Inside China’s Shift From Short-Drama Sets to AI Factories #AI #production #China

China’s ultrashort-drama boom built a sprawling live-action industry of actors, directors, crews, and filming bases. Now, as AI drives down production costs, shoots are disappearing and companies are cutting staff. In Zhengzhou, filmmakers reckon with the slowdown; in Wuxi, former film and animation workers are building AI production systems that can turn scripts into finished videos with only a handful of people. Sixth Tone follows both sides of the shift to see how AI is changing not just how short dramas are made, but what filmmaking work itself is becoming. Fresh voices from today's China: News, stories and commentaries told from a human perspective. Find more China's stories on: https://www.sixthtone.com/ Follow us on: Facebook:   / sixthtone   Twitter:   / sixthtone   Instagram:   / sixthtone