A 54-year-old Chinese man with zero prior video production experience has captured industry attention after his AI-generated short-form drama accumulated 6.6 billion views. Following repeated business failures, he taught himself artificial intelligence technologies to break into the content market, illustrating how generative AI is lowering the barriers to entry in the video production industry.

According to China's Jimu News on the 6th, the short-form drama "To the Peak" (translated from 지계입송), produced by a man named Zhang, has become a massive hit on the video platform Douyin's parent-affiliated app Hongguo, pulling in 6.6 billion cumulative views. Reports indicate that Zhang successfully paid off all his existing debts through the success of this project.

The production cost of the series was approximately 1 million yuan (about $140,000 USD). In an interview released last month by The Paper, executive producer and chief writer Li Chaohua revealed that the series generated commercial revenues of about 10 million yuan (roughly $1.4 million USD).

The project also performed strongly in the paid content market. Each season averaged around 50 million views, with cumulative paid transactions reaching 11.41 million. Meanwhile, the yet-to-be-released 11th season has already drawn over 4 million pre-registrations.

This success is particularly unconventional given the background of the creators. Li Liang, vice president of Douyin (China's TikTok), highlighted on social media that the core production team consisted of ordinary creators rather than professionals with video production degrees.

Zhang himself had no background in the video industry. After suffering successive business failures and returning to his hometown to care for his father, he began exploring ways to turn his favorite web novels into videos, which led him to AI content creation.

Zhang stated that he spent about a year teaching himself AI technology, dedicating more than 10 hours a day to learning and production. He explained that his journey began when he discovered that AI could generate images from text prompts and subsequently turn those images into moving videos.

Currently, Zhang’s production team consists of about 30 members, all of whom are non-majors in video production, collaborating online. Zhang noted that several team members have also cleared their debts through short-form drama production. People from diverse backgrounds—including housewives, designated drivers, mini-truck drivers, and office workers—have turned content creation into a new livelihood.

While online rumors previously circulated claiming the project was created by a former fund analyst who lost their job, Zhang denied these reports.

This case highlights how generative AI is reshaping the cost structures and workforce dynamics of the content industry. In the past, video production required specialized staff, heavy equipment, and significant capital. However, advancements in AI tools have created an environment where small teams and individual creators can produce and distribute video content.

That said, high view counts and gross revenues do not automatically equate to net profitability. The actual net profit must be evaluated by factoring in platform fees, marketing expenses, and production labor costs.

Zhang remarked, "The opportunities provided by AI are fair to everyone, but whether you can seize that opportunity ultimately depends on how deeply you immerse yourself and how hard you work."

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