Minute-long dramas and other soap-opera style features that viewers can stream over apps gained popularity in the Asia-Pacific region during the pandemic and are now coming to the U.S. thanks to apps like ReelShort.
Costs to make an episode are relatively low, often $300,000 or less, with crews that include recent film graduates. Viewers can begin watching episodes for free on platforms like TikTok and YouTube but after several episodes, they are required to watch ads or pay a fee to keep viewing.
ReelShort is owned by Crazy Maple Studio, whose chief executive, Joey Jia, said the key is to hook viewers during the first few episodes. “This is a pay-as-you-go model,” he explained. “If people are confused by the story, they leave.”
More than 7 million people downloaded ReelShort in the U.S. last year, and more than 24 million downloaded the app globally. Now others, including Sereal+, ShortTV, DramaBox, FlexTV, aim to find success with the same model.
