Hengdian World Studios in east China's Zhejiang Province, one of China's largest film production bases, has rolled out a new attraction that offers tourists the chance to star in their own short drama with live-action scenes.
With about 300 yuan (around 45 U.S dollars) per person, visitors can don costumes, get professional makeup, and act under the guidance of a real director, transforming from spectators to star in under an hour.
The immersive experience begins with a script and character selection. After choosing their roles, participants take part in a brief table-read session, where the director walks them through their lines and helps them nail the emotional beats. For many, it's a first taste of the acting life.
"I love watching short dramas, so I decided to come and try it out for myself," said a tourist surnamed Yao.
The full package, including styling, set shooting, and professional direction, takes just one hour to complete. The finished video is delivered within 48 hours, and many visitors share their clips on social media.
"It feels so novel. In real life, I'm the quiet type, so [playing a different role] in a short drama is a complete contrast to who I am," said a tourist.
The experience appeals to all ages. Senior travelers also make the trip to fulfill their acting dreams.
With the project gaining popularity, directors like Zhang Jinquan have been working nonstop. Over the past summer holiday, the number of tourists coming to experience short drama filming increased by nearly three times year on year, and the number of overnight tourists increased by 9 percent year on year. The experiential consumption boosted the number of visitors to the scenic area by more than 2 million.
"We start at 8:30 here in the morning and keep shooting until 21:00 at night. Our in-house team of directors simply isn't enough [to keep up with demand]," said Zhang, a director of the short-drama experience project at Hengdian World Studios.
Studios offer immersive short drama filming experiences to tourists in east China
