Chinese film staff describe AI busywork as projects dry up
A feature by the WeChat account Xianwei Gushi, republished by 36Kr and TMTPost, profiles four Chinese film and short-drama workers as AI tools spread through their studios. A producer says her boss now runs weekly AI mobilisation meetings and orders staff-built tools such as an AI script-scoring system and an IP development assistant that she and colleagues privately call "toys" because they never reach real projects. A former short-drama producer says AI cut episode production to roughly 15,000–20,000 yuan and under 10 people in about two weeks, but that 70–85% of spending goes to buying traffic and, by DataEye's calculation cited in the story, about 98.7% of projects do not recoup costs within six months.
The accounts show AI adoption inside Chinese film studios so far producing internal evaluation tools and cheaper short-drama output rather than finished projects, with the reported savings largely absorbed by platform traffic purchases.
没有人不在为AI焦虑，但更焦虑的是，当你遇到拿着AI来验收工作成果的老板。 开会聊的是模型，剧本没人提。汇报比的是谁能说出昨天刚出的新版本，项目进度没人问。 过去一年，影视行业的项目越来越少，老板们的会越开越多，主题只有一个：AI。 有数据显示，今年一季度上线的微短剧里，超过90%由AI生成。 AI把成本打了下来。同样一部短剧，真人拍，30万左右，1个月；用AI做，1-2万，10个人，两周。 省下来的钱没留在制作方手里，80%拿去买流量。每万次播放的收入，从去年的30-100元，跌到5-10元。 本期显微故事讲述的是四个影视人。他们之中： 有人做了十年制片人，现在每天的工作是陪老板"搓玩具"； 有人从影视策划转进大模型公司，把自己的镜头经验一句句翻译给AI。 有人的第一份工作，是给一个打开就露馅的界面写代码。；还有人算完账，发现70多部里，只有1部能回本。 四个人的位置不同，遇到的是同一件事：AI进了公司，项目没有进来。 以下是关于他们的真实故事：