Creative Paradigms of Handicraft Intangible Cultural Heritage Short Videos: An Integrated Study of Aesthetics, Narration, and Communication in the Digital-Intelligent Era

Abstract

Abstract: In the digital era, short-video platforms have become an important channel for the dissemination and revitalization of craft-based Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). However, existing research mainly offers descriptive discussions of visual style, narrative form, or platform diffusion, while lacking an integrated analytical framework explaining how these elements interact in short-video production and circulation. This study aims to develop a mechanism framework for understanding creative configurations in craft-based ICH short videos.

Adopting a theory-building qualitative design, the study conducts an explanatory multi-case analysis of 30 short videos from three Douyin creators. Through multimodal transcription and theory-guided structured coding, the research examines how aesthetic features, narrative strategies, and dissemination mechanisms are configured within short-video texts and platform environments.

The findings identify a recurring mechanism linking aesthetic triggers, narrative construction, and platform dissemination. Aesthetic strategies such as micro-visibility of craft processes, temporal compression, and multimodal audiovisual coordination enhance viewer attention and immersion. These aesthetic inputs are then organized into narrative structures that construct cultural meaning and emotional resonance, which further facilitate niche community engagement, cross-community diffusion, and feedback through platform interaction.

The study proposes an Aesthetics–Narrative–Dissemination (A–N–D) mechanism framework and provides operational guidelines for analyzing creative configurations in ICH short videos. This framework contributes to research on digital heritage communication by integrating multimodal aesthetics, narrative construction, and platform dissemination into a coherent analytical model.