Sallia’s work is also an incredible example of the Snap AR community at work. In our conversation, Sallia mentioned the inspiring Creators she’s connected with during her AR career, and how a tight-knit group of creatives can make all the difference.
Read on to hear from Official Lens Creator Sallia Goldstein on her latest Lens, the techniques behind her newest creations, and what’s on the horizon for her career.
Snap AR: What inspired Body Confetti, and what tools did you use to create it?
Sallia Goldstein: I was in the process of making a reel, and the night before a scheduled shoot, I realized I was a little short on content. So, I whipped up Body Confetti last minute. The effect is pretty simple, actually. I grabbed all my starting assets from the Asset Library. Once I had that, I made minor modifications to them in 3D software and Lens Studio. Technical constraints force you to solve problems creatively. I think the more difficult the problem, the better you need to know the tool. In this case, the tool was Lens Studio.
Snap AR: What draws you to AR as opposed to other mediums?
SG: AR is hot and new, particularly VFX in AR. It has a fantastical quality to it. Having the ability to enable other users to shoot rainbows and sparkles out of their faces and hands is extremely rewarding. VFX in AR is the closest we'll get to modern-day magic.
I remember that my friend Cyrene Quiamco suggested I get into Lens Studio. This was around 2017. At the time, I was rethinking my career and wanted to do something more artistically creative but also still technical. What I really like about AR is that it still requires a lot of technical ability. I don’t consider myself personally to be a professional creative — I prefer to look at myself as a technical executor who works with creatives to help bring their visions to life. I feel like nowadays, everybody wants to be a designer, a creative, but nobody wants to be an executor. I’m happy to fill that role.
Snap AR: What do you love about the creator community?
SG: I love how tight the AR creator community is. It’s still a pretty new industry, and there aren’t a ton of people in it. And, because it’s so new, everyone’s willing to help out everyone else. For example, some creators I really admire and who have helped me in the past are Ben Knutson, Max van Leeuwen, Sava Nozin, and Jye Trudinger. Ultimately, I believe AR is just another way to bring people together.
Snap AR: What are you passionate about right now?
SG: I’ve been making a lot of animal characters in my free time. Check out my most recent creation, Shiba Simulator! I’m really drawn to AR experiences that are instantly gratifying. I found the face expressions template in Lens Studio, which allows users to make exaggerated gestures with just their face. Shiba Simulator overlays a dog character face on top of the user’s. Most of this Lens was built outside of Lens Studio because it was so 3D-heavy. I sculpted a dog face from scratch and then built every single possible expression in 3D software. Lastly, I hooked up the expressions to face-tracking in Lens Studio.
Snap AR: What’s on the horizon for your creative career?
SG: At my day job, we take different brands’ products and make them compatible with the metaverse. I’m always looking for ways to make the process faster and more efficient, and there are a lot of new opportunities coming. AR is very cutting-edge, new, and, most importantly, accessible to anyone who has Snapchat. To me, it’s a hyper-interactive way for brands to reach their audience. But, because AR is so technical, a lot of brands are mystified by how it’s made. I make a point to act as an educator when working with brands on how the AR process works.
Thanks to Sallia for sharing her insights with us! Her work is an excellent reminder of the talent within the Snap AR community — and further proof that 2022 is shaping up to be one of the most creative years yet.
