Quick answer
The breaking-news AI video turns one or two photos into a fake live TV broadcast: you're at the top of the Empire State Building holding a hand-painted banner with your own message, shot like news-helicopter coverage with a reporter voiceover. You type the sign text (a proposal, a promo, a birthday, a flex), and AI renders the climbers, the banner, and the 'BREAKING NEWS' chyron. Most people prompt a native-audio model like Seedance 2.0, or skip the prompt with Starrd's Breaking News template — upload a photo, type your banner, and it renders the whole broadcast, first video free.
What You're Trying to Make
One photo in, and out comes a fake live TV bombshell: you at the very top of the Empire State Building's spire, unfurling a hand-painted banner with your own message, caught by a circling news helicopter — a "BREAKING NEWS" chyron across the bottom, a breathless reporter narrating, rotor wash and wind in the background. You write the sign; the AI does the climb, the broadcast, and the audio.
It blew up in July 2026 after a real daredevil couple free-climbed the building and got engaged at the top — covered live as "TRESPASSERS CLIMB EMPIRE STATE BUILDING." Within hours, creators were newsjacking the exact broadcast with their own banners: proposals, promos, jokes. This guide covers the whole thing — the look, the recipe, and the one-tap way to make yours.
Fastest way — Breaking News on Starrd bakes the whole broadcast into one tap: upload a photo (or two), type your banner in Director's Notes, and it renders the climbers, the sign, the chyron, and the reporter audio for free — no prompt to write. Want the full method first? Read on. ↓
The Look That Makes It Work
Three things separate a real breaking-news clip from a flat one:
- A believable broadcast frame. A red "LIVE" bug, a generic news-channel logo, and a red-and-blue "BREAKING NEWS" lower-third chyron. Keep the network fictional — a made-up "Channel 9 News" reads as real without borrowing a trademark.
- A legible, hand-painted banner. The sign is the payoff, so it has to be readable: bold white hand-painted capitals on a dark banner. Short messages land best ("SHE SAID YES," "HI MOM," "GRAND OPENING SAT").
- News-helicopter camera language. Long-lens telephoto shake from a circling chopper, a cut to the field reporter in the open door, then a steady zoom that settles on the sign. The wobble-then-lock is what makes it feel like a live feed instead of a render.
The Broadcast Recipe
If you're prompting it yourself on a model with native audio (Seedance 2.0 or Veo 3), this is the shape that works — a three-shot chopper sequence. Feed it your photo(s).
A live breaking-news helicopter broadcast, three shots, one continuous feed. Main subject: you (from your uploaded photo), as the climber at the top of the Empire State Building's spire, holding a large hand-painted banner reading "SHE SAID YES".SHOT 1 (0–4s): a long-lens aerial from a circling news helicopter — heavy telephoto wobble — you small at the very top of the mast with the banner. Overlay a red "LIVE" bug and a "BREAKING NEWS" chyron: "TRESPASSERS CLIMB THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING / MIDTOWN MANHATTAN".SHOT 2 (4–7s): hard cut inside the helicopter — door open, wind whipping, handheld — a field reporter (a different, generic person) in a headset with a mic talking urgently to camera, city rushing past behind.SHOT 3 (7–12s): cut back to the long lens and zoom ALL THE WAY IN, stabilizing into a rock-steady telephoto hold on the banner — the text fills the frame, sharp and legible; the banner ripples, one subject waves.Audio: helicopter rotor wash and wind throughout, faint city below, and a breathless field-reporter voiceover about the climbers. No music.
The banner text is the whole product, so give the model the cleanest shot at it: keep the message short and in CAPS, and let it render on a single clean frame first (a text-strong image model like GPT Image 2 nails this) before the video zooms in. Long paragraphs will garble — a punchy line won't.
Step 1 — Pick the Photo(s)
One clear, well-lit, front-facing selfie for a solo climb, or two for a couple (the proposal version). It's the identity anchor — the model keeps your face recognizable while placing you atop the building. Dark, blurry, or group photos are the main cause of a face that drifts.
Step 2 — Write Your Sign
Decide what the banner says. This is where the format earns its shares:
- 💍 Proposal / love:
SHE SAID YES·MARRY ME·HAPPY ANNIVERSARY - 🎉 Announcement / promo:
GRAND OPENING SAT·NOW HIRING·IT'S A BOY·WE LAUNCHED - 😂 Funny flex:
HI MOM·TEXT ME BACK·I TOLD YOU I'D DO IT
Step 3 — Generate (Prompt It, or Tap Once)
Path A — prompt a raw model. Paste the recipe into Seedance 2.0 or Veo 3 with your photo. Both generate synced audio in the same pass. Expect to iterate — the failure modes are a garbled banner (keep it short) and a reporter that inherits your face (specify a different, generic reporter).
Path B — tap the template. Breaking News is Path A with the prompt already written. Upload your photo(s), type your banner (and, if you want, the chyron and the reporter's tone) in Director's Notes, and generate. First video free, then credits — no subscription, credits never expire.
Breaking News
Climb the Empire State Building and unfurl a banner with YOUR message, caught live on a news-helicopter broadcast. Upload a photo, type your sign — proposal, promo, or a funny flex. No prompt to write. First video free.
Common Mistakes
- A wordy banner. Long messages garble. Keep it to a few big words in CAPS.
- A real network's logo. Borrowing a real news brand invites trademark trouble and can trip content filters. Use a made-up channel — it reads just as real.
- The reporter looks like you. Without a clear "different, generic person" instruction, the model can paint your face on the reporter. Call it out.
- No AI label. A fake breaking-news clip should always be disclosed as AI — don't let it read as a real event.
- A bad reference photo. Blurry or dark input = a face that drifts. Spend your effort here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the trend? One or two photos become a fake live news broadcast of you atop the Empire State Building holding a custom banner, with a "BREAKING NEWS" chyron and a reporter voiceover. It took off after a real couple climbed the building and got engaged at the top in July 2026.
How do I make one? Prompt a native-audio model (Seedance 2.0, Veo 3) with the three-shot chopper recipe plus your photo, or use the Breaking News template and just type your banner in Director's Notes.
Can I put my own text on the sign? Yes — that's the point. Type any short message; it's painted on the banner. You can also set the chyron and the reporter's tone.
Is it good for a proposal or a promo? Perfect for both — the real story was a proposal, and the blank banner makes it a great announcement or ad (sale, hiring, launch, gender reveal).
Do I need to label it as AI? Yes — all major platforms require it, and a fake newscast especially should be clearly labeled.
Related Reading
- Viral AI Video Trends (2026): The Monthly Roundup — every trend worth making this month, each with a one-tap template.
- Seedance 2.0: The Complete Guide — the model behind realistic reference-photo video and in-pass audio.
- Seedance 2.0 Prompt Guide — the framework behind prompts like the one above.
