If you’ve been scrolling through Shorts or TikTok lately, you’ve probably noticed the explosion of surreal “glass fruit cutting” clips. These hyperrealistic ASMR-style videos aren’t random — they combine AI video tools, platform-friendly editing, and loop techniques to perform well on platforms. This guide shows you how to make your own viral-ready clips, step by step, using Runway, Pika, and Luma. We’ll cover prompts, export settings, and publishing strategies. By the end, you’ll know how to reproduce the trend that YouTube’s Trends Blog highlighted as a flagship example of AI-powered ASMR.
Table of contents
- What is “AI Glass Fruit Cutting”?
- Tools & Model Choices
- Method A — Runway Gen-3
- Method B — Pika 2.x
- Method C — Luma Dream Machine
- Export & Publishing Checklist
- Troubleshooting
- Copy-ready Prompts
- Free vs Paid Plans
- Disclosure & Notes
What is “AI Glass Fruit Cutting”?
These are short, loopable clips where a translucent, glass-like apple or lemon is sliced by a knife. The magic comes from refractive highlights, sparkling shards, and visual ASMR pacing. They combine high-fidelity AI video, simple storytelling, and loop-friendly timing—perfect for Shorts, TikTok, and Reels. The formula is simple: hyperrealistic visuals + seamless pacing + loop design.
Tools & Model Choices
Pick one engine, or mix for variations:
| Model | Best for | Control Options | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runway Gen-3 (Turbo/Alpha) | Fast, cinematic text-to-video | Keyframes, Camera Control | Great for timing knife motion |
| Luma Dream Machine | Photoreal refractions | Camera Motion Concepts | Best for glass-like realism |
| Pika 2.x | Image-to-video | Masks, motion prompts | Strong for consistent series |
Method A — Runway Gen-3
Goal: Generate the entire clip directly from a text prompt.
- Create a new Gen-3 project → Text to Video → 4–6 seconds → 1080×1920 → 24–30fps.
- Use this base prompt:
Close-up macro on a wooden cutting board; a translucent glass apple at center; a steel chef’s knife enters from the right and slices slowly through the apple; cinematic slow motion, sharp refractions, micro glass shards, shallow DOF, studio lighting, ASMR style; no text, no watermark.
- Negative prompt (all methods): cartoon, rubbery, low-poly, text, watermark, logo, warped knife.
- Keyframes: Entry ~0.3s → mid-slice ~2s → exit ~3.8s.
- Camera Control: Subtle push-in or parallax. If using pure text-to-video, rely on keyframes.
Tip: Add “path-traced look, rim lighting, specular highlights” to enhance realism. Keep clips short (4–5s) to avoid jitter.
Method B — Pika 2.x
Goal: Start from a still image and animate the slice.
- Prepare a 9:16 still: “Photoreal translucent glass apple on wooden board, studio light.”
- Upload to Pika (Image→Video) → 4–6 seconds → 1080×1920.
- Motion prompt:
From right, a steel knife glides in and slices through the glass apple; slow-motion fracture, tiny shards sparkle; camera subtle push-in.
- Mask-guided motion: If knife doesn’t appear, draw a thin path and reprompt.
- Stabilize: Re-render if the fruit drifts.
- Variants: Swap to lemon, grapes, or strawberry for quick batches.
Tip: Pika preserves composition well, making it ideal for consistent series output.
Method C — Luma Dream Machine
Goal: Achieve premium glass realism with camera guidance.
- Text→Video or Image→Video → 4–6 seconds → 1080×1920.
- Prompt:
Crystal-clear glass lemon on a cutting board; knife slices slowly through it; bright highlights, sparkling shards, cinematic slow motion; ASMR style.
- Camera motion: Gentle push or arc; avoid fast pans.
- Material tuning: Add “speculars, caustics, environment reflections”; exclude “plastic, rubber”.
- Multi-pass: If slice is soft, generate approach and fracture separately, then stitch in post.
Tip: Luma nails sparkle best with a steady camera.
Export & Publishing Checklist
- Format: 1080×1920, 24–30 fps, 4–6 seconds, H.264/HEVC, 12–18 Mbps.
- Hook fast: start with the knife already visible.
- Loop clean: freeze last 200 ms for visual continuity.
- Tags: “AI glass fruit cutting, AI video, #Shorts, #glassfruit”.
- Series strategy: post 3–5 fruit variations within 2–3 days.
✅ At this stage, you have a clean AI-generated clip. But without sound design and post-production polish, it will feel incomplete. 👉 Read Part 2: Post-production Guide to learn ASMR layering, seamless loops, and color grading.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| Fruit looks rubbery | Add “speculars, caustics, rim light”; shorten clip to 4–5s. |
| Knife missing | Force mention early; use masks/keyframes. |
| Shards smear | Reduce camera speed; export at 30 fps. |
| Subject drifts | Anchor with keyframes or lower global motion. |
| Loop jumpy | Hold last 6–8 frames; crossfade in editing software. |
Copy-ready Prompts
Apple (text-to-video)
Close-up wooden board, translucent glass apple; steel knife glides in from right; slow motion slice, bright caustics, shards sparkle; shallow DOF, studio lighting, ASMR style; no text, no watermark.
Lemon (image-to-video)
Animate still of glass lemon; knife enters from right, single slow slice; cinematic push-in 10%, shards sparkle; clean speculars, no text.
Grapes (advanced T2V)
Macro cluster of translucent glass grapes on board; thin blade slices through front grapes; shards tinkle, some roll; rim-lit highlights; slow motion ASMR style; no text.
Negative prompt (all methods)
cartoon, rubber, low-poly, text, watermark, logo, extra fingers, warped blade, broken physics
Free vs Paid Plans
Yes, you can test this trend without paying — all three tools (Runway, Pika, Luma) offer free credits. But free runs are limited, and good results often require retries. For consistent, viral-ready clips, consider at least a starter subscription.
| Platform | Free Tier | Paid (Starter) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runway Gen-3 | ~100 free seconds | $12/mo (Standard) | Fastest iteration, cinematic output |
| Pika 2.x | Trial clips (varies) | $10–15/mo | Great for I2V consistency |
| Luma Dream Machine | Short trials | $15/mo | Best glass-like refractions |
Tip: If budget is tight, start with free credits to test prompts. Then invest in the platform where you like the “glass” look most.
Disclosure & Notes
- Disclose AI content: Label clips as AI-generated in captions.
- Avoid confusion: These are not real glass fruits. Past sugar-glass fruit trends caused injuries — keep AI clips clearly fictional.
- Respect SFX licenses: Avoid third-party logos/watermarks in renders; clear rights for any assets used.
With these steps, you can now create your own AI glass fruit cutting videos from scratch. To take it further, explore sound design and trend insights in the next parts of this series.