Creator Spotlight: Noland Chaliha

Creator from 🇺🇸 United States

Please tell us something about yourself. Where are you from and were do you work? For how long have you been creating AR filters? Are you a freelancer or a member of the company specializing in AR filters? etc.

I’m a machine learning developer and creative coder who has been making effects for both platforms for many years. I love to make dynamic experiences that surprise the user and draw them into a different world.

How many effects have you created so far and for which platforms?

183 effects so far for instagram (sparkar) and lens studio. I’ve also with with 8th wall, threejs, and unity arfoundation.

Name the best three effects you created and briefly describe them (this effects will be featured in the article)

My most popular and very first is Sunflowery, this is a simple effect that draws attention to chain physics on 3D models of sunflowers on the head.

My best effect is Lost In The Funhouse. This one is a visual shader-based selfie effect that responds to the users face position and orientation and distorts the image like a funhouse mirror. I love this one because of all the options of different effects.

My last favorite is Watery, this is a procedural shader that distorts light to look like water reflections. It’s just nice and soothing.

Which platform for creating AR filters is your favourite and why?

I love Sparkar because of the community but I also see such great energy and support from the Official Lens Creator community. I started making interactive code based art long before each platform existed and I say that not to sound cool but to emphasize that the platform is irrelevant: it’s what you create that matters.

What in your opinion makes an AR effect successful?

An effect is successful if it reflects the creators heart. I feel like this question is a bit of a trap because you can’t honestly talk about anything related to art creation without extracting just a million clichés; but, what’s challenging about creating art inside of social media platform is it risks not being honest. You end up making something that’s not for you or about you or feels good to you and that’s a bad effect. Because art that resonates is art that is personal, political, involved, relevant but it can’t be any of those things if you’re not present in it.