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| 43-Year-Old Director Collapses at Home After Gruelling Filming Schedule |
A 43-year-old short-drama director has died just three days after wrapping production on a new overseas-oriented project, with his family claiming the intense workload in the final stretch pushed him beyond his limit.
Gao Jun, who had recently shifted into the booming short-drama sector, collapsed in the bathroom of his home on 20 October at around 4:40 p.m. His wife, Wang Fei, found him unresponsive and rushed him to hospital, where he was declared dead at 6:21 p.m. Doctors confirmed he had suffered a myocardial infarction.
It wasn’t until after the funeral that Wang Fei began going through her husband’s phone and piecing together his final week. What she found shocked her.
A Gruelling Final Project
Gao Jun had spent years directing commercials and documentaries, but after a long period without stable work, he decided to enter the short-drama industry this May.
Since August, he had been moving from project to project, hoping to stabilise his career.
His final assignment took place in Zhengzhou between 14 October and the early hours of 18 October.
Although only a few days long, the schedule was relentless.
Gao Jun served as the executive director, responsible for on-set coordination and managing multiple departments.
Group chat logs showed daily announcements rolling in just after 7 a.m., with messages about late-night meals, missing props and next-day logistics continuing well past midnight.
Based on the timestamps, Wang Fei believes the team was working more than 17 hours a day.
She says her husband rarely shared work details at home, especially in the past two years.
But the clues in his chat history were enough for her to draw one firm conclusion: he had been pushed far too hard.
A Temporary Crew With No Safety Net
One of the most concerning issues Wang Fei raised was the way such short-drama crews are assembled — often at the last minute, with no proper contracts or clear terms regarding working hours, payments, or safety.
“It leaves workers completely unprotected when something goes wrong,” she said.
The project Gao worked on was aimed at overseas audiences, and the production group chat was titled “Brazilian Portuguese – Filming Starts October 14.”
It included 35 members and was produced by Henan Huabeike Culture Media Co., Ltd. Director Liu Aiguo — the company’s sole shareholder — oversaw the project.
Liu described Gao as “meticulous and responsible,” noting that he often went out of his way to show he was available at all times.
Chat records back this up, with Gao repeatedly sending messages like:
“Available throughout the National Day holiday,”
“Let me know anything you need me to prepare,”
and
“Standing by for instructions at any time.”
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| Gao Jun Dramas |
Warnings Before Collapse
On the day he collapsed, Gao Jun messaged Liu saying he was severely sleep-deprived and experiencing an unusual “loss of focus on set.”
Wang Fei also recalled him complaining of foot pain after returning home.
His step-count data revealed he had been walking more than 12,000 steps a day during the shoot — not excessive on its own, but exhausting when combined with long hours, minimal rest and continuous mental pressure.
Within hours, he was gone.
Payment Settled, Compensation Disputed
After the incident, Gao Jun’s family held multiple discussions with Liu.
Both sides reached an agreement for the project’s basic payment: 1,000 yuan per day for five days plus transport reimbursement, totalling 6,000 yuan (around 840 USD).
However, condolence compensation remains a sticking point.
Liu offered 10,000 yuan (about 1,400 USD), while the family is seeking a higher amount. Talks have stalled with no breakthrough so far.
Gao Jun’s death has reignited debate about the working environment within China’s rapidly expanding short-drama sector — an industry known for its lightning-fast production cycles, temporary crews and unclear labour protections.
For many like Gao, the promise of steady work in a booming market comes with steep costs: long days, unstable pay, and little structural support in emergencies.
Wang Fei hopes her husband’s case can serve as a wake-up call.
“He just kept pushing himself, because he wanted to do well,” she said. “But no work is worth a life.”