Open Studio

AI micro drama maker

Turn a one-line idea into a vertical short drama series: a cast that looks the same in every shot, lip-synced dialogue in their own voices, an original score, and a cliffhanger at the end of every episode.

Watch Nightingale

Story, cast and episode-1 storyboard free. Finished episodes $17.99 each, or $34.99 for a long episode. No subscription.

Nightingale, episode 1. Made with AI by StarSinger.

What is a vertical micro drama?

A vertical micro drama is a scripted series filmed for phones: 9:16 video, episodes of about one to three minutes, and a cliffhanger at the end of every episode, so the viewer taps straight into the next one. The format started on Chinese short-drama apps, became a multi-billion-dollar business on apps like ReelShort and DramaBox, and now runs on TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels too.

StarSinger micro drama maker: the facts

StarSinger's AI micro drama maker runs on the web at starsinger.ai/studio/drama. From a one-line idea it writes a season of up to 10 episodes, designs the cast and draws the episode-1 storyboard, free. A filmed episode costs $17.99 for up to 45 seconds, or $34.99 for a long episode of up to 90 seconds, paid once with no subscription; re-filming one scene costs $4.99 (up to 15 seconds) or $9.99 (up to 30 seconds), and if filming fails the credit is returned automatically. Episodes are vertical 9:16 MP4 with burned-in captions and an original score. Each character keeps the same face and voice in every shot and every episode, and you can cast yourself from your own photo. Characters speak their lines on screen, lip-synced, in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Korean or Chinese. You own your episodes and can post them anywhere; episodes you publish in the StarSinger feed earn you 50% of their net ad revenue once ads launch on StarSinger.

How we made Nightingale, a 5-episode AI micro drama

We built the maker by making a series with it first. Nightingale follows Mara, a night cleaner at a record label who hears her own song become the year's biggest hit. Every frame, voice and note is AI-generated; the characters are fictional.

5episodes, 3 min 20 s in total
18scenes, 50 shots, each with one action and at most one line
3characters with fixed faces and voices across every episode
1original song, "Dark Room", that carries the plot
10languages the same cast can speak, tested scene by scene
1scene re-filmed, for a continuity slip; the other 17 were used as first rendered

The process: a series bible (characters, places, who knows what), a reference sheet for every character, the script checked against five story rules, a storyboard, and only then the film. Pictures cost cents and video costs dollars, so nothing is filmed until the storyboard is right.

Episode 1 · The Song in the DarkEpisode 1 · The Song in the DarkEpisode 2 · NightingaleEpisode 2 · NightingaleEpisode 3 · The SafeEpisode 3 · The SafeEpisode 4 · ShowcaseEpisode 4 · ShowcaseEpisode 5 · Her SongEpisode 5 · Her Song

Five rules that make people watch episode 2

Every script is checked against these before a single shot is filmed. They come from how suspense works, not from copying other shows.

Open on a question

The first three seconds show something the viewer needs explained. Nightingale opens on a cleaner singing alone into a dead microphone at night.

Make us care

The hero is wronged in front of us. Mara says "that's my song" and is fired for it.

Let the viewer know more

Show the danger the hero cannot see. We watch the pop star secretly recording Mara through the glass.

Every shot turns

Each moment changes something, joined by "but" or "so", never "and then".

Pay off, then ask again, then stop

Give the satisfying beat, open a new question, and cut. Every episode ends on a freeze frame and the next episode number.

How to make your own AI micro drama

  1. Tell it your story in one line

    Type the idea the way you would tell a friend: "a cleaner at a record label is secretly the songwriter behind their biggest hit". StarGPT asks three quick questions (kind of story, language, main character) and writes the season plan.

  2. Meet your cast and see episode 1, free

    Every character gets a consistent face, outfit and voice. Episode 1 is drawn as a storyboard, shot by shot with every line of dialogue, before you pay anything. Change a line, a face or a shot until it is right.

  3. Film the episode for $17.99

    Approve the storyboard and the episode is filmed: every shot with lip-synced dialogue in the characters' own voices, an original music score under it, captions burned in, and a cliffhanger freeze at the end. Filming takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

  4. Post it and keep going

    Download the vertical MP4 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts. Your episodes also play in the StarSinger feed, in order, so viewers who finish episode 1 go straight to episode 2. Then make episode 2 with the same cast.

Frequently asked questions

What is a vertical micro drama?
A vertical micro drama (also called a short drama, mini drama or micro-drama) is a scripted series filmed for phones: 9:16 video, episodes of about 1 to 3 minutes, and a cliffhanger at the end of every episode. The format grew out of Chinese short-drama apps and is now watched on apps like ReelShort and DramaBox and on TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels.
How long is a micro drama episode?
Usually 1 to 3 minutes. The StarSinger maker produces episodes of up to 45 seconds, the length short-video feeds favour, or long episodes of up to 90 seconds; Nightingale's five episodes run 34 to 54 seconds each.
How much does it cost to make an AI micro drama?
Planning the story, designing the cast and drawing the episode-1 storyboard are free. Filming a finished episode is $17.99 for up to about 45 seconds, or $34.99 for a long episode of up to 90 seconds, one time, with no subscription.
Can I make a micro drama in Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese or Korean?
Yes. Characters speak their lines in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Korean or Chinese, in the same voice across every episode. We tested the same scene in all ten languages before launch.
Do the characters look the same in every shot?
Yes. Each character gets a reference portrait that every shot is generated from, plus one signature detail such as a scarf or a ring. In Nightingale the same three faces hold across 18 scenes and 5 episodes.
Is there music?
Every episode gets an original score mixed under the dialogue, and a story can carry an original song, as Nightingale does with "Dark Room". StarSinger started as an AI music studio, so the music is made for your story, not pulled from a library.
Where can I post my micro drama?
Anywhere. You get a vertical MP4 with captions burned in. Episodes you publish on StarSinger also play in the StarSinger feed, in order. Every video is labelled as AI-generated.
Who owns my micro drama, and can I earn from it?
You own it and can post it anywhere. If you publish episodes in the StarSinger feed, StarSinger pays you 50% of the ad revenue they bring in once ads launch on StarSinger. See the creator terms at starsinger.ai/creator-terms.
Is Nightingale real?
Nightingale is a fictional, fully AI-generated series made by StarSinger to show what the maker produces. The characters, the record label and the song are invented.

Make episode 1 of your story

Start with one line. The cast and storyboard are free; you only pay when you film an episode.

Start my micro drama Watch Nightingale first

AIショートドラマ · AI 숏폼 드라마 · Minidrama com IA · Minidrama con IA