Video description: Two phone screens show videos of people modeling how the John Waters AR app has given them hair and makeup from John Waters' characters Tracy Turnblad and Divine overlaid onto their faces and heads.
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
To accompany a retrospective on John Waters’ transgressive cult filmography we created a face-swapping AR experience to give fans the chance to step into the kitschy shoes of some of Waters’ most beloved characters.
Collaborating with an icon
Bluecadet and the Academy Museum recreated five of Waters’ iconic characters—Divine, Hatchet-Face, Tracy, Edie, and Waters himself—to represent his varied career. Waters played a vital role as a stakeholder in approving the app.
Preserving authenticity
One of the most significant challenges in building the app was preserving the authenticity of John Waters’ work and characters; Waters himself even played a vital role as a stakeholder in approving the app.
Creating John Waters' world
It was essential to create a realistic 3D facsimile of each character with attention to the most nuanced details, all built within the capabilities of 3D modeling and AR.
Accessible augmented reality
In true John Waters fashion, the app is open and accessible for all. We developed a high-performance browser app with a “Non-AR” mode, allowing users to view each character as a mannequin bust.
Sarin Cemcem | Manager, Digital StrategyWorking with Bluecadet on our AR project was an outstanding experience. Their collaborative approach and creative spirit brought the project to life, creating an immersive and engaging experience that exceeded our expectations.
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