FlexTV International Forum – Short Dramas: Where Entertainment Meets the Internet
How did a brand-new content creation industry go from zero to multiple billions of dollars in the span of just a few years? This enlightening discussion will be centered around the emerging, innovative, and exciting world of “short dramas, with CEO’s, producers, content creators, and tech specialists taking a deep dive into the world of short dramas.
Although labeled as “short dramas,” this new style of short form content is genre agnostic and encapsulates a feature film length story divided into 60-90 1-2 minute “shows.” Originally conceptualized in China, the format is quickly gaining momentum all over the world, including the United States. Because of the market’s high demand, producers and filmmakers are scrambling to gain a foothold into the ever growing and evolving industry.
The panel will focus on trends in the market, new forms of IP exchange with existing television and film, ways to enter the short drama industry, and new and emerging technology.
Moderator
Luna Zhang, Founder, Celes Luna Holdings
Panelists
Ji Li, Chairman, China TV Media Group, USA
Chris Daniels, CEO, Cinelaunch IO
Charles Cheng, Co-Founder, FairIP
Wang-Hui, Founder, Datang Brilliant Media Co., Ltd.
Songtao Jia, CSO, Mega Matrix
Bohan Crystal Yang, Founder, 24k Onions
Tianze Edward Sun, Post Production Supervisor, 24k Onions
Presented by
Celes Luna
Speakers
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Luna ZhangFounder, Celes Luna HoldingLuna Zhang is a highly adept and expertly trained business executive and serial entrepreneur who has successfully built and exited multiple companies in the fields of high-end fashion, medicine, and tech. She has built a reputation for being a savvy businesswoman with powerful market insight and strong negotiation skills.
As an independent producer and business development executive, she is adept at deal-making, investor relationships, strategic partnerships, finance, and sales and distribution. She also has strong relationships with top management companies, agencies, producers, and other above-the-line talent.
Her slate of films, television series, documentaries, and animated features often reflect her passion for meaningful storytelling, women empowerment, Asian and minority representation, and social consciousness. She is also a financier of short form content and her films support women and LGBTQA communities.
In 2023, Luna partnered with a well-recognized, twenty-year experienced executive from film finance world focusing on financing independent films, helping indie filmmakers making dreams.Luna has an MBA from University of Southern California, and certificates in Entrepreneurship and Leadership from her extended study at Harvard University.
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Ji LiChairman, China TV Media Group, USAOver the years, Ji Li has built HTTV Media Group, which includes HTTV, Fox University, US Longton Inc, and the Chinese Cultural Center in the U.S.A. HTTV has established a strong reputation in the American film and cultural circles, becoming the most influential Chinese-language media in the U.S., bridging cultural exchanges between China and the U.S.A. HTTV maintains close collaborations with major Chinese broadcasters (CCTV, Hunan TV, Dragon TV, Hebei TV, Tianjin TV, Henan TV) and hosts cultural exchange events annually, achieving positive social impact and earning recognition and support from the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles and local U.S. government agencies.
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Wang-HuiFounder, Datang Brilliant Media Co., Ltd.In 2004, he founded Datang Brilliant Media Co.,Ltd. He produced and invested many popular TV series, such as Flowers Blossoming,Love in the familyBottom line of man, Worry in Woman, Secret Agent Police beauty & K9,recieving the seventh Beijing Film & TV Chun Yan prize, Top Ten TV Producers, and The 11th National Award for Top 10 TV Drama Producers in the Television Production Industry. Through over 20 years hard work, he became an influential senior producer and executive producer in the TV industry. He is also the vice president of China Television Drama Production Industry Association, the vice president of Capital Radio & TV Program Producers Association, the secretary-general of China Radio Film & TV Press Television Alliance, with high appeal and influence, and is highly recognized and praised by peers.
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Charles ChengCo-Founder, FairIPCharles Cheng is admitted to practice in the State of California. He is a member of Harvard Business Review Advisory Council and advising expert at Alumni Ventures Group. His expertise has been recognized by Forbes, Financial Times, and TedX. In 2021, Dr. Cheng received the distinguished honor of being elected as one of the Forbes 60 Outstanding Chinese in North America. Dr. Cheng holds an LLM in Corporate Governance and Practice from Stanford Law School, an LLB, LLM, and Ph.D. in Jurisprudence from Wuhan University School of Law, along with a Graduate Certificate in International Studies from the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies.
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Chris DanielsCEO, Cinelaunch IOFilm producer and media entrepreneur who first gained recognition for his offbeat independent films featured at Sundance and Cannes. As the founder of Cinelaunch—a film finance tech platform—and a partner at Esme Grace, the boutique media finance firm behind films like Michael Mann’s Ferrari, Chris develops high-caliber, character-driven projects. His recent executive producer credits include Captivated (starring Al Pacino, Toby Kebbell, and Katie Holmes), Kristallnacht (starring Clive Owen), and Night Comes (starring Dafne Keen).
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Songtao JiaCSO, Mega MatrixMega Matrix is the first publicly traded company in America specializing in short drama streaming. We are among the pioneers to introduce short dramas as a new form of online entertainment.
