Refer China: China Ex-Train Driver's US440 AI Short Film Wins Hollywood Praise & Job Offer

A Chinese ex-train driver spent 10 days and US440 (3,000 yuan) to make an AI short film, earning a Hollywood director's praise and a job offer. The May 9 release has 60M+ views. He declines to go abroad.

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China

AI Short Film

Ex-Train Driver

Hollywood Recognition

Viral Hit

A young Chinese man with no professional art or tech background spent merely 10 days and 3,000 yuan (US$440) to finish an AI-generated short film. His outstanding work caught the eye of a Hollywood director, who extended a job invitation to him.

From train driver and wedding photographer, Liu Ziyu from China created a low-budget viral short film in 10 days, earning praise from a Hollywood director and receiving a job offer. Photo: The Paper

The 3.5-minute Zombie Scavenger was released online on May 9 by 29-year-old Liu Ziyu from Xinping County, Yunnan Province. Created in an atompunk style, the film tells a romantic story between a robot and a doll, inspired by Disney’s classic animated sci-fi film WALL-E.

The work initially drew little attention domestically. Everything changed the next day when renowned Hollywood AI filmmaker PJ Accetturo recommended it on social media. To date, the short film has racked up over 60 million views worldwide.

“This is one of the best short films I have seen in years,” Accetturo praised. He also asked netizens to share Liu’s contact information, expressing his eagerness to hire the talented Chinese creator.

Liu Ziyu, above, talks about the making of his short film. Photo: Weibo

After receiving the director’s message, Liu replied candidly. He said he cannot speak English and intends to keep focusing on his creations in China. Later, Liu exchanged messages with Accetturo’s team and shared more of his AI works. The team told him he could reach out if he ever plans to produce ads or films in the US in the future. Liu regards them as overseas friends and has no plans to go abroad for now.

Amazingly, Liu finished the entire short film all by himself. The 3,000 yuan he spent mainly covered software subscriptions and usage credits. Unlike professional filmmakers, he graduated from a technical school, majoring in combustion engine driving and maintenance. He once worked as a train driver for three years and now makes a living as a wedding photographer.

Liu started learning AI video creation early this year, when his parents asked him to make promotional clips for their family hotel’s opening. He shared his core trick for working with AI: crafting detailed prompts combining movement, motivation and mood, instead of simply giving basic action instructions.

Currently, the intellectual property of Zombie Scavenger has been licensed to a domestic film company, and Liu will take charge of the core storyline. Remaining humble amid the sudden fame, he said he will keep learning and devote himself to better works.