LESSON 4: Make a Face Distorting Lens
Ok - time to get weird!
In lesson 4 you’ll build a new Lens that distorts your face.
The Distort Template in Lens Studio gives you the potential to stretch, liquify, and duplicate your facial features. The best thing is you can create these Lenses without even having to import anything extra into Lens Studio. Ready? Let’s go!
All you need to create your first funny face Lens is…
- Lens Studio and the Face Distort Template (more on that later)
- This video tutorial:
Distort Tutorial by Next Shift Learning
- This handy Face Distort Template Guide
- Your Sketchbook (or ours)
- A fully charged phone with Snapchat installed
Step 1: Explore (Only spend 5 minutes on this)
Open up the Snapchat app on your phone. Explore some of the Face Distort Lenses using the search function or use the QR codes below. We’ve also included some in the Sketchbook (see page 8)
You can use Lens Studio to distort your face in three ways:
- Stretch your face. The Stretch effect allows you to stretch and squish the user's face. It’s great for creating funny face effects.
- Warp your features. The Liquify effect spherically warps the face (think of the ones with big alien eyes). It’s perfect for making exaggerated faces.
- Duplicate your features. The Inset effect allows you to map a feature of your face (e.g. eyes) to other areas of your face (e.g. your forehead). Use this to create an entirely new creature like a cyclops or mutant humanoid spider!
While you explore some Face Distorting Lenses, can you tell which ones:
- Stretch the face?
- Liquify the face?
- Duplicate features?
Jot down any ones you find particularly entertaining in your Sketchbook (on page 8). Why do they work so well?
Step 2: Design
In your Sketchbook (page 8), come up with ideas for your Face Distort Lens.
Remember: you can stretch, liquify and duplicate your facial features.
Stuck for an idea for your Face Distort Lens design?
Lots of Lens Creators start their designs by creating a character. Think about creating a character for the following stories:
- A mutant creature in a horror film
- An alien in a sci-fi film
- A funny monster in a kids film
If it helps, come up with a short back story for them. Or come up with your own character ideas!
Record your design ideas in your Sketchbook on page 8.
Don’t forget to use our Successful Lens Checklist to improve your design:
1. Does your Lens appeal to a certain audience?
2. Does your Lens have a clear purpose?
3. Is your Lens fun to interact with?
4. Does your Lens provoke a reaction from the user?
5. Is your Lens sharable?
Step 3: Watch (this should take about 10 minutes)
Open the Lens Studio software on your computer.
Before you do anything in Lens Studio, take some time to Watch this Face Distort Video Tutorial by Lens Creator Roman Jaquez. Take in as much as you can before you start making any faces!
Distort Tutorial by Next Shift Learning
Step 4: Create
Time to make some silly faces! Take time to play around and see what’s possible, using your design ideas as a starting point. Follow the steps in the video tutorial, using the Face Distort template in Lens Studio to stretch, liquify and duplicate your face.
Remember: The Face Distort template contains ready-made effects which you can edit or delete. This handy guide shows you how to alter these effects, as well as how to add more of your own.
If you want to explore each of the different distortion templates in more detail, use these Guides: Stretch, Liquify, Inset
Spend a few more minutes trying your new Lens on your Snapchat app! (See the Pairing to Snapchat Guide if you need reminding how to do this here).
Don’t forget to save your Lens on your computer. Then, save a screenshot of your Lens as a .PNG ready for upload to the Lesson #4 Padlet. If you’d like, you can also Preview the Lens and save a video copy (just like in the last lesson, reminder guide can be found here).
Step 5: Share and Reflect (leave about 10 minutes for this bit)
On Padlet
Share your creation with your classmates and our friendly learner community by uploading your final work to the Lesson #4 Padlet. In the caption of your photo, write a short answer to the following questions:
- What went well this time?
- How would you make an even better Face Distort Lens next time?