In China, AI enables one-person teams in microdrama production
In China, artificial intelligence tools allow individual creators to independently perform tasks that previously required entire production teams in the microdrama sector. ECNS reports on the development of the so-called one-person team model.
AI in episode production
Thirty-year-old Jiang Huan, who previously worked in finance, uses AI to create characters and scenes based on a script, generate video clips, and add subtitles and sound effects during editing. With a computer and a set of AI tools, she can create one or two episodes daily. Each lasts from three to five minutes.
According to the China Netcasting Services Association, major Chinese platforms released a total of 239,000 microdramas in the second quarter of 2026. Of these, 153,000 were generated using AI, accounting for about 64% of the total.
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Costs and regulation
At Jiang's company, more than ten employees independently produce AI microdramas, with most of them aged between 25 and 28. Company co-founder Niu Haozhan said that artificial intelligence has significantly reduced production time and costs. Computing costs amount to less than 200 yuan per minute, while a production lasting about 50 minutes costs approximately 10,000 yuan, or $1,500.
Such a production can be completed in about a week, while traditional filming and editing require about a month. New rules for microdramas issued by China's National Radio and Television Administration took effect on September 1.
Zhao Hui, a professor at the Communication University of China, believes that one-person teams will coexist with, rather than replace, industrial production crews. In his view, competition in the industry will increasingly shift from technical production to storytelling, aesthetics, and creativity.
