Spark AR is an augmented reality (AR) creation tool from Meta (Facebook). It allowed users to create AR effects, filters, games, and immersive experiences that can be shared on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. It was depreciated in later 2024.

When Spark AR was still in its early days, I led the charge at then studio Shadow Factory to adopt the platform, seeing its potential beyond just a novelty, but as a powerful new channel for creative, technically-driven marketing that clients would be interested in exploring. In 2017 I applied to be one of the initial 300 beta testers for Meta Spark AR, and went on to play a significant role in shaping the platform’s development for the next four years while at Shadow Factory.

During that time my work was featured by Meta in the top 10 AR filters of the year and showcased at Meta Connect (formely F8), Meta’s annual developer conference.

Spark AR, Meta’s augmented reality tool for Facebook and Instagram, gave us a way to build lightweight, interactive experiences that lived natively inside the apps people already used every day - Instagram and Facebook. Especially early on, the development process was complex. With a strict 20MB file size limit and a constantly evolving (and largely undocumented) toolset, creating filters required a blend of creativity, technical intuition, and constraint-driven problem solving.

As Technical Director (and later, Producer), I used my game development background to optimize performance and create enjoyable user experiences across mobile devices. From scripting custom interactions to fine-tuning shaders and materials in the editor, I was hands-on at every stage of production. Spark AR quickly became more than a tool for the studio, as it opened up an entirely new revenue stream for the team and helped us build deeper, more interactive relationships between brands and their audiences.

We worked directly with Facebook as one of their early “preferred partners”, which not only gave us access to top-tier clients, but also to internal product teams. In my role as Technical Director I was at the forefront of every discussion with the Facebook team. From participating in on-site hackathons to troubleshooting SDK quirks, I helped shape the direction of the platform in real-time. That collaboration opened doors for my studio to partnerships with global brands like Disney, Rakuten, Shakira, and FC Barcelona, where we delivered custom AR filters that blended visual storytelling with interaction design. One of my personal highlights of this period was sitting down with Mark Zuckerberg himself to discuss the future of AR and immersive content creation.

The value of Spark AR to us was clear and immediate. We developed internal templates and pipelines that allowed us to deliver filters efficiently whether clients wanted something simple or experimental. The experiences felt native, playful, and seamlessly integrated into existing user behavior. Instead of passively viewing ads, users became participants, often turning into brand ambassadors as they shared the content organically through their own social networks.

This shift in engagement was huge. Clients could achieve higher reach and interaction without relying on traditional media spend. Spark AR also lowered the barrier to entry for immersive content-campaigns that would previously require large budgets and months of custom development could now be launched quickly, tested in the wild, and refined in real time. For us, it was an incredibly effective way to build trust with new partners. We could deliver real results quickly, and then grow those relationships into larger projects-spanning custom apps, games, and interactive websites.

One of my biggest personal takeaways however from working with SparkAR was the direct 1:1 time with external stakeholders and clients it afforded me. This became a huge asset as I transitioned full time into Production, as I garned a wealth of experience dealing with high-profile stakeholders at Facebook, Disney, and other Fortune-500 companies.