Today I was introduced to Spark AR, the project we were told about last week that I missed because I was sick. We are meant to create a filter as a virtual avatar of ourselves, and then write a 300-word explanation of why we decided to depict ourselves in such a way.
I learnt some of the basics during class, creating a basic tester filter of glasses and a frame. My tutor also shared a website with me where I could browse for inspiration on the kinds of filters I could create. Through browsing, I’ve found that the holographic filters resonate with me the most, and I think I would like to recreate this for my virtual avatar filter. It emanates a sort of ethereal surrealism, where the natural human features are still intact, and yet somehow warped and different. The various colours used for the holographic elements make it also seem distorted, perhaps, differing from colours that appear naturally on people’s faces.
My eye was also drawn to a beauty filter, where there was a form of undereye eyeshadow, which is abstract, and a bleached brow. Bleached eyebrows are trendy right now, and though I wouldn’t take part in it myself, I have wondered occasionally how I might look with bleached brows. I saw this as an opportunity and thought I could make a holographic face filter, with bleached brows and undereye/cheek colouring. I thought it could perhaps be an insight into what beauty standards may be in the future, such as in a distant, fully-digital era, or a portrayal of some alternate, distorted version of humans.
