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Smartphone Screen: The New IP Gold Rush
27 Sep
Summary
- Existing TV shows are being adapted into short, mobile-first episodes.
- This trend offers a new life cycle for television intellectual property.
- Production costs for microdrama episodes can be as low as Rs. 20,000.
Entertainment companies are breathing new life into old television properties by adapting them for the vertical-video generation. Instead of remaining in archives, popular shows like 'Agent Raghav' and 'Fear Files' are being transformed into microdramas, featuring 90-second episodes. This strategy opens a significant new chapter for television intellectual property, allowing for creative repackaging and reinterpretation of familiar narratives.
The trend extends beyond established shows, with new original content in development. Production costs for these microdramas are remarkably low, ranging from approximately Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 50,000 per episode. This economic advantage enables studios to test more concepts compared to high-budget OTT series.
This movement offers a unique opportunity to engage younger audiences, like Gen Z, with classic television characters and genres. Crime shows can become fast-paced cliffhangers, and supernatural series can be reimagined as vertical horror. Crucially, this trend is bidirectional: successful microdramas could potentially transition to television, OTT platforms, or even films, marking the smartphone screen as the next frontier for IP value.
