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Smalltown Boy

How to Make the Smalltown Boy AI Video: The Wide-Angle Scream Duo

The Smalltown Boy scream trend explained, the Bronski Beat song behind it, what happens in the 21 seconds, two-photo tips, the pet version and the price.

A face pressed right up to a wide-angle lens, both hands clutching the head, mouth open in a scream, while a friend dances in the background. Then they swap. That's the Smalltown Boy trend, one of the most replayed duo formats on TikTok and Reels. Here is what it is and how to make your own version from two photos.

What is the Smalltown Boy trend?

A two-person video in four beats:

  1. The first scream. One person leans into a wide-angle lens, hands in their hair, mouth wide open, while the other dances behind.
  2. The swap. The dancer takes the lens and screams; the first person dances behind.
  3. The backyard dance. The shot cuts wide and the pair dance side by side, with one low-angle shot against the sky.
  4. The lunge. Both rush the camera for one last scream.

The joke is the contrast: a dreamy 80s synth track under two people losing it on camera. It is also hard to film yourself, because the distortion only works with the right lens held inches from the face.

What song is it?

"Smalltown Boy" by Bronski Beat, the British synth-pop band's 1984 debut single. Jimmy Somerville's falsetto over that looping synth line took it into the UK top three. This site is independent and not affiliated with Bronski Beat, its members or labels.

How to make it

  1. Open the Smalltown Boy template.
  2. Add two photos. Photo 1 screams first and stands on the left in the wide shots; photo 2 screams second and stands on the right. One person per photo, face sharp and front-facing.
  3. Pick a quality and generate. The clip is about 21 seconds in 3:4.
  4. Download or share. The song is in the MP4, synced to the picture.

Photo tips

  • Sharp and front-facing. Each close-up puts a face a hand's width from the lens.
  • Nothing over the face. No sunglasses, masks or hands.
  • Hair you like. It is kept down to length, curl and color, and the hands go right into it.
  • Most dramatic friend in photo 2. That close-up is the longest and ends with the biggest shocked face.

Can pets do it?

Yes. The pet version takes two pet photos: two cats, two dogs or any pair. More pet trends in AI pet video trends.

What does it cost?

Smalltown Boy renders the whole 21 seconds on Premium: 40 credits at 480p, 80 at 720p and 145 at 1080p, with the song and no watermark. Credit packs start at $9.90 with no subscription, and failed renders are refunded automatically.

Caption ideas

  • "Us when the group chat says the trip is cancelled"
  • "Me and my bestie finding out it's Monday tomorrow"
  • "POV: you both forgot the assignment was due today"

Add #SmalltownBoy and post with the original sound.

Make your Smalltown Boy video →