[Commlist] Call for Chapter Proposals: Short-Form Video Evolution in the Global South

Call for Chapter Proposals: Short-Form Video Evolution in the Global 
South: Platforms, Prosumers, and Challenges.

An edited volume by Dr. Levi Dean and Dr. Filippo Gilardi, University of 
Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC).

Introduction
This ambitious yet exciting edited volume seeks to bridge together 
international scholars across disciplines to meet at the confluence to 
explore the rapidly evolving field of short-form video, focusing on its 
impact in the Global South. The medium has experienced unprecedented 
expansion due to affordable audio-visual technology and the 
proliferation of online video platforms. As a result, short-form videos 
are one of the leading types of online content, with music videos 
ranking among the most consumed online products in 2024 (Statista, 
2024). In fact, today’s online video platforms, such as Youtube, Twitch, 
TikTok, Dailymotion, Youku, Bilibili, and Kuaishou, are making the most 
of media convergence to offer content to urban audiences’ that is 
adapted to their life pace.
This revolution stems from changes that began in the 1990s with the 
onset of digitalisation. This era saw the democratisation of 
audio-visual technology, enabling creators to achieve high-end 
aesthetics at significantly lower costs. This advancement, coupled with 
the explosion of video-on-demand platforms that emerged in the 2000s and 
a remapping of viewing habits due to smartphones and tablet devices, has 
seen unapparelled evolution with respect to short-form video, thus 
moving beyond traditional fictional and non-fiction content. In China, 
these platforms have developed and innovated by mutating their business 
models in response to lawsuits for IP violations, instead of simply 
aligning with existing regulations. This approach has sometimes allowed 
them to originate before their US counterparts (Gilardi et al 2023).
The popularity of short-form videos and its differentiation from 
short-films to education tutorials from live steaming to gaming is 
bringing with it a variety of novel storytelling principles and 
aesthetics that engage, sustain and keep viewers stimulated differently 
from longer formats. Currently, scholars are exploring their potential 
to increase awareness of minority Intangible Cultural Heritage (Lu et 
al., 2019; Wang, 2020; Heuman and Gambarato, 2023). Ultimately, nations 
with less developed creative and cultural industries could greatly 
benefit from learning about each other's experiences in the short-form 
video landscape. While some scholars defined the aforementioned online 
platforms as “imperialistic” in their unequal distribution of resources 
to content creators (Jin, D. Y. (2015), others (Gilardi et al. 2020) see 
an opportunity to support talent developments for the film industry.
With YouTube celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2025 and a lack of 
recent and comprehensive publications addressing short-form video, there 
is a need for a special collection focusing on cross-cultural ideas and 
strategies to help content creators from various countries to expand 
their reach and potentially tap into new markets. Ultimately, the 
objective would be to develop a more diverse and inclusive global 
short-form video ecosystem.

Aim
This volume aims at understanding the status of the short-form video 
phenomenon in countries from the Global South. Yet, we recognise that 
these nations do not exist in isolation; online platforms facilitate a 
borderless flow of content.
We specifically welcome chapters on the history, development, and 
current practices/challenges of short-form video in specific local 
contexts and across regions. Understanding short-form video requires 
diverse approaches from cultural, media, and communication studies, 
focusing on practice, copyright, consumption, and users’ behaviours, to 
only mention a few. We aim to bridge together global scholars from 
various disciplines to make a noteworthy contribution to knowledge to 
the rapidly evolving field of short-form video form within the Global South.

Topics include but are not limited to:

1)      Creators:
-       influencers;
-       filmmakers;
-       UGC
-       PGC;
-       copyright;
-       motivation;

2)      Users:
-       Fans and community;
-       Motivations for engagement;
-       Active/Passive engagement;
-       Consumer behavior;

3)      Platforms:
-       Business models;
-       Entertainment;
-       History of the platforms;
-       Government regulation and support;
-       Advertisements;

4)      Content/Format:
-       Cultural heritage;
-       Educational;
-       Music;
-       Micro-dramas;
-       Short films;
-       Live streaming;
-       Gaming videos;
-       Vlogs;
-       Micro-films;
-       Branded videos;
-       Tutorials;

Submission
Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before 30 
September 2024 a 500 word abstract and 200 words outlining where and how 
the chapter fits within the aims of the book to Levi Dean 
((levi.dean /at/ nottingham.edu.cn)) and Filippo Gilardi 
((filippo.gilardi /at/ nottingham.edu.cn)). Notification of results will be 
announced by 20 October 2024.

Key Dates
•       Abstract submission deadline: 30 September 2024
•       Selection results announced: 20 October 2024
•       Full chapters due: Not required until confirmation from the 
publisher (Targeting a University Press)

Keywords: Short Videos, Short Films, Video Platforms, China, 
Asia-Pacific; Storytelling.

No payment from the authors will be required

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