Thousands of effects were submitted during the holiday spark competition’s two-week run by creators from around the world, who were vying for the chance to win over 380,000 USD in cash prizes.
The judges for Meta Spark carefully considered every aspect, including the total number of points gained, workmanship, originality, and creativity. Our creator, Daria Tsvetkova, also made the top five with her New Year’s filter. We asked Daria several key questions about the filter and were pleased to outline the steps Daria took to succeed, and how enjoyable it was for her to take part in this challenge. 💜
Describe the process of creating this filter.
Step 1
Main idea. The first thing I saw in my project was freezing the screen when a person
blows on it. I think this is very interesting. But at that time I did not know how to do it. And I
managed to create it, but it was a small part of the project.
Step 2
The hero of the project. I proceeded from the basic ideas, since this is a screen
freeze, then the hero must be the villain. I had a choice to make a snowman or a Grinch.
Since I didn’t see a snowman in anyone, I installed its creation. I found a reference on
Pinterest and got to work.
Step 3
3D models. I always start with 3D models. I liked my result. A lot of time has passed
on the scarf, and I am delighted with this carrot.
Step 4
Textures. People often underestimate working with textures, but they are very
important and can be a great addition to a project. For example, there are a lot of circles
here and I had to draw on a 3D model to get perfect circles and lines. And on a plane, this
texture looks very strange, doesn’t it?
Step 5
Connection. Working with layers in programs is a separate art. 3D models, textures,
segmentation, etc. Only in complex projects, you can see how important it is and you learn.
Step 6
Working out the details. In my opinion, this is an important element. Details allow
you to complete the project and make it realistic. In this project, this is snow, steam from
the mouth and around, the movement of the scarf, etc.
Describe the filter itself.
My filter is the evil but cute snowman. I like carrots in it. When you open your mouth, steam comes out and the screen of the device is slowly covered with ice, then it also slowly disappears.
By what criteria was the assessment made?
It seems they were Relevance to the theme, Quality, Value to end users, and Craftsmanship.
How important was it to get a prize place in this competition?
In any competition, everyone wants to win. I absolutely did not think that the jury would choose my project in the top 5. At that moment I was so happy and really did not expect such a victory. There were so many great filters in this contest. I’m sure the jury found it difficult to make this rating.
Did you discover something new in the process of creating a filter?
In each competition, I discover something new in the world of AR, because when you create it, you put the meaning into this project, the idea, and they must be technically consistent. It often happens that I have an idea for a competition, but at the beginning, I don’t know how to do it. Then I look for ways to implement my idea.
What role has creating this filter played in growing your popularity as a creator?
I can’t say that this filter made me a popular creator. No, after this project, I realized that I can do more complex AR work, and I began to communicate more with other AR creators. During this year I created different filters and they all increased my popularity as a creator. But it all started with my favorite snowman.
Daria began developing augmented reality filters three years ago and has already partnered with well-known companies like Porsche and Red Bull. We wish Daria success and trust that Crosscreators will be a deserving companion in it. 💜
