ABSTRACT
Chapter 3 extends the application of platformisation theory in the online screen industry. Platformisation proposes that cultural productions are contingent on platforms; that is, platforms monetise content and producers monetise audiences. This chapter argues that in the Chinese context, online productions are contingent not only on platforms but also on government policies. Under the influence of the state, the market and platform policy, the major streaming services in China are turning into an online “state TV”, which limits grassroots content, forces creators to thrive elsewhere and contributes to the proliferation of short-video apps such as Douyin. Chapter 3 investigates the contingency and the precarity of the online sector in an attempt to map the transitional shift of content creators from the spectrum of streaming services (an increasingly conventional practice) to short-video and live-streaming services (an emerging and creative cluster).
