The Prank
You text your partner a video. No caption. It's your kitchen — the real one, same light, same mess — and there's a shirtless guy kneeling at the sink with a wrench. He glances at the camera, gives a lazy wave, and says, "Hey! Almost done with the sink."
You did not have a plumber over. The plumber isn't real. But it's your kitchen, filmed on your phone, so for about four seconds your partner's brain goes somewhere fun before the laughing-emoji panic sets in. That's the whole bit: harmless jealousy bait that looks like genuine footage.
This is one specific recipe from the broader AI prank video trend. Here's how to nail this one.
The Fastest Way
The Starrd Shirtless Plumber template has the character and the default line already loaded. You film the clip, tap once, and it's done.
Shirtless Plumber
Film your kitchen or bathroom and we add the plumber who 'came to fix the sink.' Default line: 'Hey! Almost done with the sink.' One clip, one tap.
If you'd rather build it by hand, three steps.
Step 1 — Film the Kitchen (or Bathroom)
The realism of the room is what sells the fake person, so give the AI a clean, boring shot to work with.
- Frame the sink area with space open. The plumber appears kneeling at the sink or open cabinet — leave that spot clear.
- Hold it fairly steady. A static handheld shot or a slow pan. No fast moves; motion blur breaks the insert.
- Light it normally. Daylight or room lights. Dark, grainy footage makes the seams show.
- Keep it 5–12 seconds and frame it like you casually walked in filming — that "wait, who's here?" energy is the realism.
Film as if you just walked into the kitchen and noticed someone — let the camera drift toward the empty sink spot. You're shooting the "before"; the AI fills in the plumber.
Step 2 — The Prompt
Insert the character, give him one small action and the line, and lock your camera so the model keeps your real room.
Keep the original room, lighting, and camera exactly as in the reference video — static handheld shot, the camera does not move. Add one new person: a friendly, slightly oblivious plumber in his 30s, shirtless, tool belt, kneeling at the sink with a wrench. Halfway through he glances toward the camera, gives a casual wave, and says in a relaxed, cheerful voice, "Hey! Almost done with the sink." Keep the original background audio. He is the only thing added; do not change anything else in the room.
The "static shot, camera does not move, same room and lighting" clause is doing the heavy lifting — without it, Seedance treats your clip as a loose reference and the kitchen drifts.
Step 3 — Model and Send
Run it on Seedance 2.0 — the multimodal model that takes your reference video plus the character image and generates the plumber with a voice. (The Starrd template already uses it.)
Then send it cold. No "look at this," no setup — just the clip, dropped into the chat. Screen-record the reply, because the reply is the post. And reveal it quickly: this is a joke, not an accusation.
Keep it a harmless bit on someone who'll laugh, and tell them it's fake right after. Don't use a fake stranger to genuinely accuse, scare, or deceive anyone.
Common Mistakes
- Cluttered sink area — no open spot, so the model warps your cabinets. Clear the frame.
- Too dark or too shaky — the plumber comes out smeared. Slow down, add light.
- Skipping the camera lock — the kitchen drifts mid-clip. Always pin "static shot, same room."
- Letting it land too real — the gag is the reveal. Don't leave anyone actually believing it.
Related Reading
- How to Make an AI Prank Video — the full method behind every video-to-video prank.
- How to Make the Snake in the Kitchen Prank Video — the other big one, aimed at parents.
- Seedance 2.0 Prompt Guide — camera locks and the language that keeps a scene stable.