As China’s vertical-drama frenzy spreads to US, soft-influence exports bring risk, rewards

Short, fast-paced vertical videos are captivating a growing audience of young people in the United States. These mini-dramas, often featuring Western actors as the classic wealthy hero enamoured with a humble heroine, have surged in popularity. And in an interesting plot twist, the creators behind these addictive storylines are Chinese production teams.

Kasey Esser is one of the American actors taking on such roles. Last year, he played a werewolf in a vertical miniseries about a conflicted love affair. The show, which was streamed on a Chinese platform called ReelShort, went viral and quickly made the 35-year-old actor a sought-after commodity in the industry.

“I was surprised to gain fans from countries such as Indonesia, Brazil and India, apart from the United States,” said the Los Angeles-based performer who used to be a fitness trainer.

Unlike his previous projects, the team he is now working with – including the director, screenwriter and cinematographer – is predominantly Chinese. And Esser is planning to travel to China for filming next year, joining efforts by the production team to streamline costs even further.

“I’m not the only American actor invited to China; many of my peers working with ReelShort are receiving business-visa invitations as well.”

ReelShort, a California-based company, produces short episodes that draw inspiration from the entertaining, yet often cliche, style of low-budget Chinese dramas. Nearly half (49 per cent) of ReelShort is owned by China’s COL Group, renowned for pioneering this type of vertical short-video drama since 2020.