The Los Angeles City Council is weighing a new effort to support the fast-growing microdrama sector, voting Wednesday to explore the creation of a $5 million subsidy aimed at short-form, vertical video productions.

In a unanimous 14–0 vote, the council directed city staff to identify potential public or private funding sources that could be used to encourage microdrama production in Los Angeles, as well as other regulatory changes that could make the city more competitive for such projects.

“Many of these productions do not fit the needed requirements to qualify for state tax credits,” said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, who authored the motion. “This is a problem that we need to fix.”

Microdramas—typically scripted narrative series designed for mobile viewing and released in brief vertical episodes—have surged in popularity in recent years, driven in part by platforms like MyDrama and by audience consumption habits shaped by TikTok and other short-form apps. While the format originated in China, it has begun to attract growing interest from U.S.-based producers, writers and actors.

Blumenfield said the proposal was inspired by his brother, veteran television producer Jay Blumenfield, who recently produced the microdramas Her Heart, Held Hostage and Hired to Obey for MyDrama. Jay Blumenfield described the format as a potential lifeline for mid-level creatives in an industry reshaped by consolidation and budget contraction.

“I do believe it’s one way that we can bring back the creative middle class in this town,” Jay Blumenfield said. “I think that’s been completely hollowed out by mergers and moguls and stupidity.”

Microdramas are typically produced on budgets of roughly $200,000 per project—far below the minimum thresholds required to qualify for California’s film and television tax incentive program, which was expanded last year from $330 million to $750 million annually. Under the current program, projects must carry budgets of at least $1 million to be eligible.

By comparison, Georgia’s incentive program allows producers to aggregate multiple projects to reach a $500,000 minimum spend, a structure some advocates argue makes the state more accommodating to emerging production formats.

Jay Blumenfield said that even modest financial support could be decisive in keeping microdrama production local.

“If we can get $20,000 or $30,000 extra, that’s the difference between being able to do it here or not,” he said.

Microdramas are generally non-union productions, a factor that has helped keep budgets low but has also complicated their integration into traditional production hubs. Many of the companies financing and producing such projects are based overseas, particularly in China, though Blumenfield argued that Los Angeles could position itself as a global center for the format.

“It’s pretty new here, but there’s a lot of American players getting in,” Jay Blumenfield said. “And I still think a lot of the foreign companies want to shoot here. They like the American creatives and actors.”

In addition to funding options, the council motion calls for city staff to examine ways to reduce permit fees and to explore the creation of a “micro-budget concierge” program, including a potential three-day permit approval process designed to streamline production for small-scale projects.

City officials are expected to report back with recommendations at a later date.