Thanks to our friends at TikTok Effect House for sponsoring this blog post!
On TikTok, effects drive culture, inspire trends, and spark connection. Effects are AR experiences that allow creators to make content in dynamic, interactive formats. Effects can be made by anyone on Effect House, TikTok’s effect creation platform. Designers from all backgrounds have found a creative outlet in Effect House, using it to express themselves and create immersive visual experiences.
In this interview with 2D/3D AR designer, Kasai Green, we’ll dive into how his love for games led him to become one of Effect House’s fastest growing designers and helped him build a thriving community.
When did you start creating effects on Effect House?
My first time creating an effect on Effect House was last October during the Windows open beta.
Why do you create effects on TikTok?
I love creating games and by using Effect House, I’ve been able to bring my ideas to life for the entire TikTok community. Creating TikTok effects started as a creative outlet for me but it’s grown into much more as I’m now able to share my knowledge with upcoming creators and also monetize my work.
How does creating effects on TikTok help you express yourself?
Growing up, I’ve always been in love with games. If I couldn’t find any, I’d often times make games. I also loved sharing games or creating games for my friends and family. With TikTok, I’ve been able to both bring fun ideas to life for myself, but also share these ideas with the TikTok Community.
How has your experience been creating effects for TikTok?
My experience has been great! I’ve gone to many events and have run into people who’ve recognized me from TikTok or had used my effects in the past. This is truly a surreal feeling. The Effect House community managers also often time will recognize my work and the work of others in the community. There was also an Effect House creator summit in California, where I was able to meet a great number of amazing creators and share a fun week alongside them.
Can you describe your process for creating effects for TikTok?
First, it’s all about the idea. I normally get lots of inspiration just by scrolling through the TikTok app. There I can see trending things in pop culture, tech, and even the cool projects of my fellow creators. Next, I like to write down my ideas and a workflow on pen and paper as I love sketching and doodling while I think. I’d then start creating the effect logic with minimal graphical elements, as a way to ensure that logical components are working the way I’d hoped. Finally, I add the graphics, music, and a whole lot of love.
What do you enjoy most about creating effects for TikTok?
I love the community interaction. For a lot of my effects, I’ll often times make it very “bare”. I’d then post a video asking what features I should add next. I’ll always read through the comments or check the effect videos to get ideas on implementations to make the effect even better.
What makes creating for the TikTok community so unique?
While there are a number of Social-Augmented Reality apps, what makes Effect House so special is that it’s paired with the ever-growing TikTok community. TikTok is comprised of many smaller communities with a wide variety of interests and because of the “For you page”, your effect will oftentimes be seen by the exact target audience you hoped for.
How has the TikTok community responded to your effects?
The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive and encouraging. I’ve received messages where I’ve been thanked for creating educational gaming effects that teachers utilized or just making a TikTok community feel more seen. Also, as not only an Effect creator but also a Black effect creator, I’ve been told by many upcoming creators that I had inspired them to start creating effects as well. It brings me great joy to know I inspire others in the same way I was inspired when I first started.
What are your top three favorite effects that you’ve made for TikTok?
“Guess the Flag”, “Personality Test”, and “Multiplication Challenge”.
What advice would you give to someone who’s just getting started with effect creation/Effect House?
It’s not as scary as you think. The interface and programming components are very user-friendly with tons of documentation and tutorials. There are also a great number of templates, some by the Effect House team and others by the creator community. You’ll also have the Community page and the Discord server if you have any questions or would just like to see more effects. Effect House also hosts a number of challenges and competitions during each month, which is a great incentive to start creating today.
Anything else you’d like to share about your experience with Effect House?
If you’re an upcoming graphic designer or programmer, creating effects through Effect House is a great way to implement your ideas and practice key components of your study while being able to publish it for the entire TikTok community. TikTok effects also act as a great compliment to the content you may already be posting. Effects can amplify your storytelling or add another layer of interaction between you and your followers.
Ready to start your new design journey? Download Effect House and create your first effect within 14 days to win a New Creator Bonus of up to $30!
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