AI-powered short film made on a budget of ₹42,000 offers a Hollywood job offer

A short film created using artificial intelligence tools by a former train driver in China has unexpectedly turned into a global talking point after receiving praise from a Hollywood filmmaker and racking up millions of views online worldwide.

According to Chuncheng Evening News and South China Morning Post reports, 29-year-old Liu Ziyu from Xinping County, Yunnan Province, China, spent around 3,000 yuan to create a three-and-a-half-minute AI-generated short film called “Zombie Scavenger” in just 10 days. ₹42,000.

What began as a personal creative experiment soon gained international attention after Hollywood AI filmmaker PJ Accetturo shared the film online.

“This is one of the best short films I’ve seen in years,” Accetturo wrote while publicly praising the project on social media.

The filmmaker also expressed interest in hiring Liu, writing, “If anyone finds a director, please link his social networks. I’d love to hire him, but I can’t find him, I think he’s a Chinese filmmaker on Douyin.”

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AI movie surpasses millions of views

Following Accetturo’s post, the short film quickly spread across social media platforms and reportedly crossed more than 60 million global views.

Interestingly, the film initially received limited attention after it was first released on Chinese social media platforms on the 9th.

When online users finally connected Accetturo with Liu, the young creator responded with a simple message.

“I don’t speak English. I want to focus on my work in China,” Liu said.

Despite the language barrier, discussions of his work continued to grow internationally. Reports said that Liu later worked with the Accetturo team and shared other AI-generated projects during their conversations.

During these exchanges, Liu was reportedly told that he could contact the team in the future if he wanted to work on films or commercials in the United States.

However, Liu maintained that he has no current plans to relocate.

“I have no plans to go to the US right now. To me, they are like my friends in the US,” he said.

Movie inspired by WALL-E

“Zombie Scavenger” has been described as a short sci-fi film in the style of atomic punk. The story revolves around a robot and a doll model in an emotional narrative focused on love.

Liu said the film’s concept was inspired by WALL-E, a Disney sci-fi film widely known for combining emotional storytelling with futuristic visuals.

One of the biggest reasons the project has garnered attention online is the way it was created.

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The entire short film is said to have been created solely by Liu without the support of a production studio, film crew or formal film training. Total spending went to AI tools and software subscriptions.

From Train Driver to AI Filmmaker

Before gaining attention for his cinematic experiment with artificial intelligence, Liu had a very different professional background.

He graduated from a technical school, where he studied the management and maintenance of internal combustion engines. He later worked as a train driver for about three years before finally changing careers and becoming a wedding photographer.

According to reports, Liu’s foray into creating AI-generated videos came unexpectedly earlier this year when his parents asked him to create promotional material for the grand opening of their family’s hotel.

This assignment reportedly sparked his interest in AI video generation platforms and prompted him to start experimenting with his own creative workflow.

Explaining his process, Liu said, “My quick formula is: movement plus motivation plus mood, rather than simply telling the AI to do what movements.”

The debate about AI creativity continues

Liu’s sudden rise has also contributed to ongoing global conversations about artificial intelligence and the creative industries.

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The viral success of “Zombie Scavenger” was seen by many online users as an example of how AI tools are lowering the barriers for independent creators without a formal industry approach or expensive production setups.

At the same time, debates about AI-generated art, originality and the future of filmmaking continue to grow worldwide as more filmmakers experiment with new technologies.

Despite international recognition and a possible path to Hollywood projects, Liu has maintained a grounded reaction to the sudden attention surrounding his work.

For now, he says he wants to continue to focus on his projects in China.