EFFECT GUIDE · ONE SELFIE
Ghost Filter Prank: two ways to get caught smiling
The prank works because the person on screen has no idea. They keep smiling into the camera while something grey and hollow-eyed rises behind them, and the viewer gets the scare first.
Here the whole clip is generated from one ordinary selfie. You only choose how the ghost behaves: a patient approach that ends near your cheek, or a jump that fills the frame.
Watch the real example- Input
- One selfie, one person
- Modes
- Slow creep or Sudden lunge
- Length
- 10 seconds, vertical 9:16
- Sound
- AI-generated ambience
- On Hotel Lobby
- Guide and real exampleGeneration for this effect is not open here yet.
REAL OUTPUT
Slow creep next to Sudden lunge
Two different fictional selfies, one in a kitchen and one in a living room, each rendered with a different scare. Play them side by side to pick your favourite.
Both selfies show AI-generated fictional adults, and the ghost is a fictional character. The posters are frames from about seven seconds in, after the ghost has appeared.
PICK THE SCARE
Slow creep or Sudden lunge?
Both modes start the same way: you smile, nothing seems wrong. The difference is the last few seconds.
- Slow creep
- The ghost surfaces over your shoulder around the three-to-five-second mark and edges closer until it is almost touching your cheek. Best for viewers who watch to the end.
- Sudden lunge
- The same quiet build, then the ghost rushes the camera and the final frame is nothing but its face. Best for a jump reaction.
HOW IT WORKS
Setting up a convincing ghost prank
- 01
Leave room behind you
A selfie with a visible wall, doorway or room behind your shoulder gives the ghost space to appear.
- 02
Smile naturally
The effect keeps your expression, so a relaxed, unsuspecting smile sells the joke.
- 03
Only prank willing friends
Use your own selfie or one from a friend who is in on it, and avoid sending it to anyone who scares easily.
FAQ
Ghost Filter Prank questions
Is the ghost filter prank a real camera filter?
No. It is an AI video generated from a still selfie, not an AR lens, so it works on photos you already have.
Do I write a prompt?
No prompt is needed. The selfie and the choice between Slow creep and Sudden lunge are the only inputs.
Can I make a ghost prank with my Hotel Lobby credits?
Not today. This page explains the effect with real outputs, while Hotel Lobby credits are used for the Hotel Lobby duet.
Is it suitable for children?
The ghost is designed to startle. Feature adults only, and think about who will watch before you share it.
KEEP EXPLORING
Other effects to try
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Ghost Filter Prank is a guide on Hotel Lobby for now. The generator that is live here is the Hotel Lobby duet: two photos, one orange booth.
Open the Hotel Lobby generatorTikTok, CapCut, Snapchat and other filter makers did not make, review or pay for this explainer. Scare yourself, or a grown-up who is in on the joke.