three Body Problem translator Ken Liu, who it says has done more than anyone to bridge the gap between Chinese science fiction and American readers.