The Star Shepherd is a groundbreaking, fully AI-generated felt-animation music video created for Chinese artist and singer Roy Wang. Launched at Roy Wang's Weibo and UNICEF social media on July 8th, 2025. The idea for The Star Shepherd was driven by a powerful linguistic and philosophical connection: in Chinese, the pinyin for love, “ài,” is pronounced identically to “AI.” This beautiful coincidence became our guiding mission: to prove that technology, often perceived as cold, could be a vessel for profound human warmth and love.
Inspired by UNICEF Ambassador Roy Wang’s 2024 visit to Malawi, our goal was to create a "visual hug" - a universal fable about loneliness and connection. We aimed to counter the growing anxiety around artificial intelligence by pioneering an aesthetic we call “Felt Realism,” using AI to simulate the imperfect, tactile warmth of handcrafted stop-motion.
Our objectives were specifically geared toward social impact:
Our plan was to make the technology disappear and let the emotion lead. The project's uniqueness is rooted in our guiding principle, which, in Chinese, translates to "AI" sounding like 爱 (love). This idea transformed our entire creative process from a technical challenge into a heartfelt mission for our small team.
Execution & Key Features:
Our workflow was a philosophy of "dancing with the AI," not commanding it. The process began with generating nearly 10,000 still images in Midjourney to define the woolly texture. For video, we used a combination of AI platforms: 70% Kling (可灵), 25% Jimeng (即梦), and 5% Hailuo (海螺), with artists using Photoshop to refine keyframes. This entire process was completed in just four weeks.
A key feature was embracing the AI's "happy accidents." Some of the characters' most emotive gestures were not prompted but were serendipitously generated. We skillfully selected these moments and wove them into the narrative using powerful montage, creating an emotional arc that felt authentic and alive.
Challenges & Solutions:
Overcoming AI's "Soulless" Reputation: The industry often views AI content as cheap or impersonal. Our solution was the "AI = 爱" philosophy. By tasking AI with recreating handmade felt, a medium synonymous with care and patience, we subverted expectations. We proved the final emotional temperature is determined by the artist's intent, not the tool.
Maintaining Emotional Consistency: AI struggles with consistent long takes. Instead of fighting this, we designed our story for montage. This not only circumvented technical limits but also created a dynamic viewing experience perfectly suited for social media sharing on platforms like Weibo and WeChat.
What Makes It Unique:
The Star Shepherd is China's first MV to tell a complete narrative using AI-generated felt animation. Its uniqueness lies in using AI to argue for humanity. The fact that audiences, including professional animators, believed it was traditional stop-motion is our proudest achievement. We didn't just use AI; we infused it with love (爱).
Our efforts were a resounding success because we ignited a genuine social media movement centered on healing. The MV exploded on China's major platforms, garnering over 50 million views in 24 hours across Weibo, WeChat Video Channel, and QQ Music, and landing 28 trending hashtags, including the powerfully resonant "#AI技术也是可以有温度的" (#AITechnologyCanHaveWarmth).
This viral spread directly met our goal of sparking a healing conversation. The project was endorsed by top-tier state media like Xinhua News Agency and People's Daily, and shared by music icon JJ Lin, validating its cultural impact.
Most critically, we transformed passive viewers into active creators. This was evidenced by a massive wave of User-Generated Content. Fans, calling themselves "Star Shepherds," created thousands of their own videos, remixing the song with real-life acts of kindness. This UGC wave organically amplified our message, creating a self-sustaining social media ecosystem of compassion.
The success is clear: we didn't just release an MV. We provided a catalyst that proved an idea as simple as "AI is Love (爱)" could mobilize a community of millions and use social media as a powerful force for collective emotional healing.
