Creativity for all: Facebook’s Spark AR now lets anyone build and share effects on Instagram

August 13, 2019

Through photo and video, augmented reality (AR) lets us customize those moments we share with the people who matter most at the touch or swipe of a screen. Facebook’s Spark AR platform already gives people the tools, inspiration, and resources they need to add new layers of meaning to the world — and we’re working to make it even better. At this year’s F8, we announced our plans to move out of Spark AR’s closed beta on Instagram and give the entire community of Spark AR creators the power to publish their effects on Instagram. And now, we’re excited to officially kickoff Spark AR’s public beta on Instagram!

Stories to tell

Instagram Stories let you express yourself in the moment and connect with friends, and AR adds rich, interactive, and dynamic layers to those experiences. AR lets artists, creators, and designers make custom effects to share with their communities and enable more vibrant forms of digital expression — and we’re happy to help bring the Spark AR community’s creative visions to life.

The creator community

A graphic design and advertising student, Aliya Ataulova (@whiteabysses) has published seven Spark AR effects to Instagram so far. She sees AR as fundamental to the future of art creation, though getting started at first appeared daunting.

“I had never worked with 3D before Spark AR, so all of these portals and hole effects were difficult to understand at first,” Ataulova explains. And then, she discovered Spark AR Studio.

“When you spend time trying and trying, you eventually get what you want — and it all starts to make sense,” she says.

Luke Hurd (@lukehurd) has created 30 Spark AR effects to date to reach his community on their social platform of choice. “What drew me to Spark AR was this great feature set,” he explains. “It’s on devices that everyone can use, doesn’t require headsets, and it has built-in shareability. Really, everything connected to the point where I thought, ‘I really need to be involved in this and figure out how people use this.’”

With a career that spans three decades, Hurd definitely knows his way around emerging technologies and their ability to change the ways we see and live in the world — and he understands that along with that opportunity comes the obligation to build with people in mind. As Hurd notes, “My advice to augmented reality developers: Be a good steward to the technology and understand that you’re carrying this thing to the future of society.”

A full-time video editor and television director, Chris Higa (@chriseditingofficial) draws his inspiration from trending cultural moments — like the recent Area 51 meme, which fueled the creation of his collaboration with Sallia Goldstein (@salliasnap), Alien Effect.

Since joining the Spark AR creator community, Higa has found the people to be positive and supportive. And in the future, he sees a huge opportunity for AR at large-scale events, particularly for brands looking to stand out. “My goal is to give companies an advantage by allowing their users to engage with their products in new and interesting ways,” he says. “I want to work with companies at events to provide those unique experiences.”

Whether you want to add a new layer of fun to an event like a wedding, birthday party, or graduation with a custom filter or you’re a professional who wants to continue to hone their craft, Spark AR Studio has everything you need to get started. And with Instagram Stories being used by over 500 million users daily, there’s no better place to express yourself with your own AR effects — or simply share the ways you’re using them with your community. Visit sparkar.facebook.com to get started or join the Spark AR Community Facebook Group to learn more.