On Wednesday, July 1, 2026, notorious "rooftopping" couple Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau took marriage proposals to terrifying new heights. The daredevil duo—famous for their 2024 Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story—bypassed security to scale the 1,454-foot broadcast antenna of New York’s Empire State Building. Balancing on a narrow ledge without safety ropes, they unfurled a massive black peace banner before Ivan dropped to one knee.
While Angela said yes, the NYPD was waiting downstairs. Following a tense descent, the couple was arrested and arraigned on July 2, pleading not guilty to felony reckless endangerment and burglary charges. They are currently on supervised release until their August 24 court date.
But while the legal battle brews, social media has transformed the stunt into a massive viral Instagram trend. Savvy brands and creators are leveraging AI to replace the couple's original banner text with hilarious custom messages, turning a high-stakes criminal trespass into 2026's ultimate meme format.
{{/usCountry}}But while the legal battle brews, social media has transformed the stunt into a massive viral Instagram trend. Savvy brands and creators are leveraging AI to replace the couple's original banner text with hilarious custom messages, turning a high-stakes criminal trespass into 2026's ultimate meme format.
{{/usCountry}}How to Recreate the Viral "Empire State Spire" Video with AI
You don't need to risk a felony charge to jump on this viral trend. Here is how to safely recreate your own cinematic helicopter footage using AI:
Step 1: Prep Your Subject
Find or take a clear, high-quality photo of you and your partner. You can either use this as a reference photo for the AI to base the characters on, or skip the real photo and just describe yourselves in the prompt in Step 2.
Step 2: Generate the Image with Custom Text
Upload your reference photo (optional) and use an AI image generator (like Gemini) to create the scene with your custom flag text.
Image Generation Prompt: "Generate a photorealistic, cinematic shot of the Empire State Building from a high vantage point. A massive banner flag is waving dynamically from the spire. Clearly printed on the flag in bold, realistic lettering is the text: '[INSERT YOUR TEXT/NAMES HERE]'. In the foreground, a couple [describe yourselves, e.g., wearing winter coats, looking away from the camera toward the building] is standing on an adjacent observation deck."
Step 3: Animate into a Helicopter Shot
Take the generated image from Step 2 and upload it into an AI video generator (like Luma Dream Machine, Kling, or Runway). Use the image-to-video feature and apply a prompt to dictate the camera movement.
Video Generation Prompt: > "Animate this image to look like aerial footage taken from a helicopter. Create a smooth, cinematic sweeping camera shot orbiting the Empire State Building. Make the flag wave naturally in the heavy wind. Add subtle, realistic movement to the couple in the foreground."
Step 4: Add Sound and Final Polish
A silent video breaks the illusion! Take your newly generated video clip into a basic video editor on your phone (like CapCut or TikTok/Reels editor). Add a "chopper/helicopter interior" sound effect to play in the background, layer your favorite trending song over it, and export your final viral-ready video.