PIERCE GIBSON

It all started when…

The Mill continued their Facebook AR collaboration by teaming up with Netflix for the recent release of Stranger Things 2. With these new filters fans are able to transform into The Demogorgon and journey into the Upside Down.

Fans can access these camera effects by tapping on the camera icon on the top left corner of the Facebook app or by swiping right from their News Feeds to open the Facebook Camera, a new in-app camera/capture experience that is packed with masks, frames, and style effects that users can apply to photos and videos. 

To create these thematic elements as AR masks, The Mill's VFX team set out with the intention to encompass the emotional scope of the show by embracing the warmth of the series as well as the adventure and suspense components. Working closely with Netflix, they were able to create unique vignettes for Dart, the newest character, and The Demogorgon. These vignettes were created in 3D and individually tailored to the AR experience for a rich interaction among users. 

Art Director and Senior Designer Pierce Gibson comments, "The world of Stranger Things offered so many unique possibilities in shaping an AR narrative- it took several iterations and rounds of concepting to decide on the best approach that suited the Facebook Camera Effect platform. Mainly, we wanted to find the best way to place the user front and center, as the driving force of the narrative."

Make sure to check out these filters using your Facebook App on Android or Apple.

The Webby Awards:

The Mill was honored an award, a Webby Award and the Webby People’s Voice Award, in the 22nd annual Webby Awards, the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. The Webby Awards presents two honors in every category—The Webby Award and The Webby People’s Voice Award. Members of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) select the Winners of The Webby Awards, and in the spirit of the open Web, The Webby People’s Voice is awarded by the voting public. 

Credits:

Commissioners

Commissioners: Facebook, Netflix

Strategic Partner Manager: Chris Barbour

Strategic Partner Manager: Andrew Wamugi

Strategic Partner Development, TV: Kelly Perron

Lead Partner Engineer, Platform: Brad Heintz

Consumer Communications Manager, Entertainment: Kat Jawaharal

Technology Communications Associate Manager: Claire Lerner

Editorial

Editorial: The Mill

Editor: Leanne Belgiorno

VFX Production

VFX Production: The Mill

Executive Producer: Sallyann Houghton

Producer: Hayley Underwood Norton

VFX Creative

VFX Creative: The Mill

Art Director: Pierce Gibson 

3D Lead Artist: Seon Crawford 

3D Artist: Hannah Lee, Weichieh Yu

Design Lead Artist: Pierce Gibson

Design: Steve Kutny 

Developer: Fabio Piparo

Developers

Developer Company: Oddleg

Lead Developer: Alex Nguyen

Developers: Daniel Shaw, Shaun Salzberg