Zombie Video Template: Three Presets, With Timings

A zombie video template is three things held fixed: how long each beat runs, how the two photos are framed, and how the cut between the two halves is made. Change the scene and the photos freely; change those three and the clip stops reading as this format.

Below are the three presets we use — the default, the pet version, and the version people make for someone they've lost. Beat lengths are in seconds.

Preset 1 — The Default

• Framing: vertical 9:16, both faces in the upper half — that's where the app interface covers the picture.
• Cut: hard cut between beats, on a readable frame. No dissolve, no fade.
• Scene: dim interior with cold overhead light.
• Audio: one instrumental track, no dialogue.
• Total: about twenty seconds.

Preset 2 — The Pet Version

• Scene: open field at dusk, or a sunlit garden. Warm light throughout.
• Ending: the reunion replaces the lowered gun. The payoff here is closeness, not tension released.
• Framing: if one input is a full-body photo of the animal, pair it with a waist-up photo of you — not a tight headshot.
• Audio: lighter than the default; the same low track reads as sad over a pet clip, which is usually wrong.

Details on the input photos are on the pet page.

Preset 3 — The Memorial Version

• What changes: the zombie beat is gone. The pale skin and the gun are what make the default version work, and they're also what makes it wrong here.
• Longest beat: the memory. Give it one second more than the others.
• Who it's for: read the note on the pet page — it applies whether the one you lost was a person or an animal.

What to Change, and What Not To

Change freely: the scene, the light, the location, the clothing, the season.

Don't change: the beat order, the near-equal split between the two halves, and the hard cut. Those three are the format.

One exception worth making: if your clip is running on Instagram only, you can shorten the standoff by a second and let the memory run longer. The 9:16 grid crops the top more aggressively than TikTok does, and a tighter standoff survives it.

Export and Platform Settings

Nothing here needs to be different between platforms. Vertical is vertical; the only real variable is where the interface sits over the picture, which is why both faces belong in the upper half.

Length (10 or 15 seconds) and aspect ratio are chosen in the homepage studio before you generate, not after.

What It Costs

There's no free tier and no subscription. You pay for the generations you actually run, which is why the queue moves at video-generation speed instead of being rationed behind a free allowance. One payment covers one video — but note that changing a preset after generation means generating again, so it's cheaper to decide the preset before you spend.

FAQ

Is it free? No — there's no free tier, and no subscription to cancel. You pay per video; the pricing page has the current numbers.

What if I don't like the result? The output depends on the model and on the photos you upload. We don't offer refunds based on how much you like the video, and we don't promise a specific likeness or a specific look. If a file is broken, the payment goes through without a video, or the export fails, that's a different case: write to support@zombieai.video and we'll sort it out.

Can I change the timing after generating? You can trim after export, but not extend. Decide the beat lengths first.

Which preset should I use? Default if the second photo is a person, pet version if it's an animal, memorial version if the person has died. When in doubt, default.

Can I make a longer version? Formats like this get weaker as they get longer — the twenty-second shape is the format. If you need more, cut two clips back to back rather than one long one.

Do the presets work for square or landscape posts? Vertical is the default and the one everything else assumes. A square crop from a vertical export usually leaves the faces too close to the edges.

Pick a preset, upload two photos. Start a generation.