AI short dramas are gaining popularity in overseas markets. Chinese industry insiders suggest differentiated development

China News Service, Changsha, October 14th (Reporters Xu Xueying and Cheng Xiaolu) The phenomenon of AI short dramas, known as "domestic Korean dramas" and "domestic American dramas", going overseas has recently triggered heated discussions on Chinese social media. Industry insiders pointed out that AI has streamlined the work process that was originally completed by the director, actor, photography and other teams, and promoted the rapid expansion of the overseas scale of Chinese short dramas.

In the above-mentioned phenomenon, characters and scenes from various countries are generated by artificial intelligence (AI), and the characters and stories are in the style of domestic short dramas. "With AI, everyone can be a director. They can sit in front of a computer and enter prompt words, and characters and scenes from all over the world can be produced." Li Mu, general manager of Hunan Liuyi Film and Television Culture Media Co., Ltd., said at an event in Changsha recently.

The "New Art China · Digital Art Unbounded" New Quality Productivity Conference integrating culture and technology and a national service inspection activity for new social classes were held in Hunan from the 12th to the 16th.

Wu Jiabing, vice president of Wondershare Technology Group Co., Ltd., said in an interview with China News Service that in order to improve the overseas dissemination rate and local adaptability of the work, scripts can be original or adapted, localized character production, lip-sync subtitle adaptation, etc. based on the preferences of audiences in different regions, and market feedback can be used to feed back product iterations and upgrades, "making AI better understand culture." This company launched the AI-driven one-stop film and television content creation platform "Wanxing Theater Factory" this year to provide creators with script creation, storyboard design, post-editing and other services.

In response to the problems of current AI short dramas such as narrative routines and similar character styles, Wu Jiabing said bluntly that this is the result of the market chasing traffic during the industry's "barbaric growth" stage. He believes that with the improvement of the industrial ecology and the guidance of the policy environment, AI short dramas will get rid of the "involution" of traffic and usher in more differentiated masterpieces.

From October 12th to 16th, the "New Arts in China·Unbounded Digital Arts" Culture and Technology Integration New Quality Productivity Conference and a national service inspection event for new social classes were held in Hunan. In the exhibition area of ​​Hunan Wanpu Feiliu Technology Co., Ltd. outside the conference venue, staff are demonstrating motion capture technology on site. Photo by China News Service reporter Xu Xueying

Hunan Wanpu Feiliu Technology Co., Ltd. uses local IP to develop diversified businesses such as audio stories, comics, animations, short plays, and peripheral derivatives, and expands overseas markets.

In recent years, AI-assisted production of comics has begun. Cao Rui, a member of the Hunan Province New Social Class Federation and general manager of Wanpu Feiliu, said in an interview that a month's worth of content for "Hand Rub" can be produced in one week. But he also said that aspects such as character prototype drawing and AI model training are still inseparable from repeated polishing by the creator, and the upper limit of artistic creation still relies on human wisdom.

"AIGC (artificial intelligence generated content) and 'hand-rubbing' creation may seem to have very different paths, but they share the same core - the creator's unique life experience, imagination and aesthetic judgment." Zhang Yiwu, professor of the Chinese Department of Peking University, shared at the event.

In his view, when generative artificial intelligence is enough to efficiently produce standardized content, what is truly irreplaceable is human creativity rooted in specific life experience. (over)