Inside an ornate chamber within a replica Chinese palace, tourists can star in their own personalised microdramas for social media. At the sprawling Hengdian World Studios — often referred to as “China’s Hollywood” — they can pay to appear in a miniature production, assisted by a team including camera operators, lighting assistants and a director. Microdramas – mostly vertical soap opera-like series with episodes as short as 30 seconds – have become popular across China.
