What is the Thriller AI dance trend?
It is a face swap into one of the most copied dances in pop culture. The zombie routine from "Thriller", with its stiff shoulder rolls, clawed hands, head snaps and sideways shuffles, is danced every October at parties, flash mobs and school shows. Learning it takes rehearsals; in the AI version the dance is already in the clip and only the person at the front changes.
The fun is in the contrast: your face, gray zombie makeup and all, leading a horde that moves in perfect sync. That makes it a natural Halloween video to send to friends or post as a costume without a costume.
Where does the original video come from?
This trend uses the original footage, not an AI remake. "Thriller" is the title song of Michael Jackson's 1982 album "Thriller". Its music video, often called "Michael Jackson's Thriller", premiered on December 2, 1983. It was directed by John Landis, whom Jackson chose after seeing his 1981 film "An American Werewolf in London", and the dance was choreographed by Michael Peters with Jackson.
The full video runs about 13 minutes, as a short horror film with the dance at its center. In 2009 it became the first music video added to the US National Film Registry. The vswp clip is a 15-second excerpt from the dance. Many copies of the video are online, and we did not confirm one upload as the official original, so this page links no source.
Who and what is in it?
One person to replace: the lead dancer, played by Michael Jackson. The clip is horizontal (4:3), 15 seconds long and made of three shots, with the song throughout.
- The lead. He wears the torn red leather jacket over a dark shirt, with curly dark hair and the gray-white zombie face, dark eye sockets and an open mouth. He dances at the front of the group, often in the center of the frame.
- The horde. Zombies in ragged clothes and makeup dance behind and beside him in a dark street at night, with old brick buildings in the background.
- The three shots. The clip cuts between three shots of the dance, and the lead is in all of them, so one photo replaces him in every shot.
The zombies around him stay as in the original.
How to make the Thriller dance with AI
- Open Thriller — Michael Jackson and sign in with Telegram, no password needed.
- The lead is already found: give his card one photo (JPEG, PNG or WebP).
- Choose the look. With "Keep the original look" on, the red jacket stays and only the face and hair change; off, the clothes come from your photo.
- Press "Make the free preview": about 5 seconds at 480p with a small "vswp.app" mark. Every new user gets one.
- Press "Create the full video". The price in Telegram Stars is shown before you start, and the Stars come back if a render fails or is canceled.
- Download the MP4 at 480p or 720p, in the clip's 4:3 shape with the original song, or share it. It is typically ready in minutes.
By starting a video you confirm you have the right to use it and the photos, so ask a friend before you turn them into a zombie. More dances are in the trends list; see also how to put yourself in a music video.
Which photo for the lead?
- A sharp, front-facing face. The zombie makeup darkens the eyes and grays the skin, so the likeness depends on your features: a clear photo in good light, without sunglasses or a hand near the face, works best.
- Keep the red jacket. It is the whole look of the scene. Leave "Keep the original look" on and a portrait is enough.
- Your own outfit. Turn it off and use a full-body photo of you alone; the wider shots show the clothes more than the face.
- Hair. Yours comes from your photo, so pick one where it is easy to see.
- A crowded, dark frame. Night light, makeup and many dancers close together are hard spots for generative AI, so hands and likeness can need another take.
More tips: which photos work best for an AI video swap. Then make another version with a friend's photo.
