LIVE Training Schedule:
Thursday, October 29
12pm Eastern
Replay lessons AVAILABLE 1-3 business days after live training!
A woman is told to train her replacement...
She does it... quietly, professionally, with her jaw set the whole time.
Ninety seconds later the truth lands. Nobody told her he'd be reporting to her.
And the viewer does exactly what millions of viewers do every night... they tap "next."
That's a micro-drama.
It's a short, vertical, serialized story built for the phone, and nearly every episode ends on a cliffhanger. It started as a niche in China. Today it's a global business with dedicated apps, devoted fans and studios racing to keep up with demand.
Here's the part that matters to you...
AI now makes it possible for one creator to cast, shoot and voice these stories without a camera, a set or a single actor.
So why isn't everyone doing it?
Because most people who try AI video hit the same wall:
- The main character's face changes from one clip to the next
- Her voice sounds like a different person in every scene
- The office she's standing in quietly rearranges itself
- The dialogue comes out rushed, garbled or out of sync
- Random music shows up where nobody asked for it
The result looks like a pile of mismatched clips, and viewers scroll past before the second scene.
The creators who succeed with this format work from a system. They plan the story so it hooks in seconds, lock every face, outfit, set and voice before they render a frame, and write prompts the video tools actually follow.
In this MasterClass Module, we hand you that system.
Why Micro-Dramas, Why Now
The numbers behind this format are hard to ignore:
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About $14 billion. That's Omdia's projection for global micro-drama revenue in 2026, up from about $11 billion in 2025.
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850 million+ downloads. Short-drama apps passed that mark in the first three months of 2026 alone, up 140% from a year earlier.
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The US leads outside China. The United States is now the largest micro-drama market outside China.
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TikTok jumped in. It launched its own micro-drama app, PineDrama, in January 2026.
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AI is already doing the work. More than 95% of new micro-dramas released in China in early 2026 were generated with AI.
What You'll Discover Inside
This MasterClass Module walks you from "What is a micro-drama?" to a finished, post-ready episode. Here's what we cover:
Master the format
- The eight traits that turn a short video into a true micro-drama... and why most AI shorts miss at least half of them
- The six micro-drama formats, from app paywall series to branded story ads, and how to pick the one that fits your goals
- The genre families that dominate the charts, plus the one area where AI gives you a real edge
Write stories viewers can't stop watching
- The season structure the big drama apps use to keep viewers unlocking episode after episode
- A five-beat episode blueprint, with sample timing for a 90-second episode
- Proven title, hook and cliffhanger patterns that make tapping "next" feel automatic
Produce with consistency
- The exact video specs, lengths and runtime math, so every episode fits the platform it lands on
- The Continuity Bible, our simple document for locking every face, outfit, set and voice before you render
- The reference-image approach that holds a character's identity from clip to clip
- What to do when an AI video tool blocks your character's face, and how to keep going anyway
- The dialogue budget that ends rushed, garbled lines for good
- Two ways to lock a character's voice across an entire episode, and which one tested best
- The anatomy of a scene prompt, line by line, so the video tool does what you ask
Publish and profit
- How to edit, caption and package each episode for YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok
- Seven ways to earn from micro-dramas, from your own channel to client work
- The guardrails that keep your work original, platform-safe and properly labeled
Plus, two extras that make it practical:
- Both toolpaths, side by side. Every step is shown with everyday AI tools and with the EMAI App Suite, so you can work either way.
- A full worked example. We take "Train Her Replacement," a 90-second workplace drama, from first idea to finished scene prompts.
Included: The American Micro Drama Studio Master Prompt
Producing micro-dramas episode after episode is where most people stall... so we're including the master prompt we built and refined to run the whole production with you.
Paste it into a Claude Project or an EMAI AI Chat Project, send one message, and it goes to work as your writer-director:
- Concepts. It pitches 10 fresh titles with loglines across proven drama genres, and you pick your favorite.
- Script. It writes a standalone episode or a full season outline, sized to the runtime you choose.
- Continuity Bible. It locks every face, outfit, voice and set, and writes the reference-image prompts for you.
- Scene Prompts. It turns every scene into a video-ready prompt for Seedance.
- Posting Package. It hands you the cover text, caption, hashtags and edit notes.
Nothing moves forward until you approve it, so you stay in the director's chair the whole way. And when you're ready for Episode 2, the same cast, sets and voices carry straight over.
This is for you if you're...
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A creator looking for a fresh video format with a built-in, binge-ready audience
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An author who wants a recurring cast of characters that keeps readers coming back to your world
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An entrepreneur who wants story-led ads for your own products, or a new service to offer clients
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An EMAI member ready to put Talent Studio, Voiceover Studio and Motion Studio to work on something bigger
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Anyone who has tried AI video and fought with faces, voices and sets that change between clips
When you join today, here's what you get:
- The MasterClass Module: Create AI Micro-Dramas. The complete session and slide deck, from format and story structure to consistent production, posting and profit.
- The American Micro Drama Studio Master Prompt. A paste-ready writer-director that takes you from 10 title ideas to finished scene prompts and a posting package.
- Both toolpaths. Every step is shown with everyday AI tools and with the EMAI App Suite.
- The "Train Her Replacement" worked example. A real 90-second drama built start to finish, so you can see every phase in action.
We priced this as a single-session MasterClass Module so it's an easy yes. Your first episode can be written, cast and ready to render within days.
Don't take our word for it!
“After a decade of studying Tony's great courses and videos, I am never disappointed by the level of expertise, attention-to-detail, and caring, that he produces."”
Debi B.
“Want to stay ahead of the curve? Time starved? Then Expert Media courses are just right for you. Short, sharp and incredibly in-depth they have become required 'reading' for any online entrepreneur!”
Susan J.
FAQ
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Do I need video, writing or acting experience?
No. We cover the format, the story structure and the production steps from the ground up, and the master prompt guides you through every phase.
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What tools do I need?
An AI chat tool (Claude or EMAI AI Chat), an image generator, a video generator such as Seedance 2.5, a voice tool such as ElevenLabs, and any video editor. EMAI members can do every step inside the suite.
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Do I need to be an EMAI member?
No. Every step is taught with everyday AI tools as well as with the EMAI App Suite.
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How long are the episodes I'll make?
Micro-drama episodes typically run 60 to 120 seconds. You'll learn to make standalone episodes and multi-part series.
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Can I put myself or a celebrity in my drama?
This MasterClass Module teaches original, fictional characters only, which keeps your work safe on every platform. If you want to put yourself on screen, see our Digital Avatar Mastery course.
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Will this work for animated styles?
The master prompt is tuned for a photoreal, live-action look. The story, consistency and publishing lessons apply to animated micro-dramas too.
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Can I make money with micro-dramas?
We walk through seven ways to earn, from building your own channel to producing branded micro-dramas for clients. Results depend on your effort, your stories and your audience.
Meet Your Expert Instructor
Hi there! Tony Laidig here... I’m known as The Public Domain Expert, but what I really do is help creators like you unlock limitless potential through AI and public domain content... without the overwhelm.
I’ve been experimenting with AI writing and art tools since before they were cool (back in 2018), and over the last 18+ years, I’ve designed more than 600 book covers, including several that landed on the New York Times Best-Seller list.
My goal? To make creativity more accessible, more profitable, and way more fun!
If you’ve ever felt stuck trying to figure out how to create books, products, or art that actually stand out, I’ve probably built a course or strategy to help. I’ve taught over 2,000 course modules covering everything from publishing and book design to AI-generated art, children’s books, video content, and beyond.
And while I love teaching and creating, I live what I teach... traveling the country in an RV with my wife Kristen and our two cats, making art, writing, and capturing inspiration with my camera wherever we roam.
If you're ready to explore powerful tools, timeless content, and scalable creative strategies, you're in the right place!