The complete methodology + prompt library + Claude Code Skill behind Zombie Scavenger by Mx-Shell — the AI short Hollywood director PJ Ace called "one of the best short films I've seen in years."
"This is one of the best short films I've seen in years. Very soon, we'll stop calling it 'AI film' and just call it film."
Film name: Zombie Scavenger by MX-Shell.
— PJ Ace (@PJaccetturo), May 10, 2026
| 13.4M views | 82K likes | 7.4K reposts | 39K bookmarks | 2.3K replies |
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This repository is the complete workflow behind that film, made available because Mx-Shell himself published his prompt collection documents and walked through his entire method on a public Douyin livestream.
Copy this into Sora / Seedance / Kling / Veo. Replace {{...}}:
Anamorphic widescreen cinematic. Simulated IMAX film camera +
Panavision C-series lens (35mm focal, f/4 aperture). Handheld
shot — extremely subtle, breath-like camera float throughout.
{{your scene description}}.
No score. Production audio only.
Why this works: real camera bodies + "breath-like float" anchor the AI to actual film aesthetics — not the vague "cinematic feel" keyword everyone else uses. Full breakdown in methodology.md.
May 2026. A 29-year-old vocational-school graduate from rural Yunnan, China — handle Mx-Shell — used 10 days and ~20,000 RMB of cloud credits to make a 3-minute AI short called Zombie Scavenger: an atomic-punk robot wanders into a beachfront villa after a zombie apocalypse, meets a confused ostrich, and starts dancing 1980s-style breakdance moves while kicking a zombie's head across the floor.
Hollywood director PJ Ace (@PJaccetturo) retweeted the film, calling it "one of the best short films I've seen in years" and started a search for the author.
A few weeks later Mx-Shell went on a Douyin livestream and gave away his entire workflow — the prompts, the camera language, the failure modes, the reroll counts.
This repo is the result of digesting 130,000 characters of his materials into a structured, reusable system.
ai-shortfilm-prompts/
├── README.md You're here. English entry point.
├── README.zh.md Chinese version.
├── methodology.md The 5-stage prompt structure, explained.
├── methodology.zh.md Chinese version.
├── faq.md Q&A: tools, failures, costs, edge cases.
├── faq.zh.md Chinese version.
├── credits.md Sources & attribution.
├── credits.zh.md Chinese version.
├── LICENSE MIT (this work)
├── NOTICE Attribution + Mx-Shell ARR details (dual-licensing)
│
├── prompts/ Mx-Shell's complete original prompts.
│ Body kept in Chinese (his authorial
│ voice), with English header on each file.
│ ├── README.md Index of all prompt archives
│ ├── zombie-scavenger.md *Zombie Scavenger*
│ ├── kamen-rider-transformations.md Kamen Rider transformation × 5 variants
│ ├── kaisa-transformation.md LoL Kai'Sa transformation × 3 versions
│ ├── pacific-rim-gundam.md Pacific Rim + Gundam mech-drop
│ ├── cyber-wuxia.md Shaw Brothers + steampunk wuxia template
│ └── metal-gear-charge-combat.md Weapon-charge + combat composite
│
├── templates/ IP-stripped generalized templates (English).
│ Authored by jnMetaCode based on Mx-Shell's structure.
│ ├── 15s-transformation.md 15-second transformation
│ ├── multi-shot-narrative.md Multi-shot edited narrative
│ └── atmosphere-prefabs.md 8 reusable atmosphere/look prefabs
│ ├── *.zh.md Chinese versions of the above
│
├── .claude/skills/shortfilm-prompt/ Claude Code Skill
│ ├── SKILL.md How Claude should generate prompts (7 hard rules + 10-item checklist)
│ ├── TESTING.md How to run rigorous skill tests in another Claude window
│ └── examples/ 5 test cases with expected outputs
│
└── .claude-plugin/ Plugin metadata (plugin.json + marketplace.json)
Every Mx-Shell video prompt follows the same skeleton. The order matters:
1. Core theme ← 3-6 style tags separated by |
2. Character & scene ← Face / clothing / environment
3. Atmosphere & quality ← Visual base / color tone / style core
4. Camera rules ← Single-shot or multi-shot / angle / breathing
5. Storyboard ← Per-second OR per-shot breakdown
-
Specify real camera + lens models. Don't write "cinematic feel". Write "simulated IMAX film camera, Panavision C-series lens, 35mm focal, f/4 aperture." AI training data binds those exact strings to real movie aesthetics.
-
Describe imperfections. "Battle-damaged armor, paint worn off, oil in the joints, minor facial blemishes preserved." Perfection looks fake. The visceral realism comes from the flaws.
-
Leave the ending empty. "No dialogue. No explosion. No blinding light. Just a figure standing in the smoke, a meteor crossing the sky."
Full methodology in methodology.md.
/plugin marketplace add jnMetaCode/ai-shortfilm-prompts
/plugin install ai-shortfilm-prompts@ai-shortfilm-prompts
Then in Claude Code:
/ai-shortfilm-prompts:shortfilm-prompt Help me write a 15-second prompt for a
robot transformation, green color palette,
energy core in the belt buckle,
post-apocalyptic jungle background
git clone https://github.com/jnMetaCode/ai-shortfilm-prompts.git
cd ai-shortfilm-prompts
claude # then type /shortfilm-promptmkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
cp -r ai-shortfilm-prompts/.claude/skills/shortfilm-prompt \
~/.claude/skills/git submodule add https://github.com/jnMetaCode/ai-shortfilm-prompts.git \
.claude/skills/_shortfilmThe Skill walks through the 5-stage structure, runs a 10-item self-check, and warns you about IP names that may be blocked by Seedance 2.0.
The 5-stage structure is model-agnostic. Verified to work well with:
| Model | Notes |
|---|---|
| Seedance 2.0 (Doubao Xiaoyunque, 沉浸式短片) | Mx-Shell's primary engine. Avoid the "Fast" variant — quality drops. Strict IP-name filter. |
| Sora | Prefers concise prompts. Keep 5 stages but trim per-section length. |
| Kling (可灵) | More permissive on IP names. Needs more explicit motion description. |
| Jimeng (即梦) | Strong 3D feel — emphasize "no game-CG feel" extra hard. |
| Veo | Works well; English prompts preferred. |
This is the video-prompt sibling of the AI-coding ecosystem maintained by @jnMetaCode:
- superpowers-zh — Chinese-enhanced edition of
obra/superpowers(TDD / debug / git workflow skills) - agency-agents-zh — 211 plug-and-play AI expert personas
- agency-orchestrator — Multi-agent collaboration orchestrator
- ai-coding-guide — 66 Claude Code tips
- shellward — AI Agent security middleware
- ai-coding-trilogy — AI coding three-volume book
All projects share the same SKILL.md format. The video skill stacks
freely with any of them.
MIT License for everything authored by jnMetaCode (methodology, FAQ, templates, Skill, metadata). Free for any use including commercial — just keep the copyright notice.
Mx-Shell's original prompts and document excerpts — sourced from his fan-group documents and public Douyin livestream that he himself distributed — remain © Mx-Shell, all rights reserved. Archived here for educational reference; commercial use requires contacting Mx-Shell directly. Full dual-licensing details: NOTICE · attribution: credits.md.
"For creation, the equipment is not what matters. The idea is what matters." — Mx-Shell, May 12, 2026 livestream