A Quality Outlook
Notable online dramas bring more possibilities to the industry
What can make you decide to change your life? For Yu Huanshui, it comes after he is misdiagnosed with cancer. During a midlife crisis, he faces a divorce, unemployment and many other issues. But the misdiagnosis gives him a chance to see the people around him more clearly and through the ups and downs, he develops a better sense of himself, and finds the courage to start over.
That is the plot of a popular online drama, If There Is No Tomorrow, which premiered on April 6. Thanks to its storyline, featuring comedic elements and gifted actors, the wellcrafted drama ranks third on a chart released by Douban, a TV series review website, which includes Internet dramas.
Since people have been encouraged to minimize outdoor activities due to the coronavirus epidemic, online TV series have been booming as a vital channel of entertainment. High quality works are also playing a significant role in the development of the industry.
Bright prospects
On April 14, the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) announced that the 32nd Flying Apsaras Awards, presented by the government to Chinese TV dramas, has started accepting nominations. This year for the first time, outstanding dramas broadcast on online streaming platforms will also be eligible.
The Flying Apsaras is the oldest TV award in China and represents the highest industry level.
“This decision is in keeping with the times,” Chen Quan, a producer at XG Entertainment, told Shanghai Observer, a Shanghai-based news app, noting that the NRTA has adopted the same standard for TV and online dramas.
Chen said the number of dramas produced by streaming platforms has actually surpassed TV dramas because television stations, especially in second- and third-tier cities, lack the capacity to buy a large number of dramas. Thus, the Internet has become an increasingly more important channel.
For instance, some dramas that are approved for TV are instead released on the Internet because producers are more optimistic about success on streaming platforms, where there is no set schedule.
In addition, industry insiders now seldom distinguish between TV and online dramas because there is nearly no difference in terms of production and quality, Chen said. Since online dramas already share the same standards, they should be allowed to compete with TV series.
Land Entertainment, based in Shanghai, is looking forward to participating in the awards. Its chairman Li Rong said the opportunity will encourage companies to create more good stories.
“It also indicates that streaming platform dramas will be further valued,” he told Shanghai Observer.
Quality changes
Online dramas have generally attracted more audiences in recent years with their growing high quality due to market competition.
The most attractive part of If There Is No Tomorrow is that it describes the life of an ordinary man, Zhang Yali, an employee at a financial firm, told Beijing Review. “He is kind and just, but sometimes he is also hopeless and cowardly,” she said.
“People share Yu’s feelings since life’s difficulties can frustrate us all,” Guo Jingfei, the actor who plays Yu, told Tianjin Daily.
The 12-episode drama finished airing in just a week and garnered applause from viewers.
In the 1990s, the majority of domestic TV dramas had about 30 episodes. But today, it is not rare to see a drama with 80 episodes, which can garner more advertising revenue.
“Some scriptwriters have even come up with a fixed format to extend dramas according to viewers’ response,” said Dai Qing, a professor at the Communication University of China.
For example, there is often a great deal of suspense and conflict at the beginning of a story, especially in the first five episodes, to capture viewers’ attention. If there are no other competitors, people will not turn away from it even if they grow tired of the tedious middle part which develops slowly, Dai told Tianjin Daily.
However, low ratings and bad reviews on streaming platforms and review websites have forced online drama producers to look at this issue, which was addressed by the NRTA in January in an announcement encouraging TV dramas to stay within 30 episodes.
“We should cut out slow-developing plots to save viewers’ time,” Guo said, adding that it’s indispensable for a good story and at the same time, shows respect for the audience.
Shorter series have also prompted a change in consumer habits. “I subscribed to the streaming service in order to watch the final episodes before they were offered to the public. It was 12 yuan ($1.7), which isn’t much for such a good drama,” Zhang said.
As early as 2018, iqiyi planned to make short dramas, according to the chief creative officer of the online streaming platform at an industrial conference. He said that the success of Netflix has proven that releasing short dramas in their entirety is attractive to viewers, who are willing to pay a membership fee or individual fees for dramas on the premise of quality assurance.
According to a 2019 report on online videos released by Peking University, there were 612 million online viewers and over 56.7 percent of them bought some type of service in 2018. Since then, the number has increased as people have become more willing to pay, which has the potential to grow into a significant proportion of the total revenue of video platforms.
“This mode requires us to rethink and plan everything from scriptwriters to actors and production,” Wang said.
Selling points
Since the majority of users are young viewers, upcoming dramas will target this group and focus on topics popular with them, Dai Ying, Vice President of iqiyi, told Securities Daily.
“Streaming platforms are the main way I watch dramas now. They provide more choices than TV and have many more new stories,” Zhang said.
Adapting popular novels is the current trend for dramas, which led to the popularity of such online TV series as Good Bye, My Princess in 2019. It tells the story of a tragic love between a princess and her enemy.
Li Huan, one of the producers, said that the principle is to show respect to the novels and their fans.
To cash in on fans’ values, the production side should respond to their suggestions and meet their expectations, he told Beijing Review. “They are our targeted viewers and they are very faithful,” he said, adding that their participation is a new trend in drama making in the era of the mobile Internet.
The Longest Day in Chang’an, also developed from a novel, tells the story of a thwarted conspiracy during the Festival of the Lanterns, saving the people of Chang’an, capital of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Along with the suspenseful plot, the drama also adopted shooting and production techniques usually seen only in movies.
A diversified production team guarantees rich content, Dai said.
For instance, a professional period costume team was invited to create the styles worn during the Tang Dynasty.
The latest hit drama, Winter Begonia, highlights the friendship between a businessman and a Peking Opera master in Beijing in 1930.
To better showcase the charm of this quintessential Chinese heritage, actors went through intensive training in Peking Opera performance. Experts were brought in to provide professional guidance throughout the planning and filming process.
Huanyu Entertainment Co., Ltd, the company that produced the drama, has been showcasing Chinese culture since 2019 to attract more young people. “We should create content that resonates with young people and highlights social responsibility,” Dai said.