Reel revolution: How micro-dramas are redefining entertainment

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Short-format content is no longer just for social media; it's becoming a core offering for big production houses and platforms. The increasing popularity of short format content and dwindling attention spans of audiences is leading studios and producers primarily known for long-format shows and films, to explore opportunities in the new space.

Film, television and OTT production houses are looking at creating micro-dramas, comprising multiple episodes lasting anything between two to 15 minutes for YouTube and Instagram while audio-centric platforms like Kuku FM have forayed into video storytelling with similar programming. Bite-sized content is a separate vertical for many content creation studios now. Short format content drove digital-first creation via YouTube.

It later gave way to long-form series, but there’s now a revival of short, character-driven micro-dramas for YouTube and social media, said Namit Sharma, chief executive officer at Arre Studios, a content creation company. Also read: Niche OTT platforms refrain from subtitling, dubbing shows to strengthen regional audience base Sharma said Indian audiences are already familiar with the micro-drama genre, thanks to Chinese apps that have infiltrated the market and their company is looking to capitalise on the same, currently with support from brands for monetisation. These could be shows with around 30 episodes per season with the first few attempts providing more clarity on which particular genres work.