Laughter reads as real or fake mainly through timing, perspective, and how the tail ends. Use this guide to choose a library clip quickly, or write prompts that produce the right laugh length, intensity, and room feel for your cut.
Choose the laugh type first
Start by deciding what the laugh is doing in the story: a quick reaction, a character trait, or an audience response. This helps you avoid searching endlessly and keeps your prompt focused.
- Reaction: short chuckle, snort, or single burst with a fast fade
- Character: distinct cadence like awkward, wheezy, or mischievous cackle
- Audience: multi-person wave with consistent room tone and fewer sharp peaks
Match perspective and space
Perspective is the difference between an intimate close-mic laugh and a laugh happening across a room. Write it into the prompt so the transient and decay behave correctly.
- Close: crisp attack, minimal reflections, low room tone
- Mid-distance: slightly softened transients with a short reflective tail
- Distant crowd: wider stereo, more reflections, longer decay without harsh sibilance
Control timing and endings
Editors usually need laughs that stop cleanly or taper predictably. When prompting, state how the laugh should end so it does not fight the next line or music hit.
- Ask for a clean stop if you need a hard cut into dialogue
- Ask for a gentle taper when you want a natural fade under VO
- Avoid long trailing breaths if the laugh must fit a tight gap
Avoid common AI laughter tells
Some generated laughs feel synthetic due to odd rhythms or overly consistent tone. A few prompt tweaks can keep it believable and easier to mix.
- Request natural variation in cadence and intensity, not a perfect loop
- Keep peaks controlled to prevent harsh clipping and masking
- Specify no background chatter if you only need one focused laugh
