Option 1: record with a ghost effect
- Find the effect In the TikTok camera, open Effects and search for a ghost effect. Availability changes over time and by region.
- Frame the shot Leave empty space behind you, such as a doorway or a dark corner, so the ghost has somewhere to appear.
- Record and act normal Talk or smile as if nothing is happening. The effect does the rest; you have to stay in character live.
Option 2: edit a template
Template sites such as CapCut list ghost-filter templates. You open the template in the editor, drop in your own clip and export. This is quick, but the ghost is usually a flat overlay on top of your footage, so it rarely moves behind you.
Option 3: make it from one selfie
On Ghost Filter Prank you upload one front-camera selfie, choose Slow creep or Sudden lunge and get a 10-second vertical MP4. The ghost is generated into your room, lit like your room and moves behind your shoulder, and you never have to film anything. It costs $4.99 for one video.
- Use a selfie with your face clear and some room behind your shoulder.
- Slightly dim indoor light looks the most real.
- Skip mirror selfies, group shots and heavy filters.
Posting tips
Upload the MP4 to TikTok, Reels or Shorts with the sound on; the hum and the sting are part of the scare. A caption like “new filter, anyone else see it?” gets people to replay it. Label it as AI-generated where the platform asks.