ByteDance's SeeDance 2.0 and rival AI tools can produce 120-minute microdramas for $2,200—a tenth of live production costs—flooding platforms with AI content. Actors report work collapsing from 25 filming days monthly to near zero, with salaries plummeting from thousands to $45 per day, forcing many into food delivery and other side work.
AI Decimates China's Microdrama Industry, Displacing Thousands of Actors
Thousands of actors and production crew members in Hengdian and other Chinese hubs have lost employment or experienced severe income reduction, with some unable to cover mortgages and family expenses.
Technology