Step into John Waters’ virtual salon

For one of Hollywood’s most beloved character-driven (and fashionable) storytellers , it only seemed fitting to use AR technology to give fans the chance to step into the kitschy shoes of some of Waters’ most beloved characters.

Bluecadet and the Academy settled on recreating 5 of Waters’ most iconic characters (in addition to Waters’ himself) to best represent the varied personalities created over his half-century career.

Preserving Authenticity

One of the most significant challenges in building the app was preserving the authenticity of John Waters’ work and characters; Waters’ himself even played a vital role as a stakeholder in approving the app.

It was essential to create a realistic 3D facsimile of each character with attention to the most nuanced details, all built within the capabilities of 3D modeling and AR.

Modeling photorealistic hair and integrating optimized models into an augmented reality app was an exceptional challenge, but the process was a great learning experience for a rookie 3D designer.

The collaboration between Bluecadet and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures produced an engaging and innovative augmented reality experience. It successfully bridged the gap between the irreverent underground world of John Waters and contemporary technology, resulting in a dynamic, memorable, and irreverent companion to the retrospective.

Scan the QR code below and watch the video to have John Waters himself guide you through the process!

John Waters AR – Mobile Link