When the first episode of The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband unfolds, it feels like a typical daytime TV drama: a female protagonist pleads with her father and evil stepmother for $50,000 to pay for her mother’s kidney dialysis. The villainous stepsister offers the money—if the protagonist agrees to marry a seemingly unworthy man. In just over 90 seconds, a whirlwind of family drama, love, and intrigue plays out.

Though brief, the show’s rapid pacing and accessible storytelling have made it a sensation, garnering over 419 million views—more than Netflix’s Squid Game season one, which reached 265 million views. This success isn’t a fluke but the result of a larger trend in entertainment that Joey Jia, CEO of ReelShort’s parent company Crazy Maple Studio, has seized to disrupt the U.S. entertainment industry.

ReelShort is a platform that capitalizes on the popularity of micro-dramas, short, story-driven videos that are designed to be consumed quickly, even within the span of a few seconds. Rooted in trends from the Chinese market, particularly the rise of short-form videos on platforms like TikTok, ReelShort is changing how audiences engage with stories.

The Rise of Micro-Dramas

Joey Jia’s journey began in 2017, when he founded Crazy Maple Studio, originally focused on monetizing intellectual property (IP). But as he observed trends emerging in China, particularly the popularity of short-form videos, Jia saw an opportunity to create a new entertainment format that blended brevity with narrative depth. In China, platforms like TikTok and iQIYI were already making waves with short videos and budget-friendly content production. It was this fusion of low-cost production and high engagement that Jia wanted to introduce to the U.S. market.

“The key insight was the popularity of short content, but with a real story concept behind it,” Jia says. “People wanted stories that were quick to watch but still compelling. This was an untapped space in Hollywood.”

However, when Jia pitched this idea to Hollywood producers, he encountered resistance. The prevailing notion was that short-form content couldn’t succeed outside of niche markets. Rather than give up, Jia decided to take matters into his own hands and build a distribution platform: ReelShort.

ReelShort: A New Model for Storytelling

ReelShort’s innovation lies in its ability to produce short videos—often under a few minutes—that still resonate emotionally with audiences. The platform focuses on what Jia calls “impulse purchase content,” where viewers are instantly hooked by a gripping storyline and are compelled to pay for more.

“The production costs are significantly lower than traditional film and TV,” Jia explains. “But we’re not cutting corners on quality. We spend all our budget on the story, not on celebrities. This is a story-driven platform, not a celebrity-driven one.”

This model allows ReelShort to rapidly produce content—each episode can cost as little as $300,000—while simultaneously creating compelling narratives that resonate with a broad audience. By focusing on the content itself, rather than relying on big-name stars, Jia’s company has been able to build a loyal viewer base without the need for heavy investments in celebrity talent.

A Data-Driven Approach to Content Creation

Jia’s company has honed its content creation process to be highly efficient. Once a concept is pitched, it typically takes just three months to get an episode ready for release. This fast-paced model gives the team a unique advantage: they can track real-time data to measure how well each story is performing.

“We know exactly where people drop off and why they engage,” Jia says. “This allows us to adjust quickly and evolve a story if it’s not working.”

If an episode fails to meet expectations, the team can reinvest and rework the story with new characters or plot twists, significantly reducing the risk associated with large-scale film productions. This flexibility is key to ReelShort’s success, as it allows them to consistently deliver fresh, compelling content.

Expanding the Genre and Audience Reach

While ReelShort’s early focus has been on high-drama romantic stories aimed at a predominantly female audience, Jia is already looking to expand into new genres. Future plans include developing thrillers, mysteries, and action stories for different viewer cohorts. The goal is to increase content frequency, ensuring that users can engage with short, episodic content on the go—whether they have five minutes or an hour.

Jia’s vision goes beyond just creating more content. He believes ReelShort can serve as a launchpad for professional user-generated content (PUGC), allowing content creators—especially those outside the mainstream Hollywood system—to find an audience and monetize their work.

“Platforms like TikTok and Netflix have carved out their niches,” Jia says. “But there’s a gap for professional creators who aren’t yet influencers. ReelShort aims to be that bridge, giving creators the tools they need to distribute their stories to a wide audience.”

The Future of Entertainment: Innovation and Adaptation

As ReelShort continues to grow, Jia is focused on the future of storytelling in a rapidly changing market. He acknowledges that content consumption is evolving, with audiences seeking increasingly bite-sized, on-demand entertainment.

“There’s a need to keep evolving,” Jia says. “We want to bring fresh concepts to the platform while sticking to proven story structures. Our goal is to provide a wide variety of content that keeps our audience engaged and coming back for more.”

With plans to expand its offerings, ReelShort is poised to challenge traditional entertainment models and redefine how audiences experience stories. What started as a response to a trend in China is quickly becoming a major player in the global entertainment landscape. For Joey Jia and Crazy Maple Studio, the future is vertical, mobile, and full of endless storytelling possibilities.