Web dramas are on the decline.

Once creating a buzz and strong effect, helping many actors' names to be remembered by the audience, but currently web drama is showing its decline.

Movie "Ambiguous in the City". Photo: Provided by the producer representative

Low production, reduced spread

The period 2018 - 2021 was the golden age of this film genre with a series of hit works such as "The Fourteen Ladies", "The Godfather" (web version)... but now, the number of newly released projects has decreased sharply, and the quality and influence are not the same as before.

Statistics from YouTube and TikTok platforms show that since the beginning of the year, there have been less than 10 notable Vietnamese web dramas released. Some notable projects include “Chang trai siu quậy” written and starring Quang Anh, “Map mo trong thanh pho” by Do Hoang Duong...

Despite the investment in images, scripts and acting, most of these films only reach tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of views per episode - a modest number compared to the peak when each web drama episode reached tens of millions of views.

The change in audience trends also makes this genre of film difficult. If in the past, viewers eagerly awaited each episode that aired periodically on weekends, now, with the rise of TikTok and short-form platforms, young audiences are gradually switching to watching content that is faster, shorter, and less emotionally invested. In addition, the fact that producers focus on making vertical short films like “Chàng trai siu quay” shows an effort to adapt, but has not created a big push in the market.

Causes of the decline

One of the main reasons for the slowdown of Vietnamese web dramas is the issue of funding. After the boom period of 2018 - 2022, many individual producers, especially artists and singers who used to spend their own money to make films, are now more cautious.

An average quality web drama now costs 1-3 billion VND for 6-8 episodes, but revenue from YouTube advertising or brand sponsorship is no longer guaranteed. When costs increase but communication effectiveness decreases, investors are reluctant to invest, leading to a narrowing of production scale.

In addition, the tastes of young audiences have changed dramatically. Long stories with climaxes like “The Fourteen Ladies” have gradually given way to fast-paced entertainment content like vlogs or situational clips that only take a few minutes. Traditional web dramas have therefore lost their competitive advantage and have difficulty retaining viewers for a long time.

Even projects with famous artists like Tran Thanh, Nam Thu or Huynh Lap have had to switch to copyrighted platforms (VieON, Netflix,FPT Play) instead of relying solely on YouTube as before.

The saturation of topics is also a significant factor. From comedy, school to gangsters, most Vietnamese web dramas still revolve around familiar motifs, lacking breakthroughs. The fact that many products use the formula of "star + drama + shocking details" makes the audience tired. Many works fall into sensational tricks, fake dramatic dialogue, leading to mixed reactions and being removed early.

Another reason is the competition from professional TV series and streaming platforms. Major channels such as Netflix, VieON, VTV Go or Galaxy Play are pushing to produce exclusive films, attracting crews who have worked on web dramas before. Young directors choose a more professional path to have a stable budget and wide coverage, making the creative force for web dramas on YouTube increasingly thin.

Despite being in a “quiet” phase, experts believe that Vietnamese web dramas still have a chance to recover if they know how to adapt. The trend of producing vertical films for mobile phones is opening up new directions such as “Chang trai siu quậy” which was filmed entirely in 9:16 ratio, combined with simultaneous release on TikTok and YouTube. The combination of AI and virtual rendering technology can also help reduce post-production costs, expanding the creativity of young filmmakers.

Some directors have proposed the “interactive mini-series” model, which allows viewers to vote on the character’s direction, as a potential way out. However, to recreate the “fever” of the early years of web dramas, the market needs more systematic investment from the platform and sponsoring brands, instead of relying solely on the individual strength of the artists.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/phim-web-drama-thoai-trao-3378857.html