Meet Hafid Reyes, an AR creator whose journey began out of impatience with traditional 3D work. His quest for more immersive experiences led him to the world of Augmented Reality (AR), where users can interact with his 3D creations in real-time. Reyes envisions AR as a timeless tool for limitless creativity and believes it will fuse seamlessly with real-time AI, empowering creators to manifest their dreams. His diverse inspirations, including nature and cyberpunk aesthetics, infuse a unique style into his work. Reyes’ remarkable projects, like “Mango Sunset,” showcase his ability to push AR technology’s boundaries. In this interview, he shares valuable insights for AR creators, emphasizing experimentation and rapid project initiation as keys to success in this dynamic field.
– Let’s start from the beginning! How did you start your AR journey? What inspired you to become a creator and what keeps you motivated to continue creating for this industry?
– My journey was inspired by impatience, the reason was that my 3D works would take so much work and the result wasn’t as immersive as I wanted it to be. AR and real-time allow me to create interactive 3D work and that’s what keeps me motivated. To know that my 3D work can be moved around by the user instead of them just watching a video on their phone, they have the opportunity to become part of the work itself.
– What is AR for you?
– AR is a tool of creation that transcends time and space. The thing that allows us to see and experience all the possible realities.
– How do you see the future of AR evolving? What kind of opportunities do you think it will bring to creators and brands?
– AR will combine with real-time AI and both will allow anyone to create what they think or dream. It will be a manifestation tool for all creatives.
– Who or what inspires you in your work, and can you describe your working process? Do you follow a plan or work spontaneously? Do you have a specific style that sets you apart from other creators?
– Everything that people create inspires me, nature inspires me, and the unknown inspires me. Sometimes I’m possessed by inspiration, others I start working and get it from research and from doing. My style reflects the gaming world, the cyberpunk style, and a touch of my Mexican roots.
– Can you share an example of a project where you pushed the boundaries of what is possible with AR technology and what kind of impact did it have?
– My work, Mango Sunset. It marked my transition to AR and its success launched me into this world. I was able to afford an iPhone and use it to develop more things in AR!
– Collaboration is a crucial aspect of creating successful AR projects. Can you share an example of a project where you had to balance a client’s needs with your creative vision? How did you navigate that challenge?
– This project started with a broad range of ideas and wants from the client, It required multiple skill sets such as modeling, animation, VFX, and many ideas were out in the open which wasn’t giving me a clear direction of where it would take us. The way I navigated this was to simply be open-minded and not take things too seriously, I learned that the goal of the project was to have fun and enjoy the process of creation. This allowed be and the client to resonate with my creative vision and for the project to evolve and become bigger than we could imagine.
– How do you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technology in the AR industry, and how do you incorporate this knowledge into your work?
– I do! I’m always looking for the newest tech and I try to implemented asap into my work. Most of my AR works today are made with Unity which takes AR filters to the gaming world and give me the power of game engines which give me a great advantage over the fidelity of AR content that is produced. I look into the newest forms of particle simulation, 3D modeling with AI, etc.
– Can you share any tips or tricks you’ve learned along the way that have helped you to create successful AR projects?
– Don’t be afraid of trying new techniques into your works, especially if you want to stand out!
– What do you enjoy most about being an AR creator, and how do you balance the technical aspects of AR creation with the creative side? What advice would you give to aspiring AR creators who are just starting out?
– I enjoy collaborating with artist that want to showcase their works in AR and don’t have the technical skills and don’t want them haha. My advice is to try everything and to try it fast, the faster you get started the more you will see what works and what doesn’t. Take your project to 90% as fast as you can and then take your time perfecting the details.
