Pang Haoyang: One-Person AI Film Studio, ¥1M+/Year

By Wanli Lu · Updated October 2026 · 6 min read

The story

Pang Haoyang produces AI-generated short dramas — a format exploding on Chinese short-video platforms — as what Chinese media called a "one-person crew" ("一人剧组"). Script, shots, characters, editing: AI tools handle production; he supplies the taste. Media reports put his annual income above ¥1M (~$140K+).

His case matters because it's the counterweight to all the SaaS stories: when AI makes production cheap, the scarce asset becomes judgment — what story to tell and what looks good. Tools are identical for everyone; the eye behind them is not.

Key moves you can copy

• Ride a format wave early. AI short dramas were new enough that individual creators could still stand out. Early-in-format beats late-in-market.
• Volume with a voice. High output cadence, but each piece passes his own quality bar — volume without voice is invisible.
• Community as a moat. He's embedded in the creator ecosystem, which feeds both trend-sensing and distribution.

Lessons and anti-patterns

• Content platforms change algorithms constantly; income built on one platform's recommendation system is structurally fragile. Diversify channels early.
• "AI content" alone is worthless — audiences and platforms both punish sameness. The value is the taste layer applied on top.
• Media-reported income, unaudited; treat as directional.