The Smalltown Boy AI trend is the clip where a fisheye phone camera is right up in someone's face, both hands on the head, mouth wide open in a scream, while a friend dances in the background in front of a red wooden fence covered in ivy. Then it cuts, and the friend gets the close-up. It is set to the "run away, turn away" opening of "Smalltown Boy", it started with two AI cats at the start of October 2026, and within a week it had friends, couples and half of Hollywood screaming at the same fence. This guide covers where it comes from, what happens in each shot, and how to make your own version from two photos.

The example clip in this post was made with the Smalltown Boy AI generator on Viberot.

A young man in a fisheye close-up screams with both hands on his head in front of a red wooden fence with ivy while a blonde woman dances behind him
The first close-up: hands on the head, full scream, the friend dancing behind

Where the Smalltown Boy trend comes from#

The song. "Smalltown Boy" is a 1984 synth-pop single. Its opening falsetto "run away, turn away, run away" is one of the most recognisable 80s intros, and TikTok already used it in 2024 for the "dance like it's the 80s" videos of parents dancing.

The clip. In early October 2026 an AI video of two cats went viral: an orange cat screams into a fisheye lens with its paws on its head while a black-and-white cat dances behind it, then they swap. The red wooden fence with ivy, the grey asphalt and the overcast sky became the trend's fixed backdrop.

The template. CapCut creators turned it into an upload-two-photos template, and the format exploded: best friends, couples, siblings, movie villains, football players. Each video keeps the same shots and the same cut, only the two faces change.

The shots, second by second#

The version on Viberot follows the first 14 seconds of the viral clip:

  1. 0–7 s: first close-up. Person 1 is in a fisheye close-up, grabs their head with both hands and screams. They tip the head back, slide the hands down to the cheeks, throw both palms at the lens, then clasp the hands together with a pleading face. Person 2 dances small in the background on the left.
  2. 7–14 s: the swap. Hard cut. Now person 2 is in the close-up, ducks the head, looks up and screams, presses both hands on top of the head, then holds the face with wide eyes. Person 1 dances in the background on the right.

The comedy is the contrast: total panic in the foreground, someone casually dancing behind.

Why the AI version works#

Asking a video model for "two people screaming at a camera" gets you a random scene. The versions that look right copy the poses, the camera distance and the cut from the viral clip and only swap the people. That is how the Smalltown Boy AI template works: the motion comes from a reference, the faces and clothes come from your photos, and the fence is always the same red fence.

Step by step: how to do the Smalltown Boy trend with AI#

  1. Open the template. Go to the Smalltown Boy AI page and sign in.
  2. Upload Photo 1. The person who screams first. A clear, front-facing photo works best.
  3. Upload Photo 2. The person who dances behind first and screams second.
  4. Pick a format. 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, or 16:9 for YouTube.
  5. Generate. In a few minutes you get a silent 14-second MP4.
  6. Add the song and post. Pick "Smalltown Boy" in TikTok's or Instagram's music library and line the first scream up with "run away, turn away".

Picking photos that work#

  • One person per photo. Each photo becomes one person in the video. Group photos confuse who goes where.
  • Face clear and front-facing. The close-ups are very close, so the face matters most. Skip sunglasses, heavy filters and side profiles.
  • Wear what you want to see. Both of you keep the outfit from your photo. If only the upper body is visible, the AI adds trousers and shoes in the same style.
  • Any background is fine. The video always uses the red fence, so your photo's background is not used.
  • Only real, consenting people. Photos of celebrities and public figures are rejected; upload yourself and friends who are in on it.

Ideas for your post#

  • Best friend swap: "me vs. you when the group chat goes quiet".
  • Couples: who panics first and who just keeps dancing.
  • Siblings: the older one screaming, the younger one vibing behind.
  • Work friends: "me on Monday, you on Friday".
  • Caption idea: "run away, turn away" plus tagging the friend in Photo 2.

Smalltown Boy AI vs. CapCut templates#

A CapCut template pastes your photo into a pre-made video, so you get the template's body and motion with your face stuck on. The Smalltown Boy AI generator makes a new video in which both people are you and your friend, in your own clothes, with the poses and cut taken from the viral clip. It runs in the browser on your phone, with no app or template link, and the file is yours to post anywhere.

How much it costs#

A Standard 720p Smalltown Boy video costs 597 credits; 480p costs 271. Higher tiers cost more, and the exact price is always shown next to the Generate button before you start. Credit packs are one-time payments with no subscription, start at $9.90 for 600 credits and never expire. If a generation fails, the credits go straight back to your balance. See the pricing page for details.

Frequently asked questions#

What song is used in the Smalltown Boy trend?#

"Smalltown Boy" (1984), specifically the "run away, turn away" opening. The AI video is delivered without music; add the song from your app's licensed music library when you post.

Who goes first in the video?#

Photo 1 screams first in the close-up while Photo 2 dances behind. After the cut they swap.

Can I use my cat or dog?#

Yes. Upload a photo of a cat or dog in each slot and both pets do the whole clip on their hind legs: one screams into the close-up with its paws on its head while the other dances behind, then they swap, exactly like the original two cats. Use two pets or two people, not one of each; a person plus a pet in the same video is rejected before generation and nothing is charged.

An orange tabby cat screams into the camera with both paws on its head in front of a red wooden fence with ivy while a tuxedo cat dances behind
The pet version: two cats, same fence, same scream and swap

Can I use a celebrity photo?#

No. Photos of public figures are rejected before any credits are charged.

Is this an official product?#

No. Viberot is an independent AI tool and is not affiliated with the artists, their label or the creators of the original clips. No artist's face, voice or footage is used, and the file contains no music.

Yes. Try the Alors On Danse dance or the NEON dance, both made for two people.