This week, we’ve decided to refine the concept we proposed last week: “Melting as the Image”.
By removing the direct representation of “ice” in the image, we retain the melting effect to imply the presence of ice. With this idea, we decided to transform this effect as a filter, a more powerful and interactive tool.
To create the filter, we first gathered everyday items and categorized them to distill the visual rules of melting.
Then we tried some 2D melting effects on each category to provide visual references for creating the filter.
Additionally, we also developed a pair of glasses as a physical filter (produced by Zeina).
She explored the principles of glasses/lenses by burning or melting different transparent fils/sheets like: Acetate Sheets, Polyester Film, Polypropylene Film, Polycarbonate Sheets, PVC Transparency Film.
She incorporated the principles of bifocals to the melted lenses (clear pvc film) by burning the (right) near Vision on the plastic film/sheet of one lens and melting the (left) distance vision on plastic sheet/film.
Together, the burning and melting prevents the distant items from melting, creating the illusion that the nearby objects are melting.
In terms of technology and video (by me), we used Spark AR, software provided by the app previously known as Facebook, to create a filter that could be uploaded to Instagram, allowing users to see “melting daily life” through their phone screens.
Initially, I tried to create the melting effect by directly adjusting parameters.
However, during experimentation, I noticed the effect was too uniform—the entire image melted, contrary to our intention.
So I tried a another approach: focusing the melting effect on a single object.
The code shared by Josh Beckwith on GitHub was very helpful. It enabled us to use the liquify function in Spark AR to modify images using the brush tool.
Based on this approach, we devised three distinct melting effects to ensure this filter’s compatibility with as many daily items as possible. I created three melting filters with different rules.
Afterward, we collected various daily items from our friends and classmates, applying the filter to demonstrate the tool’s potential for communication within a broader context.
However, due to factors like device capabilities, time constraints, and technical limitations, its visual effects may not meet our desired standards… But we believe it effectively conveys the intended concept.