(Yicai) Jan. 30 -- Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, said it has inked an exclusive deal with well-known Hong Kong filmmaker and comedian Stephen Chow to produce mini-dramas on the short video platform, betting on the new trend of minutes-long shows in China. 

Douyin and Chow will jointly develop and operate a mini-drama theater to bring out high-quality short shows, the Beijing-based firm announced yesterday. The first season, which is already in production, is expected to launch in May, it added.

Regarding the collaboration, Chow said that in his capacity as the initiator, he will join forces with outstanding young creators to directly provide users with original content through the 'Director Stephen Chow's works' account on Douyin, with the aim of brining more joy to the audience.

Chow has starred in and directed many high-grossing comedy movies, including Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer.

Douyin's partnership with Chow is part of its plan to develop high-end mini-dramas, announced earlier this month. The platform will give financial and traffic support to creators of such shows, it said, noting that the cooperation model includes co-production and joint operation, with plans to give creators up to CNY5 million (USD700,000) in cash and CNY100 million (USD14.1 million) for traffic support.

A mini-drama has a single episode ranging from seconds to about 15 minutes, a relatively clear theme and plot, and a continuous and complete storyline. Platforms and creators earn revenue via user payments or advertising.

There were 500 mini-dramas with more than 100 million views on Douyin last year, according to data from the platform. Twelve shows had over 1 billion views, and the number of daily views of mini-dramas doubled from the previous year.

Editor: Martin Kadiev