Position Summary

The Head of Short-Form Production is the single point of accountability for all LA-based short-form projects from green-light through delivery. There is a team of 40–50-person cross-functional unit (creative development, physical production, post & VFX, finance, legal, labor relations) while aligning with SF HQ strategy and leveraging AI tools developed in Boston and China. You own the slate schedule, budgets, crewing, unions & safety, and final delivery quality for a slate that will exceed 100 episodes this year.

Chinese companies have transplanted the “overbearing CEO” and “revenge” tropes from web-novels to American settings, swapping in Wall Street boardrooms, the White House, and even Western elements like werewolves and vampires.

Ultra-Fast Production Cycle

From script to launch, a single short drama takes only 6–7 weeks to produce, with budgets capped at US$150k–200k.

Employment Boost

During the Hollywood strikes, Chinese short dramas absorbed large numbers of out-of-work actors; some supporting players saw their daily rates jump from US$200 to US$1,500.

Future Outlook

Industry forecasts put the long-term U.S. market for Chinese short dramas at US$3.6 billion , with global viewership expected to reach 250–300 million.

Content Types

① Self-produced short dramas : overbearing CEOs, revenge plots, werewolf genres.

Business Model

Subscription ($6.99/month) + single-episode purchase ($0.99–$9.99) + advertising.

Billion-dollar Case

Wall Street Werewolf Ex-Wife grossed over $2 million on a $120 k budget.

Tech Highlights

AI-generated bilingual subtitles (Chinese-English) and vertical-screen optimization for TikTok/Temu users.

Differentiators

• Localized Production : Chinese scripts shot in L.A. & Vancouver by Hollywood crews.
• Ultra-low Cost : $80 k–$150 k per series, delivered in 6 weeks.
• Viral Distribution : TikTok ad spend + QR-code downloads in Chinese supermarkets & restaurants (#Mflix 520 M views).

Funding & Expansion

• 2023 : $5 M Pre-A round (SIG & Chinese funds).
• 2024 : Roll-out to Canada & Australia; target 5 M users within 3 years.

Position Summary

The Head of Short-Form Production is the single point of accountability for all LA-based short-form projects from green-light through delivery. You will build and lead a 40–50-person cross-functional unit (creative development, physical production, post & VFX, finance, legal, labor relations) while aligning with SF HQ strategy and leveraging AI tools developed in Boston and China. You own the slate schedule, budgets, crewing, unions & safety, and final delivery quality for a slate that will exceed 100 episodes this year.

Key Responsibilities

1. Slate & Project Management
2. • Own master production calendar; balance 6–8 overlapping short-form projects (3–20 min formats).
3. • Implement agile production workflows integrating AI-driven storyboard, scheduling and budgeting tools.
4. • Track KPIs: on-time delivery rate, budget variance, cost-per-minute, crew utilization.
5. Physical Production Leadership
6. • Hire & mentor 40–50 crew: line producers, PMs, ADs, HODs, editors, VFX supervisors, post Sups.
7. • Negotiate and execute all DGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, Teamsters and local vendor agreements.
8. • Ensure compliance with OSHA, Cal/OSHA, COVID and labor regulations; maintain impeccable safety record.
9. Budget & Finance
10. • Develop and lock $10–25 M annual production budget; manage cash-flow forecasting and cost reporting.
11. • Drive cost-saving initiatives through AI-enabled pre-viz, virtual production and remote collaboration pipelines.
12. Creative & Technical Integration
13. • Partner with SF creative execs on IP selection, tone and audience targeting.
14. • Liaise with Boston AI team to pilot new tools (auto-tagging dailies, real-time rotoscoping, synthetic voice).
15. • Coordinate with China post teams for round-the-clock VFX, conform and localization.
16. Culture & Talent Development
17. • Foster inclusive, no-ego culture; build training ladders for junior producers and below-the-line crew.
18. • Support company-wide DEI goals in hiring and crew composition.

Requirement :

Bachelor's degree or above in Film, Television, or a related field is required.

Minimum 3–5 years of hands-on producing experience in an English-speaking environment.

Local Vancouver experience and established industry networks are strongly preferred.