Speaking of thankfulness, Snap dropped a set of Thanksgiving-themed Lenses that were not only fun and entertaining but also introduced some new capabilities through Snap AR using Cameos technology — innovation wrapped in a delightfully fun package. To tell us a bit more about this new capability, we chatted with Roman Golobokov, a developer on the Cameos team, to hear his thoughts on the inspiration behind these Thanksgiving Lenses — and what it could mean for your future Lens creations. 

Check out our conversation with  Snap AR Developer Roman Golobokov below.

Snap: What inspired these Thanksgiving Lenses?

RG: Of course, Thanksgiving is a very important holiday in the US and Canada, and we were very excited to create Lenses to celebrate the holiday. We were inspired by old traditions like family dinners, autumn harvest, and — of course — turkey. The main goal for these Lenses was to bring some holiday cheer to our community, and the featured Lens “Turkey Trot” fulfilled the goal nicely. What could be funnier than a turkey dancing? 

To pull it off, we used minimalistic vector backgrounds in autumn colors so as to not distract from the main character. To ensure we were being inclusive, we used specially made costumes suitable for every user, regardless of their gender or body shape.

Snap: Why use Cameos face-swap technology for the Lenses?

RG: We always seek to provide new AR Lens experiences for our customers, and the Cameos Face Swap Thanksgiving Lenses are one of the first Lenses to use this technology. Face Swap works with Cameos Selfie and transfers emotions from the Snapchatter’s face, so the only thing needed from the user is a one-time Cameos Selfie. This technology allows the user to use the Lens in the dark or when they don’t feel comfortable taking a selfie at the moment. Cameos technology also works with different skin tones. We’re happy to provide a good experience for all of our customers.

Snap: How did you integrate Cameos into the Lenses?

RG: It is a challenging technical task to achieve on a device, and we’re currently working hard to improve the loading time. As of now, you can create a Cameos selfie from the Lens, and we also have two-person Lens support, so you’ll be able to see your friends in the Lens.

Snap: What sort of new possibilities does this technology present for the Snap AR community?

RG: At the moment, this technology is not yet available for Community Lenses. The tech is still in development, and we are iterating on Face Swap quality and performance. Ideally, we want it to work with two faces simultaneously in real-time, and that will be a truly innovative experience to help Snap to lead the way in AR. While we can’t share when it will be available for Community Lenses, we’re working hard to achieve that milestone. We can’t wait to see what our community can create with this technology and, in the meantime, we’re planning to improve the current tech and looking to potentially expand to other Cameos products.