You've seen them everywhere — a giant glass container tumbling down a long staircase, bouncing off every step, then exploding in slow motion. These oddly satisfying clips pull millions of views on YouTube Shorts, Reels, and TikTok. The twist? A lot of them are 100% AI-generated.
Here's the exact free prompt and workflow to make your own with Google Flow and Veo 3. You paste one detailed prompt into Flow's Agent Mode, approve the plan, and Veo builds the clip for you — no camera, no editing, no hand-tuned physics. Then you can swap the object to anything for endless variations. The full prompt is below, free to copy.
What is Google Flow + Agent Mode?
Google Flow is Google's AI video studio, built by Google Labs and powered by the Veo 3.1 model. You describe a shot in plain language and Veo generates a short, cinematic clip — with realistic physics and native sound baked in. Agent Mode (Flow Agent) goes a step further: instead of running your prompt blindly, it reads your request, plans the multi-step task, and shows you that plan to approve before it generates. That's what makes it reliable for a specific, physics-heavy shot like this one.
Is it free? Flow lives at labs.google/flow and has a free tier with limited, lower-priority generations to experiment with. For consistent quality and more clips, you'll want a Google AI Pro or Ultra plan. The prompt and this guide are free — the only cost is Flow's own credits.
1 How to make the video (step by step)
- Copy the prompt (it's right below this section).
- Open Google Flow at labs.google/flow and sign in with your Google account.
- Switch to Agent Mode.
- Paste the prompt into the box.
- Approve the plan. Flow generates a plan and asks you to approve it — click Approve and it starts building.
- Review your clip. Veo renders a vertical (9:16) clip a few seconds long. Check the physics and the shatter.
- Download and post it to Shorts, Reels, or TikTok.
The viral video prompt
Copy the whole thing. Scroll inside the box to read it, or just hit Copy prompt.
Tip: paste it into Flow's Agent Mode exactly as-is, then approve the plan it shows you.
2 Change the object to anything
The best part is that you're not stuck with a glass bottle — you can roll anything breakable down those stairs.
Open a Veo Prompt Generator GPT in ChatGPT, paste the prompt, and type a plain-English change like "Replace the glass bottle with a watermelon" — or any breakable object you want. It instantly rewrites the whole prompt with your new object, so you can spin up unlimited variations in seconds.
Match the material to the object so the finale looks right. The prompt maps each material to its own destruction:
| Material | What happens at impact |
|---|---|
| Glass | Shatters into hundreds of fragments; liquid erupts in slow motion |
| Plastic | Bursts open with realistic tearing and a liquid explosion |
| Ceramic | Fractures into realistic ceramic pieces |
| Fruit | Splits open naturally with pulp and juice |
| Metal | Dents heavily and the cap ejects, releasing the liquid |
Why this prompt goes viral
It isn't luck — the prompt is engineered around what makes these clips watchable and shareable:
- ✓Fixed POV smartphone camera. It looks filmed on a phone, not "made by AI," which is exactly why people believe it.
- ✓Real physics on every step. The object contacts and bounces off each stair — the satisfying part viewers watch for.
- ✓A 2-second hook. The object starts rolling immediately, so people don't scroll past.
- ✓Slow-motion destruction finale. The payoff shatter and splash land in slow-mo at one designated impact point.
- ✓Vertical 9:16. Built for Shorts, Reels, and TikTok with no letterboxing.
- ✓A clean frame. The negative prompt blocks people, hands, faces, text, captions, and watermarks, so nothing breaks the illusion.
- ✓Native sound. Realistic rolling, impacts, echoes, and the shatter are generated with the video.
Tips for best results
- Keep it short (~8 seconds) — that's Veo's sweet spot and ideal for short-form.
- Generate a few takes and keep the one with the cleanest physics.
- Pick surprising objects — a giant watermelon, a bowling ball, a crystal ornament — they get the most replays.
- Add trending audio after export in your editor or straight in the Reels/TikTok app.
- Post natively vertical and label it as AI where the platform requires it.
- If a take looks off (floating, early break, shaky), just regenerate — the negative prompt already guards against those.
FAQ
Is Google Flow free?
Flow has a free tier with limited, lower-priority generations you can experiment with. For consistent quality and more clips, a Google AI Pro or Ultra plan helps. The prompt and this guide are free — the only cost is Flow's own credits.
What is Veo 3?
Veo 3 (currently Veo 3.1) is Google's AI video model that powers Flow. It turns a text prompt into a short, cinematic clip with realistic physics and native audio — the engine behind these viral shots.
Do I have to pay to make these videos?
You can start on Flow's free tier. If you want to make a lot of clips or need top quality, a paid Google AI plan is worth it. There's no separate charge for the prompt itself.
How do I change the object in the video?
Two ways: edit the prompt's replaceable_object, material, and contents fields yourself, or paste the prompt into a Veo Prompt Generator GPT and ask it to swap in a new object. Either way, match the material so the destruction looks right.
Can I post these on YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram?
Yes — they're your own generations. Just follow each platform's rules for labeling AI-generated or synthetic content when required.
What aspect ratio should I use?
9:16 vertical for Shorts, Reels, and TikTok. The prompt is already set to 9:16, so it's ready for short-form out of the box.
Why does my video have people or text in it?
Make sure you keep the negative prompt intact — it specifically blocks people, hands, faces, captions, subtitles, and watermarks. Removing it lets those slip back in.
Final thoughts
Those satisfying stair-smash reels look expensive to make, but with Google Flow and Veo 3 they're one prompt away. Copy the prompt, run it in Agent Mode, approve the plan, and download your clip — then swap the object and do it again. That's how you turn a single idea into a whole series of scroll-stopping videos.
Copy the prompt, generate your first clip, and post it today.