Master's Micro Film project, hosted by Chinese streaming website Youku, features Chinese hit filmmakers' productions tailor-made for online audiences, such as No No Sleep by Tsai Ming-liang (above) and Insomniac Diary by Huang Jianxin. Photo provided to China Daily

For example, the concept has obviously become more influential after being presented through a themed project such as the Master's Micro Film, he says.

"It's definitely a phenomenon to be treated seriously. It will exist for several years more and become many young filmmakers' first step into the industry," says Zuo.

As Chinese online-video behemoths like Youku and iQiyi take firm strides into the movie industry, their eagerness to take full advantage of their "Internet gene" suggests they're more interested in nurturing their own films and talent than co-investing in other projects.

More than 200,000 videos from around the world are uploaded every day on Youku. They're all viewed as potential wells of inspiration for feature films.

Youku's young directors project also focuses on filmmakers who have revealed their potential through short creations.

The effort has helped 48 upstart directors since 2009 by offering financial assistance and inviting veteran directors as mentors. This has produced 18 Internet series and 60 short films that have been viewed more than 2 billion times on the website.