AI Short Drama Created for Under 4,000 RMB Exceeds 600 Million Views

A former 3D designer has produced a 96-episode AI-generated short drama series, “Rebirth Mantis, Awakening Infinite Devour and Evolution,” with a production cost of just over 4,000 RMB. The series has reportedly garnered over 600 million total views across the internet, highlighting the increasing accessibility of content creation for individual creators.

Bai Feikong, a 40-year-old from Chengdu, China, transitioned to creating AI short dramas after resigning from his decade-long career in graphic and home 3D design due to professional challenges. Over 1.5 months, he invested approximately 4,000 RMB, covering computing power and AI tool subscriptions, to produce the series. This minimal investment has resulted in significant viewership, leading many viewers to request a sequel.

The drama, centered on a mantis protagonist, explores themes of devouring, evolution, and survival within the insect world, incorporating popular online elements. Bai Feikong noted his surprise at the low cost of AI tools for generating visuals and special effects, tasks that previously demanded substantial capital and manpower.

This individual success story stands in contrast to the broader AI short drama market, which faces considerable challenges. In the first half of the year, China launched 221,900 AI short dramas, but a reported 98.7% incurred financial losses, indicating that only about one in 77 such productions managed to break even.

The production cost for “Rebirth Mantis” averaged around 40-50 RMB per episode, excluding Bai Feikong’s own time and labor. While media reports, including those from Tencent News and Xingdao Toutiao, cite cumulative views exceeding 600 million, the specific platforms for these views have not been detailed, and official comparative data is unavailable.

The accessibility of AI tools is democratizing content creation, enabling individuals to produce high-volume content with minimal financial outlay. The success of “Rebirth Mantis” underscores a potential niche for AI-generated content that can achieve viral viewership, even within an industry marked by a high failure rate, suggesting a possible shift in the economics of short-form video production.

Why This Matters

The materials describe a narrow update: Bai Feikong, a 40-year-old former home 3D designer from Chengdu, resigned and spent over 4,000 RMB and 1. The exact AI tools used by Bai Feikong.

Broader Context

Source materials place the factual news in this context: Chengdu 40-year-old former home 3D designer ‘Bai Feikong’ resigned and spent over 4,000 RMB and 1.5 months creating 96 episodes of AI short drama ‘Rebirth Mantis, Awakening Infinite Devour and Evolution’.