Choose photos for a zombie couple video: a pair-by-pair checklist

Compare the pair, not just the best portrait

Two individually attractive portraits may be an awkward pair: one could be a close profile in darkness while the other is a bright, front-facing image. Start with photos where you can describe both faces clearly, then compare head angle, distance and lighting.

Prefer an unfiltered original when available. If a beauty filter has already changed facial proportions, you are asking a later process to preserve the filtered face. A screenshot of a tiny social avatar also carries less visible information than the original photo.

• Look at the eyes, nose outline, mouth and jaw on each photo.
• Check that hair, a hand, a mask or sunglasses do not hide important features.
• Compare head size in the frame and avoid an extreme close-up paired with a distant full-body shot.
• Keep both original files before making crops.

Crop to clarify, without cutting away context

Leave some space above the hair and around the shoulders. Do not crop through the chin to make the face larger. If another person is visible, choose another image or crop them out cleanly while preserving the intended person’s head.

Check the crop at the size you will actually review it. A face that appears sharp only when heavily enlarged is not a reason to keep enlarging it. Additional pixels cannot restore facial detail absent from the source.

Distinguish acceptance from suitability

The preview accepts JPG, PNG and WebP, up to 10 MB per photo, with at least 300 pixels on each side. An unsupported file, a corrupt image or a smaller image can fail before any visual judgement is made.

If a file is accepted but the face is hidden or blurred, choose a better original instead of repeatedly changing the file format. This preview reads photos locally in the browser; it is not sending them to an AI service.

Make the role assignment explicit

Name the references before doing any creative work: A is the survivor; B is the zombie partner, or the reverse. Review the selected thumbnails after swapping roles. Keep that same assignment in any external production notes.

Only use photos with the adults’ permission for this fictional depiction. A good-looking reference is not a substitute for agreement about the portrayal and where it will be shared.

• Choose one adult per reference.
• Review both thumbnails and their assigned roles.
• Clear and replace an accidental selection.
• Expect selected photos to disappear when this local preview is refreshed.