Ibong Adarna - Philippine Epic

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  By tapping on your screen, you can change the color of your surroundings.

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  There are up to four colors of particle feathers being generated.

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  By pinching at the screen, you can adjust the size of the Ibong Adarna.

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Inspiration

The inspiration for this World AR Effect is the mythological creature from the eponymous Philippine epic, the Ibong Adarna. It is a magical bird whose seven enchanted songs are known to restore health and cure diseases. One of its defining features is its feathers which change color at the end of each song.

What it does

The filter includes a 3D object of the Ibong Adarna, as well as particle effects in the form of falling feathers. Tapping the screen will trigger a change in the overlay between the seven shades mentioned in the story. A licensed audio clip from Ballet Manila's production of Ibong Adarna also plays over the scene.

How I built it

This project was built using Spark AR Studio. The phoenix model was imported from the AR library. It was scaled and rotated to fit the screen. An animation patch was also used to control the movement of the object. The feathers and particle systems were originally edited in Photoshop and later added to the filter as assets. A plane emitter type was used and its corresponding properties were fine-tuned in the Inspector. Likewise, the gradients were implemented in a similar fashion albeit they were added as the texture for an animation sequence. The screen tap and counter patches make it possible to switch between colors by simply touching the screen. The m4a file was connected to a speaker object and audio controller for the music.

Challenges I ran into

The main challenge that we faced was overcoming the learning curve as first-time users of Spark AR Studio. We had to take the time to study the documentation before we could proceed with building our project.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

The accomplishment we're most proud of is that we were able to create an interactive filter that successfully conveys the heart and story of the Ibong Adarna using AR technology which we had little to no prior experience working with. We are glad to have made something that is not only functional but engaging as well. It exposes a wider audience to the rich literary culture of our country in a way that is wholly immersive.

What I learned

We learned how to leverage the power of AR technology in order to add another layer of depth to our lived reality and collective imagination. This experience has opened our eyes to the endless possibilities of how else this tool can be used to delight, educate, and inspire people from all walks of life.

What's next for Ibong Adarna

Ibong Adarna is the first project in a series of filters that we intend to create as part of our advocacy to bring Philippine mythology and folklore into popular culture by adapting it to digital media. We hope that this inspires a trend of storytelling in platforms that support AR technology. May we continue to appreciate diverse art forms in our increasingly connected world.

Built With

• photoshop
• sparkarstudio