Introduction

As a new medium, the Internet has not only changed the one-way communication mode of traditional TV but also given birth to the new artistic form of self-produced dramas on the Internet; these productions are known as web-based self-produced dramas, but a clear definition has not yet been formed in the academic field. A network self-produced drama, as its name implies, is a film and television drama invested and shot by the network media itself, produced and broadcasted specifically for the network platform (Cao 2011, 113–116). It's also defined as an audiovisual art form that conforms to the law and characteristics of network communication, with network culture as the leading factor and Internet thinking as the driving force (Yang 2016, 37–39). Clearly, the definition of online self-made drama emphasizes the characteristics of video websites as the main body of production and the dissemination channel, as well as the media characteristics of the dissemination content.

With the prosperity of the UGC mode, online self-made dramas have developed (Feng 2016, 33). UGC represents User-Generated Content, and users access the network platform to create and disseminate personalized content. The emergence of websites such as YouTube in the United States has provided a platform for users to create and distribute personalized content. With the development of technology and the maturity of the UGC mode, many users began to develop into organized production groups with certain professional skills, and some professionals also began to participate in amateur creation (Ding 2014, 69–73), which promoted the transformation of online self-produced dramas from the UGC to PGC mode, that is, Professional-Generated Content. Video websites have flourished globally as professional content producers and distributors. Among them, Netflix in the United States adjusted its business model in 2007 against the backdrop of the rise in video sites, formally transforming from a DVD rental site to a streaming platform. With the premiere of Lilyhammer in 2012, Netflix became a producer of original content on par with HBO and other traditional pay TV stations (Osur 2016, 83). By continuously launching original boutique content and continuously attracting users to the platform, Netflix has become the video website with the largest number of paying users in the world.