CHALLENGE
As the COVID-19 rate rose and lockdown took hold of London, at Sennep, we wanted to find relief in what was an otherwise dark moment. Using Spark AR & Cinema4D, we built an Instagram filter that enables people to bring to life their household objects while friends and loved ones were out of reach.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Co-creator
Research
Spark AR development
TEAM
Alex Thurman — Co-creator, Animation and Cinema4D
The project was made at Sennep
Process
RESEARCH
We initially explored how Covid affected our lives, on practical and emotional levels. In response, we found a novel opportunity in AR as a medium, since the reality under lockdown... is hard.
IDEATION
Inspired by Wilson from Castaway, where Tom Hanks finds companionship in a volleyball, while isolated on an island.
Since we can’t see our friends and family during lockdown, we wanted to create an experience where you can turn households objects into your companions.
Adding googly eyes to things will unexpectedly make them more human, and it works with almost anything.
DEVELOPMENT
Using SparkAR and its iris and face tracking capabilities, we looked closely at the interaction between the user and their ‘friend’, encouraging play and discovery.
We created three different set of eyes, with a wide range of expressions. So in your next selfie, you won’t be alone making silly faces.
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