Micro movies facilitate free grass-roots expression

"The new medium satisfies modern people's habit of instant reading and fills their fragmented time," said Zhao Yurun, Chief Executive Officer of Shine Show Interactive Media Co. Ltd.

People can easily download or stream micro movies over the Internet. Micro films are more compelling on small screens than traditional movies when people are on the move, he noted.

Micro filmmakers involve people with no film or storytelling experience at all, and young or unknown professionals who are funded by brand-advertisers, according to Zhao. He said the latter are becoming the mainstream members.

Compared with traditional films that rely heavily on box office, micro movies are broadcast online, free to watch. Brand advertisers are the sole source of investment at the moment, as it's impossible for individuals to keep investing in filmmaking from their own pocket.

Micro movies establish a platform for ordinary people to realize their movie dreams. They also give businesses a new channel to advertise their products.

Rather than simply throwing out logos and slogans, many video clips have a nice storyline, elegant audio-visual languages and a skillful presentation of the brand concept, said Zheng Xiaojun, teaching assistant with the College of Journalism and Communication, Jinan University.

They provide artistic entertainment while bringing about the product and build up the image of the business in a subtle way that would not annoy the audience -- this is a much more advanced method of advertising and marketing, according to Zheng.

In addition, the ideal cost-effectiveness is appealing to advertisers. A music-themed micro movie made by Shine Show received 200,000 yuan (31,696 U.S. dollars) from a brand client. It has been viewed by more than 50 million times online. However, it should cost some 10 million yuan in advertising in TV programs or cinemas to reach the same volume of audience, said Zhao.

What bothers film insiders most is the existence of a large amount of low-quality micro movies -- some were poorly shot, some show unhealthy content, others were embedded with excessive advertisements.

The State Administration of Radio Film and Television has tightened scrutiny since July over the content of micro movies as it called on Internet video service providers to screen unhealthy issues.

In addition to the content concerns, moviemakers are trying hard to keep high-level artistic experience after weaving ads into their work.

Zhao said his company has made remarkable achievements in seeking balance between artistic pursuit and commercial benefits.

A series of ads.-built-in micro movies featuring the themes of family ties, abandoned pet animals, crackdown upon drug-trafficking, smoking-control, and handicapped children protection, have gained increasing popularity due to unique story ideas and advanced filming techniques.

"Micro films should have a solid and thought-provoking plot. They share the responsibility of sending positive information about social value to the public," said Wang Qian, Chairwoman of Beijing Herun Detang Media and Advertising Co., Ltd.

Moviemakers should know about people's concerns and work out films to reflect common aspirations. This could be the key for gaining popularity, she stressed.