Lingyi Zhou
Portfolio Website
All My Works

Ex. AR Engineer @ Snap Inc.
Ex. Unity Engineer @ Unity

MFA Design and Technology @ Parsons
MA Game Design & Development @ Columbia
XR Developer
AR Development in Lens Studio & Effect House.
VR Development in Unity for Oculus Quest and Apple Vision Pro
Game Developer
Unity Development for desktop and mobile games
Shader knowledge and development experience
3D Designer
Blender and Maya for stylized and realistic modeling and rendering  
Cinema4D for animation and procedural modelling  
Full Stack Engineer
React front end + FastAPI Backend + Postgre database
Graphic Designer
Adobe Indesign, Adobe Illustrator

Marvel's Flerken AR Filter – Commercial AR Campaign

During my time at Moviebill/Really AR, I developed an interactive AR filter for The Marvels movie campaign that transforms cats into Flerkens (alien creatures from the Marvel universe). The filter uses real-time object detection to identify cats and applies dynamic visual effects, creating an engaging marketing experience distributed through Regal Cinema's TikTok and Snapchat channels.

Tech Stack

  • Platform: Lens Studio / Effect House / TikTok
  • Languages: JavaScript, GLSL Shaders
  • Features: Object Detection, AR Interaction, Cross-Platform
  • Role: AR Effects Developer
  • Year: 2023

My Contributions

  • Created interactive AR cat filter for The Marvels campaign achieving viral distribution on TikTok and Regal Cinema app
  • Implemented real-time object detection and spatial anchoring for seamless cat-to-flerken transformation effects
  • Developed cross-platform AR experience supporting both mobile apps and cinema promotional campaigns
  • Optimized performance for mobile devices while maintaining high-quality visual effects for marketing impact

Demo Video

Watch the Flerken AR filter in action, demonstrating real-time cat detection, transformation effects, and interactive elements designed for viral social media engagement.


Feature 1: Real-Time Cat Detection

Advanced computer vision algorithms identify cats in the camera feed and track their movement for precise effect placement. The system handles multiple cats simultaneously while maintaining stable tracking performance.


Feature 2: Flerken Transformation

Dynamic visual effects transform detected cats into Flerkens with tentacle animations, particle effects, and Marvel-themed visual elements. Custom HLSL shaders create smooth transitions and engaging animations.

The Flerken AR filter became a key component of The Marvels marketing campaign, distributed through Regal Cinema's official channels and achieving significant user engagement. The filter demonstrated how AR technology can create memorable brand interactions that drive movie promotion and audience engagement across social media platforms.