How a Chinese Creator Found the "Soul" of Short Videos When AI Made Special Effects Cheap
Xie Tianyang spent years building an audience with live-action special effects videos - recreating scenes from games and anime by placing himself in digital environments. Then AI made that approach commoditized. His response: cast elderly actors instead.
The shift worked. A video of three senior actors playing card games while performing animation combat moves reached 22 million views on Bilibili. It gained hundreds of thousands of views overseas, too.
The Problem With Special Effects Alone
Xie grew up immersed in animation, comics, games, and novels - ACGN culture in Chinese terms. He wanted to turn childhood fantasies into video. Special effects seemed like the tool.
For years, that worked. He posted videos of himself in game scenes, using tropes familiar to post-90s audiences. The novelty of the effects drew viewers.
Then 2023 arrived. AI tools made special effects accessible to anyone. The novelty evaporated. Xie faced a question: What actually holds an audience when the technical barrier disappears?
Elderly Actors as the Answer
He remembered a 2020 video featuring a grandmother performing King of Fighters and Dynasty Warriors moves. The contrast - an elderly woman shouting animation lines with passion - stuck with him. The acting was rough, but the emotional reaction from viewers was genuine.
In October 2025, Xie recruited three professional elderly actors and filmed an upgraded version. The difference was immediate. "I used to think the elderly might be hard to communicate with, but now I realize that if you find the right people, they can be even more dedicated than young people," Xie said.
Li Junliang, one of the senior actors, described the experience differently. "When we elderly people spend time with young people and engage with the things young people like, it helps us keep up with social progress, integrate into society, and avoid being left behind by the times," he said.
What Actually Connects Audiences
The videos generated emotional resonance across borders. Xie attributed this to the actors themselves - their genuine enthusiasm broke through language and cultural barriers in ways that technical spectacle alone could not.
This shift reflects a broader reality for creatives working with AI tools. As generative video becomes standard, the differentiator shifts from execution to concept. The idea, the casting, the emotional core - these become the work.
Xie noted the irony: the AI wave has made him feel like he's in a "sunset industry." But working with these elderly actors taught him something different. "Sunset is never a limitation of age, but a shackle of mentality," he said. "As long as one's heart is young and imagination and enthusiasm remain, there is no such thing as being outdated."
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