China Media Group (CMG) unveiled its first national awards ceremony dedicated to short-form vertical dramas in Yantai, Shandong Province, marking a milestone for China's rapidly evolving digital content landscape. The event, co-organized by CMG's Yangshipin platform, CMG Film, Drama and Documentary Programming Center, and the Yantai Municipal Government, highlighted the growing cultural and economic influence of bite-sized entertainment.
Boosting Creative Innovation
The awards recognized outstanding contributions to vertical dramas – a format optimized for mobile viewing that has gained massive popularity among younger audiences. Industry analysts note that China's short-form video market surpassed 1.2 trillion views in 2023, with vertical dramas generating over ¥8 billion ($1.1 billion) in annual revenue.
Strategic Cultural Hub
Yantai's selection as host city underscores its emergence as a media innovation cluster. Local officials emphasized partnerships with tech firms to develop AI-assisted production tools, positioning the region as a testing ground for next-generation storytelling techniques.
