This looks like a standard indie film set — “Hey stop, get off.” But it’s something much different. This is the world of microdramas. Microdramas are soap operas for the phone generation. Low budget, vertical and short. Each episode lasts only about a minute. The storytelling is full of plot twists and cliffhangers. Viewers can watch a few free episodes on social media. Then they’re prompted to download an app and pay to watch the rest. “There’s something about them that just dragged me in.” “Freaky naughty.” “I don’t even watch regular TV anymore.” “They are so bad.” ”It’s going to be cheesy.” ”It’s so horrible, but it’s so good.” On their phones, people are already spending more time on some of the microdrama apps than on Netflix or Disney+. Microdramas have become a lifeline as the rest of Hollywood scales back production. The film and television industry has suffered one blow after another, resulting in tens of thousands of job losses. Meanwhile, in just three years, microdramas have grown into an $11 billion global industry. The U.S. is the second-largest market after China, and with that comes production and jobs. Madison Vice has been acting for more than 10 years. She plays the lead role in this country romance microdrama. “When I go through auditions every week, I would say 90 percent of the stuff out there is microdramas. It really feels like those are the only options out there.” ”Cut, got it.” “OK, that’s a cut. Thank you, guys.” ”All right.” “Until he gets punched and goes down. Then you go to the door.” “The big companies, they’re making like eight to 10 a month. The people that I know who are not working in microdramas, there’s a lot of, ‘It’s really slow right now. It’s really hard right now.’ And I feel if you’re someone who works in microdramas, you’re working all the time.” The shift is on full display here at the industry’s first-ever red carpet award show. “We have representatives here from every major studio tonight because they want to see what we built from scratch in only three years.” The industry isn’t yet mainstream, but it’s cultivating devoted fans and crowning its own stars, like Cayman Cardiff. “In the vertical microdrama space, there are a lot of werewolf dramas and I’ve kind of started doing this growl. Sure enough, I got an award for it. The ‘growl of the year.’ Here it is.” [Growls.] But even as microdramas explode, A.I. is already threatening to disrupt the industry. “Do you want to get us all killed?” ”But.” Some platforms are shifting to A.I.-generated shows like these, which are cheaper to produce and much easier to scale. “Of course, it scares me. I mean, art is human. It’s soulful, and A.I. is soulless.” “I think the demand will still remain for actors because the fans love people.” “Too late, I’m afraid. I’m pregnant with your baby and I want us to get married again.” A day after we met her on set, Madison was already preparing for her next audition. “The villain roles are fun because I’m feeling very Cruella de Vil. ‘You really should change the door code.’ I do like 20 auditions a week for these things. And I book like 2 percent of them.” Work is steady, but the pay varies from shoot to shoot. “Hi, my name is Madison Vice. I’m 5 foot 8, located in Los Angeles.” She needs to be booking constantly to make a living. “Leads get anywhere between $500 to $1,000 a day. People say the best way to get cast is to send in your audition as soon as possible.” For now, microdramas are still one of the fastest corners of Hollywood, and creators hope it will last.
