THE FAST & EASY GUIDE FOR SNACKABLE AR EXPERIENCES

Best Practices for Camera Effects

1 2 WHO USES AR, ANYWAY? 04 EVERYONE!

CAMERA EFFECTS ARE A NATURAL FIT FOR SHORT, SNACKABLE AR 12 EXPERIENCES

BUDGET AND LABOR COSTS FOR 20 FACEBOOK CAMERA EFFECTS

REACHING YOUR AUDIENCE WITH 28 CAMERA EFFECTS

TECH CONSIDERATIONS FOR DESIGNING COMPELLING CAMERA 36 EFFECT EXPERIENCES

BEST PRACTICES FOR STORYTELLING WITH CAMERA 44 EFFECTS

MONKS WEIGH IN ON THE FUTURE 52

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? BRING YOUR BRAND TO LIFE 66 WITH AR 01

4 WHO USES AR, ANYWAY? EVERYONE!

Interest in augmented reality (AR) is growing quickly, with over 76 million AR and VR-enabled units projected to ship in 20201. While we’re still waiting for mass adoption of purpose- driven AR experiences—the likes of which might revolutionize the way we interface with digital, just like smartphones did— organizations are keen to notice the growing importance of the technology, which is helped by the its visibility on social media.

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So, we all know that augmented reality is hot, but what is it actually good for?

Among the top use cases driving for developers to design compelling AR adoption right now is fostering effects—so easy that it doesn’t require connections between users on social coding knowledge. platforms. Always looking for an opportunity to take a selfie, Facebook What sets Facebook Camera Effects users in particular have been eager apart from other AR experiences is that to connect with brands through AR they are shareable, focused on just one lenses—called Facebook Camera or a couple interactions and are widely Effects—which populate the user’s accessible to users. Directly integrated immediate surroundings with virtual within the , Camera objects, facial transformations and other Effects are also easily accessible to the effects that occur in real time. Camera platform’s 2.27 billion monthly active Effects are built using Facebook’s Spark users, just a couple taps away from the AR platform, which makes it easy mobile .

6 7 WHY EVERYONE’S SNAPPING UP AR SELFIES

Facebook Camera Effects’ proximity to puts the user central. Let them tell their social streams is essential to why they are own story with your content,” according so compelling: they build upon the kinds to Michiel Brinkers, Technical Director of content that users are eager to share. at MediaMonks. It’s about you inhabiting From silly selfies to sweeping landscapes their worlds rather than them inhabiting and landmarks, lenses can augment yours. almost any photo-worthy moment in Facebook users’ lives. But the technology is about more than just making funny faces. The Spark AR While we usually think of brand platform can make imagination come to storytelling in terms of an organization life by prompting gamelike experiences, broadcasting its story to consumers, enhancing the user’s physical space or Camera Effects do the opposite by asking even bringing traditional promotional users to tell their instead. Think of assets, like movie posters, to life. the virtual objects in Camera Effects like AR technology has taken great leaps in theatrical props: “A good AR experience the past couple of years, enabling all

8 kinds of new experiences. While the active and approachable to newcomers, technology still offers plenty of room for which provides developers with a large growth, the Spark AR has matured enough to exchange design ideas that it’s become very easy to develop or troubleshoot development issues. All of compelling AR experiences for users of this makes Spark AR an ideal platform for any level, including novices who have organizations that want to dip their toes never worked with AR before. In fact, the into building AR experiences to a built-in Spark AR community is pretty vibrant, or pre-existing audience.

9 That said, Camera Effects aren’t without engagement and impressions. This is a few constraints, particularly in terms because when users share a photo or of file size. Their focused nature also video with your effect to their friends means developers must pay careful and followers, it will increase your consideration in supporting just one reach. Likewise, Camera Effects can or a couple user interactions, though fit within a larger overall campaign some might find limited functionality strategy, like raising awareness of a easier to design for. The old adage televised event or by bringing traditional that “less is more” definitely applies marketing assets to life. here, as the more limited scope of what Camera Effects set out to achieve It’s this aspect of letting consumers ensures that the design remains focused create and share that makes the on user impact. In fact, this type of technology so exciting. So let’s take user-centered experience really sticks: a more user-focused approach to Nielsen has measured a 19% increase in developing delightful, surprising and ad awareness for campaigns using AR2. fun AR experiences, that people can experiment with and share to friends. While the impact of engagement varies At MediaMonks, a global creative and depending on your marketing goals, the production company, we’re no stranger shareability of Camera Effects coupled to AR experiences both big and small, with the sense of fun users achieve having developed numerous Camera by interacting with them makes them Effects, AR apps and installations. a valuable asset for increasing both In addition to a technical understanding

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10 of AR, designing an effective experience developing on the Spark AR platform. that’s so closely aligned with a social media platform requires a good So, eager to try your hand at reaching understanding of how (and why) people your audience in a new, compelling way communicate there. By applying our with Facebook Camera Effects? This technical and creative sensibilities with an guide will cover all the need-to-know understanding of what makes Facebook info so you feel confident in ideating, users tick, we’ve had much success in designing and executing your first effect.

Let’s get started!

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12 CAMERA EFFECTS ARE A NATURAL FIT FOR SHORT, SNACKABLE AR EXPERIENCES If you’d like to jump into AR, Facebook’s a duck face or any one of several other Spark AR platform offers a great favorite selfie poses. This makes the opportunity for organizations of any effects easy for users to pick up and play size to do so. Much of Camera Effects’ with. convenience comes with their proximity to Facebook’s camera function, which is And Facebook users love playing with available with just a quick tap. It’s not just effects. While most types of branded accessible for users; developers can easily sponsored posts offer few opportunities of build playful, emotional experiences on engagement, users must actively explore the platform with a small team (including and engage with effects—and when they individual developers) and no coding do, they’re provided with rewarding, knowledge, making it incredibly easy to instant visual feedback. Thanks to Camera concept and execute a compelling filter. Effects’ playability, Facebook users remain engaged as they play around with them While Facebook Camera Effects offer and explore what’s available, which limited capabilities compared to native results in higher engagement and brand AR apps utilizing ARCore or ARKit, they favorability. Nissan’s AR-powered See the provide more focused, intuitive and Unseen campaign, for example, resulted shareable experiences that audiences in a 15% increase in brand favorability may immediately engage with. If there’s from its users3, who were treated to a car anything that social media users are safety demonstration featuring Star Wars sophisticated in, it’s taking photos: one characters. need only smile and say “Cheese,” make

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14 AUGMENT YOUR FANS’ SOCIALIZING WITH AUGMENTED REALITY

That users must engage with effects In addition to these standard directly means the most effective ones interactions, skilled designers can use the align with behaviors native to taking raw positional data of facial features to selfies—namely, moving their heads implement their own logic. These custom around, winking or opening their interactions may be tough for ensuring mouths. Spark AR is able to recognize a accuracy, but a truly skilled designer can few standard interactions out of the box. use these data points to their advantage for expanding the functionality and These include when users: creativity behind their Camera Effects.

• Nod or shake their heads But Spark AR allows you to do more than • Open and close their mouth just develop face filters: switch to the • Blink their eyes back facing camera and the platform • Look left or right can render “world effects,” which place • Are smiling, kissing, happy, or virtual objects into the field of view. surprised

15 A single Camera Effect might use one of Walking a mile in another’s shoes makes these perspectives, or both. for great advice, so MediaMonks teamed up with agency VMLY&R to let Facebook The most important thing to remember is users really picture themselves fulfilling that Camera Effects exist to strengthen the the daily roles and responsibilities of experiences that users are already keen to U.S. Navy sailors. But instead of putting share. Here’s an example: one of the first users in their shoes, we placed them right facial masks that Facebook debuted was in the cockpit with an AR experience a virtual Nike headband. In addition to (designed in collaboration with VMLY&R) letting users virtually wear the headband, that combined both front and back-facing the Camera Effect included stats of the cameras. After they’ve tried on different user’s previous run. Highlighting the uniforms and equipment through five running stats gave users an opportunity different people effects, users could to share and be proud of themselves, switch focus to the world effect for an while the headband complimented the immersive view of a naval base. This act of taking a selfie due to its place on a further helps users place themselves in wearer’s head. Organizations designing the environment that sailors work in each their own Camera Effects should likewise day. consider how their iconography or products can enhance the practice of content sharing, perhaps including first- Most high-performing Camera Effects, party data that users will be eager to show though, are simpler—and they’re off to friends and followers. often funny, giving users something

16 17 to smile about before they snap a pic. Both effects’ approach to user-generated One excellent example is Office Depot’s content—capturing users’ imagination in Elf Yourself, another people effect a lifelike, instantly reactive way—allows MediaMonks helped bring to reality. users to identify with a brand without Originally a web-based face-in-the-hole the need for complicated storytelling. By application that transformed users into virtue of existing on a social platform, animated Santa’s elves, Elf Yourself these effects lean in on users’ desire to has existed since before the trend in share content with their friends, which AR and helped to establish the appeal makes them best suited for encouraging of placing Facebook users’ faces into your fanbase to share their own stories wacky situations. Before, users had to do rather than simply consume yours. some work by uploading themselves to the elf template. With our modernized experience powered by Spark AR, the user’s face is automatically applied to a dancing 3D elf model. People are encouraged to play along with the effect by cycling through different dances or even joining in with friends. The dance moves change every time users open their mouths, highlighting how you can integrate selfie poses into the interactive design of effects.

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20 BUDGET AND LABOR COSTS FOR FACEBOOK CAMERA EFFECTS

With just a handful of features and focused use cases, Facebook Camera effects are relatively simple in design compared to other augmented reality experiences that require downloading an app or purchasing a dedicated AR device. With focused use cases that integrate Creative Technologist Samuel Snider- seamlessly into one of the most popular Held. and ubiquitous social networks available, the Camera Effects platform is But of course, coding knowledge does incredibly accessible to organizations at help, as does having a team with people any level, regardless of budget. Whether filling specific roles. For a smoother you want to experiment with the tech design process and user experience, your or are looking for cool new ways for design team may include a: Facebook users to identify with your brand, Camera Effects don’t require big • Creative Lead teams or a hefty budget to pull off in • Visual Designer style. • UX Designer • 3D Modeler The simplest Camera Effects require just • Animator (2D and 3D) one person: someone to design the 3D • Rigger digital model (or models) rendered by • Developer the effect. Because Facebook’s Spark AR • Q/A Analyst platform requires no coding experience, it’s very easy for individuals to design Camera Effects require small file sizes compelling experiences—even first- so they load instantly on users’ phones. timers. “Facebook wants to let you This limits the amount of assets you’ll design in ways that’s easy to pick up produce, which also limits the amount if you’re new to it,” says MediaMonks of money you’ll need to invest in the

22 experience. A typical effect might include and the world around them. Because the just one model, three animations and face must be conceptually relevant to four textures. The big variable on budget the world effect, this kind of experience is whether you’re making a face effect is the most demanding on a conceptual and/orworld effect, as they each comprise level. Essentially being two filters (one of several different features. for the face and one for the world), it also requires more assets than the typical Your basic people effect that simply distorts effect. the user face and adds a single digital object (like a hat) is one of the simplest Brands who wish to recycle pre-existing projects you could do. Designing this style assets can save even more on camera of people effect involves merely integrating effect development, as the only steps the digital object model, coding and QA. in the process they’ll need to worry More complicated people effects include about is animation and face/plane multiple digital objects and animations. tracking. Again, the Spark AR platform This process is a little more demanding in aims to be accessible for those without terms of concepting and design, though is formal coding knowledge, which makes still within reach for many organizations. importing assets to the platform a quick The more animations and interactions you and easy process. include, the bigger your project will be. For the brand who wants to have it all, you might offer a camera effect that augments both Facebook users’ faces

23 CAMERA EFFECTS VS. SPECIALTY AR APPS

Camera Effects serve as an affordable shades by tapping or puckering their lips. alternative to building one-off apps There’s a playfulness in this experience, for digital campaigns. While such apps making it fun to try on a whole pallet might offer more functionality and with little time or effort. complex experiences, Camera Effects have a tighter scope and a more focused As for effects that tie into larger approach on specific user actions. This campaigns, another fun one is the Lego makes them more intuitive—often Ninjago Movie effect. This effect lets designed around actions and behaviors anyone fulfill a childhood dream: to see that Facebook users already make on the what they’d look like as a Lego minifig. platform—as well as “snackable.” Facebook users can swap their face onto a handful of characters’ bodies from the One great example of this is Esteé Lauder film to try their outfits, providing a fun, camera effect. The moment it’s loaded, new way to play and interact with the the filter paints virtual lipstick on the characters. It’s one of several marketing user’s lips. Users can try out different materials that focused on individual

24 characters from the film, including movie them) to play around with, providing posters and TV spots. the instant reward of visual feedback to users’ interactions. With platforms like The instantaneous nature of Facebook Facebook offering a broader ecosystem of Camera Effects also makes them a great features, not to mention logistical issues solution to “app fatigue,” a phenomenon with app marketplaces, organizations explaining why 51% of US users don’t are finding it easier to develop engaging download any apps per month4. Camera experiences through pick-up-and-play Effects offer the low barrier of entry of Camera Effects than with their own just a few seconds (or a few dozen of dedicated apps.

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25 MEASURING FACEBOOK CAMERA EFFECTS

Integration into the larger Facebook • Captures: how many times users have ecosystem ensures that engagement captured a photo or video with your effect with the brand remains unobtrusive • Shares: how many times users shared and easy for the user to call up. The content using your effects in stories or platform also provides a suite of metrics posts that businesses can track to measure the performance of their experiences. By Impressions provide a great way to tracking performance, you can ensure measure the effectiveness of your effect measurable ROI for your AR investment. because you can see which channels Facebook users viewed them on. Metrics include: Captures measure how enjoyable users • Impressions: how many times your found your effect. For example, how effect was shown plus a breakdown many times did users capture media of impressions by channel (Facebook using your effect, versus those who Camera, news feed, ) merely saw it? Are users favoring photo

26 captures over video, or vice-versa? means you can get a lot more time and These are a couple questions you might attention from a user connecting to your ask yourself to gauge specific features or brand via a Camera Effect than through elements of your effects. other types of content like photos or text; with the exception of video, these other Finally, engagement through shares is forms of posts are tough to measure incredibly important because it leads to level of attention beyond comments, more impressions: every time someone likes and shares. shares a photo or video featuring the effect, it will appear on the news feed for With Camera Effects, less is more—in a portion of their friends and followers. terms of a smaller labor cost and a more By designing a Camera Effect that users narrowed interactive focus. Whether will feel compelled to engage with, you you offer one as a standalone experience can increase your reach dramatically. or as one part of a larger, integrated campaign, Camera Effects remain Camera Effects in general are really a simple yet effective way to drive engaging: their user-focused playability engagement by creating a one-to-one invites users to spend a few moments connection that fits perfectly within the trying them out before moving on. This context of users’ social lives.

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28 REACHING YOUR AUDIENCE WITH CAMERA EFFECTS One of the biggest benefits of Facebook apps for supporting their content and as a platform is its large userbase, campaigns. “There’s an app for that” once particularly with mobile. In the third got consumers excited to try anything and quarter of 2018, Facebook had 2.27 billion everything that made its way to the App monthly active users5. 95% of users access Store, but the glut of apps available today the network via smartphones, while about (not to mention their lack of novelty) 32% access it via laptop or desktop6. The means audiences aren’t as likely to install Facebook Camera platform is just one new ones as they were in years past. of many ways that brands can reach a In addition to slumped adoption rates, built-in audience for their content, which developers have faced challenges in app is delivered to the users that Facebook development, whether it be pushing predicts will enjoy it most. In fact, the out updates to users or working within Facebook Stories platform—through the terms set by app store owners. By which users typically share effects— turning to social platforms like Facebook, reached 150 million daily users as of May organizations can reach the audience 20187. Spark AR not only serves as an easy most relevant to their services and ensure platform for designing AR effects, then, a smooth user experience with server-side but also makes it easy to reach a wide updates. audience through the world’s biggest and most ubiquitous . Unlike apps, Camera Effects have a very low barrier of entry: users will Citing the phenomenon of “app fatigue,” encounter them either by surprise in the brands seek alternatives to developing camera function of the app, or through

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30 posts shared by their friends, though you can promote your effects much like other types of posts (more on that below). Either way, effects instantly offer a value proposition with immediate visual feedback, either by changing the user’s appearance or their surroundings. There are other reasons why users feel compelled to try and share effects. The goofy appeal of the effects fits well with the trend of self-deprecation online, providing users with the opportunity to let loose and be a little vulnerable. Effects can also have a meme quality to them, which encourages users to share and participate with their friends.

31 TARGETING USERS AND PROMOTING FACEBOOK CAMERA EFFECTS

What good is developing a camera effect, you may also include relevant effect if no one is using it? Ensuring keywords you would like to target. This your Camera Effect reaches the right further helps to promote your effect to users is as simple as with any other relevant audiences. post using targeting tools. Facebook offers two options for targeting with There are a few ways users will see a Camera Effects: geofencing the effect to published effect. In each context, the a specific location, or activating it for effect will include a “Try It” button that a specific time window. The former is invites users to engage. They might useful if you intend to make your effect encounter it: available for an event—for example, a sports game—while the latter lets you • On the news feed drum up excitement for a specific date, • Shared in a story, video or photo like using a facial mask to transform posted by a friend or followed page users into a fictional character in the • When they open the Facebook Camera, week leading up to a movie or video which will suggest several effects that game release. When submitting your it thinks are most relevant to users.

32 ONCE YOUR EFFECT IS PUBLISHED, SHOW IT OFF

While this means you can simply publish is captured, you can share to your page your effect and call it a day, promoting it audience through a post or in a photo within your overall content strategy will story. As always, the post will include allow more users to see (and hopefully a button inviting users to try the same engage with and share) your effect. Camera Effect themselves.

Your first option is to promote the effect Another option is to promote the effect directly to your page. Simply open to other social networks. Sharing to your page in the Facebook app, tap the is an obvious choice in ... button and then “Open Camera as platform, as the photo-sharing app Page.” From here, you may simply take is closely integrated with Facebook. a photo or video using the effect. We Facebook announced deeper integration recommend capturing a video if your with Instagram for the Spark AR effect offers several animations and platform last fall, which will make triggers, which lets you show off all its it even easier for brands to put their capabilities. Once your photo or video effects in the hands of the selfie-taking

33 masses. But for now, you can share to Overall, targeting and promoting effects your heart’s content anywhere online work just like any other Facebook post. via a hyperlink, too: when mobile users With Facebook’s large, engaged tap the link, they’re sent directly to the userbase, the Camera Effects platform effect in the Facebook Camera. Desktop is a convenient environment to provide users clicking the same link will see a compelling emotional experiences to preview, and from there they can send a your audience. link to their phone to try it out.

Posts that you share don’t automatically go to everyone who follows your page. Facebook’s news feed values relevancy to followers, which is built in part on engagement as well as other data, such as user interests. If you’re not seeing the reach that you would like for your Camera Effect, simply pin it to the top of your page’s feed or even pay to “boost” your post to a larger fraction of your audience.

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36 TECH CONSIDERATIONS FOR DESIGNING COMPELLING CAMERA EFFECT EXPERIENCES

As a trend, augmented reality might suggest the notion of a highly complex technology that’s tough to design for and execute. But you don’t have to be a tech expert to create compelling Facebook Camera Effects, especially since the Spark AR studio makes it easy for even newbies to design great ones on their own. That said, there are a few things to consider for maximizing your AR experience on the Camera Effects platform, including the different types of AR that powers it and how to get past unique technical constraints. TYPES OF EFFECTS AND EXPERIENCES

There are two types of experiences you a Pinocchio-style growing nose. People can provide through Facebook Camera effects also include lighting features, such Effects. Perhaps the more well-known as a spotlight glow. are people effects, which are your typical “selfie lens,” or facial mask, that covers For animations, facial tracking allows a user’s face. People effects can enhance both 2D and 3D overlays to move with one user’s face, or multiple. Effects can the user’s face. Different actions made by support up to eight faces, “But screen users can trigger different animations, real estate will be one of your biggest such as opening a mouth, blinking, limiting factors when it comes to multi- nodding one’s head or making other body user people effects,” according to movements. To maximize the experience Brinkers. While the primary feature of a for people effects, you might consider facial effect might be to form a makeup- integrating these actions and animations like layer on a user’s face, it can also into your design. change the size of facial features to goofy effect, like eyes popping in surprise or

38 Next are world effects. These effects Each type of effect is adept at different overlay a user’s surroundings with digital types of storytelling, so choosing between objects, rather than focus on a face. This them relies on the message you want to can mean populating the world around get across. Face lenses provide users with a user with virtual objects or even tools they can use to express themselves transforming it into a 360-degree, totally in fun ways. World effects, meanwhile, virtual space. You can see this in action are better geared toward storytelling with the effect that MediaMonks made in from the brand’s point of view by putting collaboration with the U.S. Navy, which the user in a situation or letting them transformed the user’s environment into examine a virtual version of a product. a Naval base.

39 DIFFERENT KINDS OF AR MAKE DIFFERENT KINDS OF EXPERIENCES

Ok, so what is facial tracking versus plane that facial tracking is more robust than tracking, and what do they have to do plane detection. This means you’re likely with the different types of effects you can to run into fewer technical hiccups with create? Facial tracking is exactly what it the former than the latter. sounds like: the effect’s ability to track facial features and movements to render A soon to be released new type of people effects. Plane tracking detects a tracking is target tracking. This lets you flat surface—a plane—which serves as define an image that will be recognized the foundation for the AR experience. by the effect in the real world. Once For example, an effect might use a table recognized, the effect can appear as a as a plane on which a virtual car drives, window through which users can see or a virtual cat might saunter across the another world. Alternatively, the model floor. One key benefit that facial tracking can extend “out” of the target and into provides over world effects, though, is the real world like a diorama.

40 In both cases, moving the camera around the target lets users approach the effect from different points of view. This kind of tracking makes for impactful promotional uses. For example, a user can scan a movie poster through the Facebook Camera, bringing the characters featured in it to life through AR.

41 TECHNICAL CONSTRAINTS FOR CAMERA EFFECT

In order to ensure a smooth experience In essence, don’t try to do too much; on as many devices as possible, Facebook while it might be tempting to develop imposes some strict size limits that all an effect with lots of animations or effects must adhere to. Skilled developers to support several interactions, hone can work within these constraints by in on a simplified design that doesn’t optimizing the assets that make up their require more space than the platform effects, though smart design needn’t can support. While there are ways to require that level of extra effort. “One bypass these constraints, doing so runs thing that’s always applied in design is the the risk of slowing down your effect and KISS principle: ‘Keep it simple, stupid!’” negatively affecting the user experience. says Brinkers. “If you go for a targeted experience, you’ll naturally try to stay One relatively safe way to keep a lower within those boundaries, keeping the file size is to host some of your effect’s technical side of the optimization simple.” assets externally. Typically, a Facebook

42 Camera Effect downloads all of the assets—models, sounds, textures—to the user’s device. But textures and videos (which have a huge impact) may be loaded from a server instead, freeing up space. But perhaps one of the biggest factors in file size is the number of animations your effect supports, which is why working with a simplified design is best.

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44 BEST PRACTICES FOR STORYTELLING WITH CAMERA EFFECTS When people talk about AR and VR experiences, they usually focus on their immersive storytelling capabilities. These platforms do a great job at letting users inhabit another place or life, making them great for driving empathy or helping users insert themselves into fictional worlds.

But Camera Effects are a bit different. While they provide great opportunities to strike a direct connection between brands and consumers, the medium is user-focused, putting the user central less about telling your story and more to the story,” says Brinkers. “Put them about letting users tell theirs. Think in a situation and let them do their of it like this: providing users with a own thing in it. That’s where it gets camera effect is a bit like giving them interesting.” a trunk of costumes and props. They might dress up like a character from a The most effective Facebook Camera favorite movie, but they’re not following Effects foster that sense of play beyond the movie line-by-line. Instead, they’ll serving as just a novel experience or probably come up with inventive and wacky face. Here are some best practices surprising stories of their own with to consider when it comes to building on friends. “The platform is inherently that sense of user-directed storytelling.

46 BUILD UPON EXISTING USER BEHAVIORS

While Camera Effects are a great addition supporting animations related to different to the Facebook platform, they’re probably faces one might make, or even using not the first thing on users’ when target tracking to bring a cardboard they open the app or visit the site. In fact, cutout to life when someone stands next most users probably discover the filters by to it for a photo op. surprise when opening the app’s camera to take a selfie or share a moment. The more the merrier, right? Don’t just focus on single-user experiences. Consider To better fit the context in which users ways your effect might support a group will discover, interact with and share of friends—for example, a face swap. content made with Camera Effects, the Multi-user effects encourage users who AR experience should build upon the love them to invite others to participate. things that people already do when This way, you can extend your reach to AR taking a selfie. “Think of where it exists skeptics. By providing a fun, rewarding on the platform,” says Snider-Held. experience, you encourage your most “The AR experience should augment satisfied users to cheerlead for it and seek that experience.” This might include out more friends to try it with.

47 BE MORE THAN A LITTLE SILLY

If the rise in “Finstas” (Fake Instagram) poses organically to activate certain and #Adulting memes has taught animations and effects. This loosens marketers anything, it’s that self- them up and provides opportunities and deprecating humor resonates online. situations that they might want to share. It allows users to relate to one another easier and pushes back against the notion that all one’s imperfections are filtered out of the social media experience. Users love to take goofy selfies and funny faces, and many successful effects support those behaviors. Obviously, this can be achieved by having the effect actually change the way the user looks, but your effect might also encourage users to make funny faces or silly

48 ENHANCE A SPECIFIC SPACE

If you would like to make a world upon event attendees’ excitement and effect, consider how it could be used support for the Navy team. to enhance a specific space or context. World effects can be great for driving Target tracking is another valuable user-generated content at events or tool for enhancing a space through even at a brick-and-mortar retail the Camera Effects platform. Target location. With the U.S. Navy effect tracking will allow you to tie virtual MediaMonks made in collaboration objects to an image that exists in the with VMLY&R to celebrate the Army- real world—in effect, anchoring the Navy football game at the Lincoln experience to a specific space. Images Financial Field, users could use the can include posters, QR codes, signs camera on their devices to transform or really any flat image. If you have a the surrounding stadium into a fully- display at a store or event, you might animated naval base. By transporting make one of its features a visual marker users to sea through an immersive AR that activates virtual objects in a experience, the world effect builds camera effect.

49 TIE TO A LARGER CAMPAIGN

Finally, Camera Effects can go a long you’ll be able to use AR effectively to way in drumming up excitement or create engaging, fun experiences for interest in larger campaigns. A simple audiences that weren’t possible before. way to do this is to look for ways that fans might express a preference; for example, a movie campaign might offer several effects that let users select a character to “dress” as via AR.

No matter what you do, the important thing to remember when designing Facebook Camera Effects is to provide the users with the tools they need to tell their stories. By augmenting and building upon the types of activities users already do on those platforms,

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52 MONKS WEIGH IN ON THE FUTURE

As an emerging technology, Facebook Camera Effects have a lot of room to grow. AR in general has improved by leaps and bounds over the past couple of years, and Facebook’s unique application of machine learning powers ever-more engaging and exciting new experiences. And every improvement made to Spark AR’s features sparks inspiration for creators. “Every technical feature or ability added allows us to do more,” says Brinkers.

According to Brinkers, “Individual Monks are pulling back the curtain to features enable new creative directions, show off how some of the major features which add the desire to do more.” Just available on the platform today have the what are some of the ways that Spark potential to go a step further in providing AR is set to advance the capabilities of more immersive experiences. Camera Effects in the near future? Our

54 SEGMENTATION MODELS

Segmentation is a Spark AR feature that hair, skin, beards, and so on. But what identifies the user’s body by separating it if brands and developers could define from the background--essentially a real their own segmentation models? time chroma key. This allows the effect Instead of being limited to the human to make a change to the background, like body, the ability to train a model on adding a color. If you have experience custom objects would allow developers with digital photo editing tools, it’s a to provide digital layers surrounding lot like the magic wand tool you’ll find almost any object in the real world. in their feature sets. Segmentation in This could help brands showcase their Spark AR is based on a machine learning products in cool, integrated ways--such model trained on a of diverse as bringing your morning coffee to life, human faces, and will therefore purely perhaps giving you the latest news and work on the head and shoulders. the weather to start off your day.

What we’re hoping to see first are additional standard models, such as

55 BODY TRACKING

In addition to tracking users’ faces, try on virtual outfits, or surrounding Facebook Camera Effects can talso track them with beach balls they can kick hands. This allows users to convincingly around the room. The full body would hold virtual objects as they move their become an input mechanism for hands in front of the camera. But engaging interactions. Facebook isn’t content to just shake hands with users; at the F8 conference last year, the company unveiled a push for full-body tracking which could further transform the user experience in real time.

If full body tracking makes it into Facebook Camera Effects, many new creative avenues will open up, mostly for world effects. Imagine having users

56 57 3D OBJECT TRACKING

In previous chapters, we’ve discussed an illustration in the manual, you might the benefits of target tracking, which is scan it with the Facebook Camera instead, limited to flat images and surfaces. We in which the machine’s parts are labeled are looking forward to the moment that directly on its surface through AR. 3D object tracking is also supported. The use cases and possibilities for Camera Effects opens up dramatically. “With 3D object tracking, you feed the platform a 3D model and it’s able to recognize a similar shape in the real world,” says Brinkers, “which you can then attach 3D information to.”

For example, let’s imagine you bought a new coffee maker but aren’t sure what the various parts do. Rather than consult

58 INTEGRATION WITH

Camera Effects on the Messenger the ability to transmit data between the Platform have been announced at F8 filter and the bot. Currently this is not in 2018, though development for it is possible. A chatbot might hand you off currently in closed beta. Integrating to a camera effect that lets you see a effects with Messenger is a big deal, digital car in your driveway and change since it changes the context from how its color or other features in real time, we typically interact with lenses today. but the bot won’t be aware of your Activated via chatbots, Camera Effects in preferences or interactions upon closing Messenger are ideal for informing users the effect. If this handoff between effect about new products and letting them see and bot were supported by allowing the how they would fit in the real world. chatbot to register and respond to user interactions, the benefits to ecommerce While we are looking forward to would be massive. getting public access to this feature, one addition we would love to see is

59 60 61 PERSISTENCE

World effects are a lot of fun, allowing To make this capability much more users to imagine and interact with digital personalized and impactful, we hope objects in their immediate surroundings. to see the Spark AR platform recognize Seeing may be believing, but these objects users individually. Doing so would also are typically strictly virtual with no allow the platform to retain data from bearing or influence on the real world. users’ previous interactions with effects. Though effects need not be so limited For example, if someone used an effect to the virtual realm; through Spark AR’s that renders how a product would look ability to communicate to a back-end in their home, they could customize it server to send and receive data, many and save for later. Or with game-like creative options become available. “That effects, a high score or chosen avatar outside line enables all sorts of stuff,” could be retained from one interaction says Brinkers, allowing developers to pull to another, encouraging repeat from API data to enhance the experience. engagement.

62 OBJECT OCCLUSION

The next frontier in the development of underlying AR technology is occlusion. It allows virtual objects to be covered by objects in the real world. For example, a virtual rabbit might peek out from behind a real-world tree. But occlusion is difficult to get right, requiring machine learning to provide a more sophisticated understanding of 3D space. It may take some time before Camera Effects support occlusion—but once they do, brands will be able to design much more realistic and immersive experiences that further blur the line between the real and the virtual.

63 THERE’S A LOT TO BE EXCITED ABOUT

The platform is fast-changing, and so does the potential for better talented developers are always finding storytelling. new ways to use it—for example, using back-end communication to further Thankfully, Facebook is always working bridge the gap between real and to expand the capabilities of Spark virtual by developing digital objects AR. “Facebook is unique in applying that can have a real-world impact, like both AR, machine learning as well as a triggering lights. Running with that social ecosystem together,” says Snider- idea, you might even control smart Held. The future looks bright for the appliances and of Things platform, and there’s never been a devices throughout the home one day better time to jump in than now. using Camera Effects. Creative design will further push the boundaries of what’s possible on the Spark AR platform. As new features emerge,

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66 WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? BRING YOUR BRAND TO LIFE WITH AR AR has rapidly grown in the past few these interactions simplifies the process years, and consumers and brands have of developing for AR. both taken notice. Brands love the immersive storytelling possibilities it By leveraging machine learning with its presents while consumers love the way social ecosystem, Facebook’s platform is it fits within their social habits. Facebook unique in propelling new experiences. has integrated all the ingredients for While AR is primed to provide fun, success with its easy-to-use Spark AR snackable experiences to users on any platform, providing brands with a device, there’s still a lot of room for the simple way to develop irresistible AR platform to grow—and we can’t wait experiences that take advantage of the to see what happens next. It begs ’s reach. question: how will you push the limits of what kind of experiences are possible Furthermore, promoting Camera Effects through Facebook Camera Effects? is similar to promoting other types of posts on Facebook, making them an easy addition to your content strategy. From the early stages of the development process to after publishing, it’s important that brands carefully consider how they will reach consumers through their use of the tech. Because less is more when it comes to Camera Effects, zeroing in on

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