Laugh Now Cry Later AI: The Drake Studio Video, Starring You Two
You and a friend stand in a dark studio holding basketballs: one wags a finger at the camera, the other stays stone-faced, then a night jet-ski shot ends it, just like Drake's Laugh Now Cry Later video. Two photos, or one photo of you both, is all it takes.
Updated : Page published.
1Add two photos, one person each
Photo 1 · Left, the finger-wagger
What you'll get
Front-facing, well-lit selfies work best. One face per photo; they don't need to be taken together.
2Choose quality
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The Laugh Now Cry Later AI trend is an 11-second AI remake of the studio portrait from Drake and Lil Durk's 2020 music video, in which two people in suits hold basketballs, one wags a finger at the camera and the other stays stone-faced; videosi makes it from one photo of you and a friend, or two photos.
- Fast facts
- First seen
- Stage
- Past its peak
- Started on
- TikTok
- Sound
- Laugh Now Cry Later — Drake feat. Lil Durk
- Meaning
- The Laugh Now Cry Later AI trend recreates the studio portrait from Drake and Lil Durk's 2020 music video with your own faces: two people with basketballs, one wagging a finger at the camera and one staying stone-faced.
- Related trends
- Drake What Did I Miss AI, Solar Eclipse Drake AI
Page updates
- November 3, 2026 — Page published.
The Laugh Now Cry Later AI prompt and model
Laugh Now Cry Later AI is made with Seedance 2.0 / 2.5 (you pick the tier) by ByteDance. The prompt behind it has 5 parts, and the timing is what makes or breaks it.
- Model
- Seedance 2.0 / 2.5 (you pick the tier)
- Mode
- Photo + motion reference to video
- Length
- 11 seconds, 9:16, 1:1 or 16:9
- Input
- 2 photos
- Replace both people The left and right person in the reference clip are each swapped for one photo, keeping the studio, cuts and timing.
- Identity lock Faces, hair, skin tone, build and clothes stay with their own photo, and the original pair's looks are named as things not to keep.
- Scene The dark mottled studio, the basketballs and the night jet-ski ending stay as they are.
- Key beats Finger wag, stone face, the step forward and the jet ski, in order over 11 seconds.
- Rules Two adults only, no hugging or touching, five fingers per hand, no text, logos or app badge.
Replace the man on the left in a black tuxedo with the person from Image 1, and the woman on the right in a black gown with the person from Image 2.…
Why it goes wrong when you do it yourself
- If the prompt only asks to copy the motion, the people from the reference clip stay in the result.
- The two faces can swap or blend in the wide shots unless each photo is tied to one side.
- The app badge and corner logos of the reference clip get copied unless the prompt forbids them.
- Each try costs model credits and several minutes, and the finger wag often takes more than one attempt.
Laugh Now Cry Later AI examples
How to make your Laugh Now Cry Later AI video
Add two photos, or one together
Photo 1 is the person on the left who wags a finger; photo 2 is the person on the right who stays stone-faced and rides the jet ski. Or upload one photo of you both, left and right in that order.
Pick the model and the format
Choose the model and resolution, then 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, 1:1 for a square post, or 16:9 for a wide cut.
Generate and download
Press Generate and the 11-second clip is rendered for you, an MP4 with no watermark and the trend sound already on it.
Post it
Post it as it is, or swap in the song from your app's music library if you prefer. Turn on the platform's AI-generated label.
What is the Laugh Now Cry Later AI trend?
Updated · videosi is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, or with the owners of any trend, song, game or brand named on its pages.
The Laugh Now Cry Later AI trend is a short AI music-video remake for two people. A duo stands in front of a dark, mottled studio backdrop, each holding a basketball. The person on the left lifts one finger and wags it at the camera with a smug look while the other stays stone-faced, a film-strip transition flashes full-length poses, the second person steps forward and gestures at the lens, and the clip ends on a night jet-ski shot across dark water.
The look copies the studio portrait from Drake and Lil Durk's "Laugh Now Cry Later" music video, released with the song on 14 August 2020. The AI version was spread by the Summrs app, whose own TikTok post of 23 September 2026 carried a "made with summrs" badge and a template sound; remakes with friends, couples and famous duos followed, and tutorial accounts were showing how to copy it from mid October 2026. By November 2026 new posts have slowed and the trend is fading.
The sound is not the chorus: the template uses an 11-second piece of Lil Durk's verse, and that piece has no explicit lyrics.
On videosi the studio, the basketballs, the finger wag, the cuts and the jet-ski ending are built in. You add two photos of adults who agreed to it, or one photo of you both, and the 11-second video comes back with the same sound on it. The two people never hug or touch.
Laugh Now Cry Later AI: shot by shot
- 0–2.5 s
The finger wag
Close two-shot in the dark studio: the left person wags one finger at the camera while the right one looks down at a basketball.
- 2.5–4 s
Film strip
A contact-sheet transition flashes full-length poses of the two holding their balls.
- 4–5.5 s
Full length
Wide shot of both standing side by side; the right person starts to walk toward the camera.
- 5.5–9.5 s
Up front
The right person gestures and points at the lens while the left one stands behind, ball under arm, stone-faced.
- 9.5–11 s
Night jet ski
Cut to dark water at night: the right person rides a jet ski past lit buildings.
Tips for a better result
Use clear front-facing faces
The opening is a close two-shot, so sharp, evenly lit faces give the model the most to keep.
Show shoulders and clothes
Your own outfits come through in the video. A suit or a statement jacket fits the music-video look, but anything you wear works.
Leave sunglasses off
Covered eyes make the likeness drift in the close shots.
In one photo, stand left and right
Keep both faces clear and side by side, the finger-wagger on the left, with nobody else in the frame.
Good to know before you make a Laugh Now Cry Later AI video
- The clip has exactly two adults who never hug or touch. A photo with more than two faces can confuse it.
- The scene is fixed: the dark studio, the basketballs and the night jet-ski ending. Your clothes come from your photos.
- Mouths move with the scene but are not lip-synced to the song.
- The video carries 11 seconds of the Drake and Lil Durk recording, which platforms may mute. Likeness is not guaranteed, and a failed, timed-out or blocked render returns its credits automatically.
Laugh Now Cry Later AI: questions
What is the Drake Laugh Now Cry Later AI trend?
The Laugh Now Cry Later AI trend is an 11-second AI music-video remake: two people in a dark studio hold basketballs, one wags a finger at the camera, the other stays stone-faced, copying the look of Drake and Lil Durk's 2020 video. It spread on TikTok from 23 September 2026. videosi makes it from 2 photos.
How do I make the Drake Laugh Now Cry Later AI trend?
To make the Laugh Now Cry Later AI video on videosi, add 2 photos (the finger-wagger on the left, the stone-faced partner on the right) or 1 photo of you both, pick a format and press Generate. The 11-second clip renders in a few minutes with the trend sound on it, and you write no prompt.
Can I make the Laugh Now Cry Later AI video in minutes?
Yes. On videosi the Laugh Now Cry Later AI video usually takes a few minutes: upload 2 photos, choose 9:16, 1:1 or 16:9, and generate. The 11-second MP4 comes back with no watermark and with the 11-second trend sound already mixed in, so it is ready to post.
Is there a Laugh Now Cry Later AI generator or website?
Yes. videosi (videosi.io) is a web generator for the Laugh Now Cry Later AI trend. The studio scene, the basketballs, the finger wag and the night jet-ski ending are built in; you add 2 photos. A standard 11-second video (Standard model, 720p) is 10 credits.
Is there a Laugh Now Cry Later AI template on TikTok or CapCut?
The trend started as a template in the Summrs app in September 2026, and CapCut template copies followed in October 2026. videosi is independent and not affiliated with Summrs, TikTok or CapCut. It is a web tool: add 2 photos and download an 11-second MP4 with the sound on it.
What AI model or prompt makes the Laugh Now Cry Later video?
The videosi Laugh Now Cry Later video is made with ByteDance's Seedance video model (Seedance 2.0 Mini by default; Fast, Pro and Ultra are one click away), from a written prompt plus an 11-second motion reference. Doing it yourself takes several tries because the two faces blend; on videosi both are built in.
How much does the Laugh Now Cry Later AI video cost?
The Laugh Now Cry Later AI video on videosi is not free: there is no free generation. A standard 11-second video (Standard model, 720p) is 10 credits; better models and higher resolutions cost more. Credit packs start at $6.99 for 10 credits, and a failed render returns its credits.
Why doesn't my Laugh Now Cry Later video look like us?
The usual causes are a tight face crop, sunglasses, a hat that hides the face, or a dark photo. For the videosi Laugh Now Cry Later clip, use front-facing photos with head and shoulders in even light. Likeness is not guaranteed across all 11 seconds, and a failed or blocked render returns its credits.
Can I use a friend's or a celebrity's photo for Laugh Now Cry Later?
You can use any adult who agreed to it, such as a friend, partner or sibling; the videosi Laugh Now Cry Later clip has exactly 2 people who never touch. Many posts used famous duos, but only upload photos you have the right to use, never photos of minors, and label the result as AI.
What does "laugh now, cry later" mean?
"Laugh now, cry later" means enjoying the moment and dealing with the cost afterwards; in Drake's 2020 song it is the hook "sometimes we laugh and sometimes we cry". In the 2026 AI trend, which videosi makes as an 11-second clip, the finger wag plays the cocky "laugh now" side and the stone face the "cry later" side.
What song is used in the Laugh Now Cry Later AI trend?
The trend uses Drake's "Laugh Now Cry Later" featuring Lil Durk, released on 14 August 2020. The Summrs template sound is an 11-second piece of Lil Durk's verse, not the chorus, and the videosi clip carries that same 11-second piece. That piece has no explicit lyrics.
When did Laugh Now Cry Later come out?
Drake released "Laugh Now Cry Later" featuring Lil Durk on 14 August 2020, with a music video shot around Nike's headquarters. The AI trend that recreates its studio portrait came six years later, in September 2026; videosi makes that 11-second AI version from 2 photos.
Is the Laugh Now Cry Later AI trend still trending?
As of November 2026 the Laugh Now Cry Later AI trend is fading. It took off after the Summrs app post on 23 September 2026, tutorial accounts copied it in mid October, and new posts have slowed since. videosi keeps the 11-second version available and lists it as fading.
Will my post get muted because of the Drake song?
It might. The videosi clip carries 11 seconds of Drake and Lil Durk's recording, so TikTok, Instagram or YouTube can mute it or limit reach depending on rights in your region. Turn on the AI-generated label, and if the sound is muted, add the song from the platform's own music library.
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