Photo preparation
Prepare two portraits for a zombie short
A memorable transformation starts with a photo that already tells you who the two people are. Before adding fog, abandoned streets, or a dramatic escape, give the scene a clear starting point. This guide is an editorial checklist, not a guarantee about any video model.
1. Start with permission and the original file
Choose two separate portraits of adults who have both agreed to this fictional transformation and to the way you intend to share it. A photo available on a social profile is not a substitute for that permission. If you did not take the picture, make sure you also have permission to use the photograph itself.
Keep an untouched copy. Work from the original camera file or a good-quality export when available, rather than a screenshot of a screenshot. Do not include private documents, addresses, or other personal information in the background.
2. Make both people easy to see
Choose two portraits where each face is visible and unobstructed. Use similar framing, angle and lighting. The first reference is the human survivor and the second is the partner who turns. A relaxed pose gives a clear starting point for posture and expression.
Check the photo at the size it will appear on a phone. If one face becomes a few indistinct pixels, choose a closer photograph. Avoid covering a face with a hand, a phone, heavy sunglasses, or a graphic sticker when recognition matters to the scene.
- Both people are adults and have given permission.
- Both faces are visible in the intended crop.
- Clothing and body positions are easy to distinguish.
3. Plan a crop before you plan the movement
For a vertical composition, try a portrait crop with the couple near the center and some space above their heads. Leave enough room around shoulders and hands for the action you intend to suggest. A tight headshot and a full-body escape are very different starting points.
Do not stretch a landscape photograph to fill a portrait frame. Instead, accept a tighter crop, select a different photo, or change the scene so that it works as a close-up. Decide where a title or caption could sit without covering either face.
4. Separate the reference from the atmosphere
Even lighting is a useful starting point because you can actually inspect expressions and clothing. You can describe moonlight, neon, or distant smoke in the creative brief without first burying the reference image in a dark filter. Keep a natural version next to any edited version for comparison.
Pick one dominant atmosphere: an empty station, a rainy street, or a forest at dusk. Combining several unrelated settings in a single short scene makes it harder to decide what the audience should notice first.
5. Write a brief that protects the important details
Write down three visual anchors you want to retain: the two people, their clothing, and their relative positions, for example. Then add one action and one change in the environment. Treat those anchors as review criteria, not as promises that a generator will always preserve them.
Example brief: “Keep the two adults together in the center, with their original jackets and left-to-right arrangement. The partner on the right has a subtle fictional zombie appearance; the person on the left remains human and reaches for their hand. Fog moves through the empty street. Restrained affection, no graphic injury.”
6. Review the setup before requesting a render
Compare the crop, the brief, and your intended audience. Is the action readable without an explanation? Does the scene respect both people’s comfort level? Is there a reason to show a close-up rather than a wide shot? Answering these questions now gives you a better basis for evaluating a future output.
Photo preparation and local previews are distinct from rendering. Check the selected template’s current availability before requesting its standard native 15-second video. A prepared photo is not a rendered video, and no free AI render is included.
Common questions
Do we have to be in the same photograph?
No. The current Zombie AI template uses two separate adult portraits. Choose similar framing and lighting, with the human survivor first and the partner who turns second.
Should I add zombie makeup to the photo first?
You can keep the original photo and describe the fictional effect in the brief. A separate edited reference may help you communicate a visual idea, but it does not guarantee a particular generated result.
About these guides
Original editorial guides, not model benchmarks, customer testimonials or promises of identical results. Third-party references are attributed inspiration, not Mimolix output.
Candidate standard (checkout disabled): one native 15-second video for 10 credits; regular single-video price $9.90, first purchase $6.90. Check current availability, eligibility and checkout terms. Free browsing or a photo preview is not a free AI render.