John Waters: Pope of Trash

Client: Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Studio: Bluecadet
Role: Lead Developer
Technology: Three.js, 8th Wall
Year: 2023


To accompany the Academy Museum’s retrospective on John Waters’ cult filmography, we created a face-swapping AR experience that lets fans step into the kitschy shoes of five iconic characters, plus Waters himself. The experience supports both AR face filters and a non-AR mode where users can explore detailed 3D character busts as digital mannequins, and allows capturing and sharing selfie photos and videos. As lead developer, I owned the implementation and delivery of the app, collaborating closely with the design team.

Three smartphones displaying augmented reality face filters and virtual effects from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History app, with one showing a person wearing a quirky wig and another with a sculpture of a head with a speech bubble.