Sofi Chernyak doesn’t make filters — she builds worlds.

The MaquillAR Studio founder and artistic director is the type of visionary that may take a gold-packaging-encased Valdé Beauty lipstick and create from it a shimmering, oasis-inspired virtual landscape which manages to not only evoke the product’s physical appearance in an immersive way, but adds a female empowerment-focused story that may be explored and felt by anyone who comes across the Instagram filter.

Founded in 2021, MaquillAR combines Chernyak’s longtime experience as a makeup artist, her bachelor’s degree in art history and studio art, and unwavering resolve to create social media filters which are “creatively good,” or in other words, don’t depend on face-altering technology to make their mark.

The studio has launched filter collaborations with brands corresponding to LYS Beauty, Jeanine Lobell’s Neen and Lashify, in addition to renowned makeup artists Val Garland and Erin Parsons. To this point, MaquillAR’s Instagram and TikTok filters have garnered greater than 66 million impressions worldwide and have been utilized by social media users tons of of 1000’s of times — and the studio is just getting began.

In an interview with Beauty Inc, Chernyak chats about her experience navigating the AR and AI filter creation space, and assesses the evolution of the digital beauty sphere.

When did you first realize the chance of the AR and AI beauty space?

Sofi Chernyak: At first, I used to be skeptical of the space — I didn’t think it was anything great. It wasn’t until Meta released its Spark AR studio tool in 2017 that my journey [with AR] truly began. One in all my favorite elements of being a makeup artist in fashion was the collaborative aspect of the work, and that’s something I desired to bring into the digital realm; unlocking a tool that permits your art to be experienced on multiple faces, reasonably than simply one model, is an exceptional thing.

How do you approach creating filters for brands, and what characteristics of a filter maximize organic adoption by social media users?

S.C.: The best way we work out what we are able to do for a brand is just asking: “What’s your brand about?” Once we understand that, we’re in a position to dissect what actually matters to their community, and construct a story around that. A variety of people nowadays discover as creators, even in the event that they are very micro of their following, and so creating gamified filters works thoroughly for this creator community since it answers their essential problem of, “What do I make a reel about today?” or “What should my next TikTok be?”

How long does it take to bring a filter from ideation to execution?

S.C.: It is dependent upon the complexity, but normally between two weeks and two months. If an idea is comparatively familiar or easy, like with some makeup look filters, those are likely to be faster. Once we’re constructing a world, there tends to be loads more conversation and artistic and strategic adjustments made with the client.

Do you will have a favourite filter collaboration you’ve launched into?

S.C.: We recently did a Halloween-themed collaboration with YouTuber Safiya Nygaard, and it was a incredible effort on many levels. We were in a position to reach such a large audience through her channel, and it was extremely fun to see this incredible army of individuals co-create an experience with us. Over 130,000 [TikTok] videos have been created with the filter; it was emotionally rewarding to interact so many individuals and empower them to feel more relaxed with the thought of digital makeup, in addition to self-expression within the space.

Because the AR filter space continues to grow, how can brands differentiate themselves?

S.C.: I feel differentiation will all the time come from the core of what a brand stands for. Consumers’ expectations of brands are very high right away — they need brands to be socially and politically lively, and loudly support causes like inclusivity and feminine empowerment. This will pose a challenge for some larger brands which have been out there for some time, and now must reinvent themselves and truly seem authentic in doing that even when [those values] usually are not something that was previously a part of their core messaging. It’s not that brands necessarily must depend on AR as a differentiator, but reasonably, their core values are their differentiator, and AR is one means through which they’ll amplify those.

There was much discourse recently regarding the potential harm of face-altering filter technology. How is MaquillAR accounting for these concerns?

S.C.: That is something I take into consideration on a regular basis. Once I began MaquillAR, I desired to create filters which are exciting by themselves, and fortunately, most brands also wish to avoid the potential harm of face-altering effects to their communities. We avoid making filters that alter your face in a way that makeup couldn’t; we would like to encourage people through creative projects which are far more about artistic exploration than hiding who you might be.

Might MaquillAR play within the metaverse any time soon?

S.C.: We’re not selling metaverses to clients just yet. I think the metaverse shall be very successful, but that the visuals which are currently driving users to the space usually are not what shall be the final word driver of its success. I got here up with a term — meta-Baroque — to explain what I feel is going on within the metaverse right away, during which there’s almost such a desperation to create excitement concerning the space that brands are using these oversaturated colours and elements to attract people, and that desperation actually signifies the indisputable fact that it’s not working yet. Once this rush to turn into faster, to be the primary and the perfect, shifts, we’ll come to a far more organic, thought-out and relaxed constructing space, and that’s probably when MaquillAR will join the metaverse.