TikTok has just quietly introduced a completely new application called PineDrama in the US and Brazil, marking a strategic step to expand its influence to the field of microdrama short films.
This application focuses on fictional stories divided into super short episodes, each episode is only about a minute long, bringing a continuous viewing experience similar to short video social networks but with a seamless plot.
According to Business Insider, PineDrama is now available on both iOS and Android. The application is released for free and does not display ads, although the ability to make money may be deployed in the future.
The quick, attractive viewing approach from the first second shows that TikTok is testing a new content model, separate from the main platform.
Regarding user experience, PineDrama allows exploring content through the "Discovery" tab, where viewers can filter by "All" or "Favorite", as well as receive topical suggestions based on personal preferences.
The application provides many familiar genres for short film audiences such as romance, horror, family or revenge. Some notable series introduced include "Love at First Bite" or "The Officer Fell for Me".
PineDrama also integrates familiar features such as "View History" to track progress, "Favorite" to save favorite series, and a comment area to allow viewers to exchange feelings.
Notably, the viewing experience is optimized for the entire screen, eliminating distractions such as subtitles or sidebars, helping users focus on the storyline.
The launch of PineDrama took place after TikTok added the "TikTok Minis" section at the end of last year, allowing users to watch short films right in the main application.
However, PineDrama shows a clearer ambition when TikTok directly confronts microdrama-specialized platforms such as ReelShort and DramaBox.
According to the US television magazine Variety, the short film industry is growing rapidly and could reach revenue of 26 billion USD per year by 2030.
Reality shows that telling short stories is not always successful. In 2020, Quibi, a platform founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg with 1.75 billion USD of investment capital, failed after only 6 months.
The reason is said to be that Quibi tried to "squeeze" Hollywood TV series into short formats, while ReelShort and DramaBox were successful thanks to low-cost scripts, many climaxes and targeting the right audience groups who love romance and revenge movies.
TikTok seems to be learning from this model. With the advantage of dominating global short videos, PineDrama could be an important test step for TikTok to conquer a new type of entertainment, going beyond the framework of traditional social networks.
