Screenwriters hope selling scripts through live streaming will help the industry recover
With China’s film and TV industry struggling to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, screenwriters are the latest people trying to cash in on live streaming ecommerce
The novel idea was started by Bianjubang, an online community for screenwriters that also hosts online classes about screenwriting. In three live streaming sessions lasting about 90 minutes each, 16 screenwriters took turns introducing their screenplay ideas. Some writers also used slides to help illustrate their points.
But there’s a cost before buying a script for interested viewers. People who want to learn more need to pay 168 yuan (US$23.83) to get in touch with the writers.
But screenplays attract a much smaller audience than the gadgets and snacks that Luo was promoting. And they don’t necessarily have the advantage of Luo’s flamboyant personality. According to view counts on the live stream sessions’ page, the first live stream on April 3 drew 7,350 views. The second and third sessions drew about 2,900 and 5,000 views respectively.