AI Micro Dramas
An AI micro drama is a short vertical series, usually one to three minutes an episode, whose pictures, voices and music are made with AI instead of a film crew. Ziztu makes them from one idea: a Director plans the cast and every shot, character sheets keep the same people on screen, and the episode is cut on one timeline.
Updated
Real AI micro dramas made in Ziztu
The Wrong Wedding, episode 1: 32 seconds, seven shots, three characters, made in Ziztu from one sentence.
9:16 ยท 32 s
A live-action vertical micro drama, episode 1: on her wedding day a bride reads a message on the groom's phone and walks down the aisle anyway, smiling. End on a cliffhanger when she takes the microphone.
A cafe worker meets the man who steps out of the black car.
A woman in a yellow raincoat sees the same man behind her again.
The Wrong Wedding is a whole episode: 32 seconds, seven shots and the same bride, groom and chapel in every one. The two small clips are single 5 second scenes from the AI micro drama generator. None of it was filmed.
What an AI micro drama is
- Episode
- 1 to 3 minutes
- Frame
- Vertical 9:16 or wide 16:9
- Every episode
- Ends on a cliffhanger
- Made with
- AI video, voice and music
A micro drama is a serial story built for a phone: short episodes, a hook in the first seconds, a turn every twenty to thirty seconds and a last shot that makes the viewer tap the next one. The format came from China and is also called a vertical drama or short drama. An AI micro drama is the same format made without a cast, crew or set: the pictures come from video models, the voices from voice models and the score from a music model.
That changes who can make one. A person with an idea and a script can now put a series on YouTube, TikTok or Instagram Reels. It does not make the craft optional. A series still lives or dies on its hook, its cast and its cliffhangers, which is what the guides below teach. See also AI vs filmed micro drama for the cost and quality, and micro drama vs short drama vs web series for the names.
How an AI micro drama is made, in five steps
- Write one idea. One sentence with a person, what she wants, what is in the way and where the episode stops. The full walk-through starts here.
- Let the Director plan. It proposes the cast, the places and a shot list with a size, an angle and a camera move for each shot. You approve the plan, and no credits are spent before you do.
- Lock the cast. Every character gets a character sheet, the same person from the front, the side and the back, and every shot starts from it. How to keep characters the same.
- Generate the shots. Each shot is a clip of a few seconds, vertical or wide, and one shot can be retaken without touching the rest.
- Add voices, score and captions, then cut. Lines are spoken in the clip or recorded, music runs under them, and the whole episode is exported as one MP4 up to 1080p. End on a peak: how to write the cliffhanger.
Four of the seven shots of The Wrong Wedding. Maya is the same woman in shots 1, 3 and 5 because each shot started from her character sheet:
Pick a genre
Every micro drama genre sells one promise. Start from the promise and the hook, the cast and the cliffhanger follow. Each guide has the beats, the cast, a ready episode 1 you can open in Ziztu and a shot plan with its price.
The micro drama genres overview compares them all, including which are easiest to make with AI.
All the guides on AI micro dramas
Learn the format
- What is a micro drama for the format, its length, its history and the numbers.
- Micro drama vs short drama vs web series for the four names and which one to use.
- AI vs filmed micro drama for cost, time and quality side by side.
- Micro drama apps for how the apps work and where an AI series can go.
- Are micro dramas made with AI for how to tell, and what is labeled.
- How long is a micro drama episode for the beats from 30 seconds to three minutes, with prices.
Pick a story
- Micro drama genres to compare eight genres and see which are easiest to make.
- AI micro drama ideas for 60 free plots, each with a hook and a last shot.
- AI micro drama prompts for free scene prompts to copy and paste.
- AI micro drama examples for real clips with the prompts and the prices.
Make it and publish it
- How to make an AI micro drama for the five steps with a worked example.
- How to write a micro drama cliffhanger for the last shot that makes people tap next.
- How to keep characters the same in AI video for the same people in every shot.
- Start an AI micro drama channel for a 30 day plan with costs.
- Post AI micro dramas on YouTube, TikTok and Reels for the export and the AI labels.
- Monetize AI micro dramas for the official rules, with sources.
What it costs
The price of a clip is shown before you generate it. Plans start at $12 a month for 1,000 credits. On the Starter plan a 5 second clip of the default video model, MiniMax H3 Max Turbo, costs 31 credits ($0.37) at 480p or 50 credits ($0.60) at 768p. With shots of 4 seconds, an episode costs about this at list price, for the clips only:
What the clips of one episode cost at list price (4 second shots, Starter plan)
| Episode length | Shots | Credits at 480P | Credits at 768P |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 seconds | 8 | 200 ($2.40) | 320 ($3.84) |
| 1 minute | 15 | 375 ($4.50) | 600 ($7.20) |
| 88 seconds | 22 | 550 ($6.60) | 880 ($10.56) |
| 2 minutes | 30 | 750 ($9.00) | 1,200 ($14.40) |
| 3 minutes | 45 | 1,125 ($13.50) | 1,800 ($21.60) |
Voices, a score, first frames and retakes are extra. The 40 free credits cover script, cast and storyboard; video starts at $12, so you can plan the whole series before you pay for a single clip. Free credits cover scripts, character art, storyboards, voices and sound. Animating shots into video starts on any plan. Free results carry a small watermark.
Where AI micro dramas are posted
Creators post AI micro dramas on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram Reels. TheWrap reported in June 2026 that AI-made series also appear on micro drama apps such as ReelShort. The platforms ask you to label realistic AI video, so turn the AI label on and use invented characters, never real people. The posting guide covers each platform: post AI micro dramas on YouTube, TikTok and Reels.
Start this in Ziztu
Start with the idea that made The Wrong Wedding, then change anything.
A live-action vertical micro drama, episode 1: on her wedding day a bride reads a message on the groom's phone and walks down the aisle anyway, smiling. End on a cliffhanger when she takes the microphone.
40 free credits, no card: write the script, cast your characters, draw the storyboard and hear the voices. Video starts at $12. You see the price before every generation.
Keep going
- AI micro drama generator to test one 5 second scene before you plan an episode.
- Micro drama script template to write the first episode on paper.
- Micro drama series bible template to keep ten episodes consistent.
- Best AI micro drama generators seven tools compared, with plans and clip prices.
- Films made in Ziztu to watch finished micro dramas and anime shorts.
- AI anime dramas the same idea for anime.
Sources (read 15 October 2026)
- TheWrap, AI-Generated Microdramas Are Real (Tess Patton, 11 June 2026) (read 15 October 2026; used for who makes AI micro dramas, where they appear, cost per hour reported by the producers)
Prices are computed from Ziztu's plans on the day the page is built. The Wrong Wedding is a real episode made in Ziztu.
Frequently asked questions
What is an AI micro drama?
An AI micro drama is a short vertical series, usually one to three minutes an episode, with AI-made video, voices and music instead of actors and a film crew. Ziztu makes them from one idea: a Director plans the cast and shots, and character sheets keep the same people in every shot.
How do I make an AI micro drama?
Write one idea, let the Director plan the cast and the shot list, make a character sheet for each person, generate each shot as a vertical clip, then add voices, music and captions and export one MP4. In Ziztu all of that is one project, and you see the price before every generation.
How long is an AI micro drama episode?
Most run one to three minutes. The real example on this page, The Wrong Wedding, runs 32 seconds in seven shots. One shot can be up to 15 seconds, so an episode is many shots cut together.
How much does an AI micro drama cost?
The clips of The Wrong Wedding, seven shots at 768P, cost 320 credits at list price, about $3.84 on Starter. Voices, music, first frames and retakes are extra, and every price is shown before you generate. Free credits cover scripts, character art, storyboards, voices and sound. Animating shots into video starts on any plan. Free results carry a small watermark.
Can the characters look the same in every episode?
Yes, when every shot starts from the same character sheet and you keep the sheets for the next episode. A hard shot, such as two people touching, can still drift. Retake that one shot with Identity lock, which sends your references with the clip.
Where can I post an AI micro drama?
On YouTube, TikTok and Instagram Reels. They ask you to label realistic AI-generated video, and every paid Ziztu plan includes commercial use of what you make. Use invented characters, not real people.
Is it free to make an AI micro drama?
Planning is free to start: The 40 free credits cover script, cast and storyboard; video starts at $12. Video is paid, from $12 a month, and the price of each clip is shown before you generate it.
