Microdrama production means making a vertical drama series: usually 60 or more episodes of about a minute each, shot in 9:16, each ending on a cliffhanger. In the US, a live-action series generally costs $100,000 to $300,000 and is shot in six to 10 days. ugcMaxx writes the series, makes it with AI, and cuts ad versions from every episode.
How much does it cost to produce a microdrama?
| Type of series | Budget | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US live action, typical range | $100,000 to $300,000 per series | The Hollywood Reporter, Nov 2025 |
| US live action, average | About $250,000 for 60 or so one-minute episodes | Variety, Aug 2026 |
| Holywater series | About $150,000 for 60 to 90 episodes | The Hollywood Reporter, Nov 2025 |
| SAG-AFTRA Verticals Agreement | Budgets up to $300,000 | TheWrap, Oct 2026 |
| Made mostly with AI | $60,000 to $100,000 for a feature-length series | The Hollywood Reporter, Sep 2026 |
| China, 65 episodes | 500,000 to 600,000 yuan; period series 0.8 to 1.2 million yuan | The World of Chinese, Dec 2025 |
Checked October 23, 2026. No public source gives a reliable US cost per episode. As a rough guide, Holywater's $150,000 over 60 to 90 episodes works out to about $1,700 to $2,500 per episode (our math). Budgets depend on cast, locations, number of episodes, and how many ad versions you need.
How long does it take to make a microdrama?
- Shoot: six to 10 production days, with 10 to 20 script pages a day (The Hollywood Reporter). One 76-episode ReelShort series was shot in nine days (Television Academy).
- Script to launch: about two months (Television Academy). CandyJar takes about four months from choosing the book to release (The Hollywood Reporter).
- Crew: a live-action shoot uses about 50 people for seven days. An AI-made series takes about two weeks with a team of five, against 12 weeks for live action (The Hollywood Reporter).
What does a microdrama series look like?
- Episodes: usually 60 or more, about a minute each, for 50 minutes to two hours in total.
- Shape: vertical 9:16, made to be watched on a phone.
- Cliffhangers: every episode ends on one, so viewers tap to the next.
- Paywall: the first episodes are free, and the paywall comes before a turning point (The Hollywood Reporter).
For the market, the apps, and why the format works, read the rise of microdramas.
How we produce a microdrama
- Story and scripts. We write the series: the premise, episode beats, a cliffhanger at every break, and where the paywall falls.
- Characters. We design the AI cast for each role: faces, voices, and wardrobe. You approve them and the scripts before we make a scene.
- AI production. We make every scene with the AI model that fits it, keep each character the same across episodes, and review every take.
- Edit and ad cuts. We cut every episode, then cut ads from the strongest moments: several hooks, captions, and 9:16, 4:5, and 1:1 sizes.
- Test. You get the episodes and the ads. What wins in the ads shapes the next episodes and the next series.
We quote each project by scope: number of episodes, characters, usage terms, and how many ad versions you need.
Why do microdramas need so many ads?
Drama apps grow through paid ads. In 2024, 70% of ReelShort's downloads came from paid ads, and short drama apps ran over 5 billion ad impressions, mostly on Facebook and TikTok (Sensor Tower). ReelShort earned $785 million in 2025 and spent 55% of its revenue on user acquisition, according to the MPA (Variety). That is why we cut ads from every episode: the hooks are already in the story.
Can a brand make a microdrama?
Yes. Crocs' series "Charmed to Meet You" on ReelShort reached nearly 10 million views, and JCPenney's reported 16 million impressions and 5.6 million video views. P&G's Native and General Mills have also made series, without sharing results (Marketing Dive). A brand series works best when the product has a natural place in the story, not a scripted plug.
Are microdramas union productions?
Most are not. SAG-AFTRA's Verticals Agreement covers series with budgets up to $300,000 and shoots up to 30 consecutive days. Lead performers get at least $250 for an eight-hour day, and the union says it has signed dozens of productions (TheWrap). Productions under the agreement can still hire non-union actors.
Live action or AI?
AI is changing the format fast. Over 90% of the 430,000 microdramas released in China from January to August 2026 were made with AI, according to China's broadcast regulator (ECNS). AI series cost less and take less time, and US casting for live-action shows dropped in mid-2026 (The Hollywood Reporter). Live action still gives you real faces and real acting, which matter for brand series and ads. Pick the mix that fits your story and budget.
How big is the microdrama market?
Omdia expects about $14 billion in global microdrama revenue in 2026 and nearly $25 billion by 2031 (Omdia). The MPA expects $3.6 billion outside China in 2026 (Variety). The two figures measure different things, so do not add them.
Sources
- Microdrama series and vertical production costs (The Hollywood Reporter, November 5, 2025)
- Can microdramas save Hollywood? (Variety, August 21, 2026)
- AI and Hollywood microdramas (The Hollywood Reporter, September 10, 2026)
- Vancouver's vertical microdrama factory (The Hollywood Reporter, December 18, 2025)
- Microdramas: inside the mini-movies (The Hollywood Reporter, May 21, 2026)
- Micro-dramas (Television Academy, April 15, 2026)
- How SAG-AFTRA is dragging Hollywood into the vertical microdrama boom (TheWrap, October 19, 2026)
- China's micro-dramas are evolving (The World of Chinese, December 3, 2025)
- AI-made micro-dramas in China (ECNS, September 17, 2026)
- Brands and microdramas (Marketing Dive, July 7, 2026)
- Short drama redefines mobile entertainment (Sensor Tower, January 9, 2025)
- ReelShort revenue and profit (Variety, August 6, 2026)
- Omdia microdrama forecast (Business Wire copy, October 14, 2026)
