A new script for Chinese cinema

Since smartphones are the primary devices for watching micro-short dramas, most are filmed vertically, sparing audiences from rotating their screens. Reflecting this shift — where more young audiences prefer watching online dramas over spending two hours in a theater — Hengdian World Studios, the country's largest filming base, hosted 1,641 crews that produced vertical-format dramas in the first half of this year, more than seven times the 215 crews that worked on traditional landscape-oriented dramas.

When asked about the competition from short videos and micro-short dramas, director Shen responded, "The film industry has thrived for over a century. Throughout this 100-year journey, cinema has faced multiple waves of challenges, yet it has always retained its unique technical and narrative advantages."