Xiao Tianle works on an AI-generated short drama Photo: the Yangtse Evening Post

A third-year university student in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, created an AI-powered animated series in his dormitory that drew more than 1.5 billion views and generated up to 2 million yuan ($299,700) in revenue. His team generated more than 3 million yuan in total revenue in less than a year. He told the Yangtse Evening Post that he hopes to make one film with a story that stays with audiences.

Xiao Tianle, a junior majoring in mechanical and electronic engineering at Soochow University, creates AI-generated animated series using a computer. In less than a year, Xiao and his team created hundreds of AI-generated animated productions, one of which has garnered more than 1.5 billion views.

Xiao now juggles talks with investors, university classes and project work. Sometimes he has to hold online meetings, according to media reports. 

Xiao said that he became fascinated with making short films in high school and carried a camera with him to shoot in spare time. He often thought about where to position the camera, how to tell the story and how to build emotion.

After starting university, Xiao taught himself video editing. 

An apprenticeship led him to a company that was committed to training newcomers in video production, where Xiao participated in real short drama projects. During his apprenticeship, Xiao progressed from working on individual frames and adjusting prompts to overseeing entire productions.

Talking about AI-generated short dramas, Xiao said that the scripts provided by AI are often too flat and lack conflict. Producers have to analyze them first and then break them down into individual shots. The AI-generated footage often has physical errors and awkward expressions. His team has to refine them before the footage is ready for viewers. 

With business expansion, Xiao registered a start-up company in Suzhou in August. After graduation, he plans to stay in the city, study directing and screenwriting, recruit talent, and lead a team producing films and television dramas with AI technology. He told the Yangtse Evening Post that he hopes to make a film with a story that stays with audiences.


Global Times