Xi'an 'shoestring crew' turns textbook stories into viral short dramas

As AI-generated short videos flood the internet, a self-described "shoestring crew" in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, has taken a different path: adapting stories from Chinese-language textbooks into live-action short dramas.

Its Douyin account, @Haojiahuo, has drawn more than 4.97 million followers as of September, and its videos are now shown in some primary and secondary school classrooms.

The team started in mid-2024 with four young people and 30,000 yuan ($4,479) in startup capital. None of them knew how a real production crew should operate. None had any formal film or television training. But they studied historical materials, polished their scripts repeatedly and insisted on shooting on location rather than in a studio. Watch the video to learn more about their story.