From Emergence to Independence — The Artistic Genesis and Ontological Investigation of Micro-Short Dramas

Abstract

The rapid rise of micro-short dramas—a novel visual form—has transformed them from “paratexts” attached to traditional film and television into an independent artistic mode. Adopting a phylogenetic framework, this paper systematically traces the evolutionary trajectory of micro-short dramas from “emergence” to “independence” and analyzes their ontological characteristics and signification network as a self-contained art form. This study argues that the emergence of micro-short dramas is driven by multiple forces: creative agents, social context, media technology, and content originality. By imitating and innovating on established forms such as television dramas, short videos, and online literature, micro-short dramas have gradually developed a unique artistic language, media experience, and industrial ecology that distinguish them from existing literary and artistic forms. Drawing on the concept of “paratext,” this paper further examines how micro-short dramas construct dynamic meaning through genre texts, pre-texts, synchronous texts, and audience commentaries across three dimensions: explicit paratexts, generative paratexts, and interpretive paratexts. The study concludes that micro-short dramas have transcended the aesthetic and industrial boundaries of traditional film and television, establishing themselves as an art form with independent identity and media logic. To sustain their development, micro-short dramas must balance artistic expression and commercial viability to consolidate their unique position in the contemporary artistic landscape.