Zhang Mingse

In the face of the new network audio-visual bureau, all innovative explorations will eventually become the cornerstone of the industry. Masterpieces that meet the cultural needs of the people and bloom with the innovative brilliance of the times may be quietly sprouting in this grand gathering of actors

Spring is successful, because the convening of the China Network Audiovisual Conference is more vibrant. More than 40 forums were unprecedentedly intensive, and the audience stopped to listen one after another, for fear of missing any new information and new insights. This atmosphere of "I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up" reflects the current innovation vitality in the online audiovisual field.

At the forum, the exchange of views was still fierce, but the focus has changed from "whether to use AI" and "whether to do micro-short dramas" to "how to use it well" and "how to do it well", and the consensus is still vaguely visible. "High-quality", "innovative" and "high-quality development...... The high-frequency words in the forum topics show that directors, producers, platforms and other parties in the online audiovisual industry have worked hard to meet the challenge.

更重要的是，觀眾和市場都準備好了。大會上發佈的《中國網路視聽發展研究報告(2025)》顯示：我國網路視聽用戶規模達10.91億人；生成式人工智慧正在重塑網路視聽內容生產方式，近1/3線民使用AI製作圖片視頻；微短劇用戶規模達6.62億人，應用使用時長追平即時通信軟體。數據有力證明，觀眾已經充分接納網路視聽新業態，樂意從中尋找適合自己口味的內容，這帶給業界更強信心和更足底氣。

The fulcrum of innovation is clear: artificial intelligence and micro-short dramas, which represent the trend of change in online audiovisual technology and business formats, respectively.

In terms of artificial intelligence, the consensus is "human-machine collaboration, engraved with charm". The intelligent creation tool quickly refines the essence of the script to generate highlights, and domestic films are converted into foreign language voices "without any sense of disobedience", and the production cycle of promotional videos is reduced from months to 2 weeks...... "AI is an enabler, not a replacement, and it allows artists to focus on creativity, aesthetics, and spirituality, rather than the red tape of the production process," the expert said. ”

微短劇創作上，在快節奏敘事中注入現實質感，是擺在創作者面前的一道難題。《家裡家外》3天觀看量破10億次，質感不輸長劇集。有演員提出，微短劇表演需要擺脫程式化、臉譜化，塑造鮮活立體的人物。也有編劇反思，微短劇創作中“套路”的確管用，但用多了就會被觀眾厭棄，創新永遠是剛需。這些熱鬧的討論，顯示出微短劇精品化這個巨集觀命題，已藉由“講好故事”的追求深入創作細部，形成一個個待解的實踐課題。

To make good use of these two innovative forces, we need to learn from the experience of previous art. In the long history of art, technology has always been a powerful driving force for creation, and many of the creative problems we face today have been thoroughly studied by our predecessors. Just like the debate between "craftsmanship" and "morale" in ancient paintings, artists who use artificial intelligence tools also need to clarify the boundary between instrumental rationality and artistic brilliance, and realize the integration of skills. The distinction between elegance and vulgarity in artistic temperament is even more ancient. For example, some researchers have compared micro-short dramas with Ming and Qing Dynasty chapter hui novels, and proposed that the distinction between elegance and vulgarity is not only a historical problem, but also the tension of art itself, which must contain the code of innovation.

A writer of a short drama said that he was doing a lot of research on TV dramas from the 90s of the last century. Against the backdrop of high expectations in the online audiovisual industry, creators may wish to "look ahead and look backwards" – not only to maintain the confidence to create for the future, but also to look back to the past and learn from the experience of art. Those debates on the ethics of artificial intelligence, the discussion on the industrial standards of short dramas, and the speculation on the content payment model all confirm that in the face of the new online audiovisual bureau, all innovative explorations will eventually precipitate into the cornerstone of the industry. Masterpieces that meet the cultural needs of the people and bloom with the innovative brilliance of the times may be quietly sprouting in this grand gathering of actors.

People's Daily (20/0/0 0 Edition)