SEED

Inspiration

In China, many left-behind children struggle with psychological issues such as low self-esteem, social anxiety, depression, and self-harm. Lacking parental companionship, they often seek solace online. SEED tells the story of a child’s sci-fi dream—where she possesses superpowers, stands up to bullying, and is surrounded by a community that makes her feel protected and accompanied.

What it does

A girl named Xiao Ba believes she defends her home from alien invasions every night. In reality, it’s an elaborate deception: the “aliens” are her neighbors in disguise, her village is a simulated training ground aboard the starship “Cradle,” and she herself is at the center of a secret far beyond her imagination.

How we built it

I developed the screenplay using DeepSeek and Doubao, then created the storyboard with Double, Jimeng, and NanoBanana. I generated video segments (5–10 seconds each) using Jimeng, Hailuo, and GoogleVeo3. Character voices were produced via MiniMax, and I completed the final editing, color grading, sound design, music, and subtitles in CapCut.

Challenges we ran into

I faced challenges in maintaining visual consistency across character shots and limitations in emotional expression from AI voice synthesis—for instance, capturing the authentic intensity of a girl shouting into the distance.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I independently completed the entire production—from the initial idea to a finished short film—developing a story with imaginative visuals and a suspenseful narrative.

What we learned

I gained hands-on experience in the end-to-end process of creating a narrative short film using a full-AI toolchain.

What's next for SEED

This short film serves as a teaser for a larger story, with potential to be expanded into a series or feature film.

Built With

• capcut
• chinese
• deepseek
• doubao
• googleveo3
• hailuo
• jimeng
• minimax
• nanobanana