Creator Help Centre

Table of contents:

  1. How Poplar Studio works
  2. What are creator certifications?
  3. My client isn’t responding. What should I do?
  4. What if I can’t meet a deadline?
  5. How to use 3D model viewer
  6. What makes a good image target for an image tracker AR experience?
  7. What files do I need to provide to the client at the end of the project?
  8. Do I need to publish the effect for the client?
  9. How do creator payments work?
  10. What confidentiality agreements should I be aware of?

1. How Poplar Studio works

Poplar Studio is a creative platform that connects creators with 3D and AR briefs from brands. If you’re a creator and you’d like to sign up on the Poplar Studio platform, here’s what you can expect:

  1. Register on the platform by creating an account at poplar.studio/creators.
  2. Make sure to complete your profile so that we can match you with the best brief. This includes uploading any past projects you’ve been involved with. These will help raise your profile when it comes to clients selecting you as their creator.
  3. On the Briefs page, you will be able to see any live briefs, and apply to those that you think you are suited to. Every time a new brief is published on the Poplar Studio platform, you will receive an email and Slack notification (if you have joined our Slack channel).
  4. Once you find a brief that you think you are suited to, you can simply apply to it by clicking “Express Interest”. Please ensure your profile is up to date every time you express interest, to increase your chances of being selected.
  5. If you are shortlisted for the brief, you will then be asked to submit a concept or tech specs. These will be passed on to the client, who will select their desired creator based on this. You will have 2 days to submit your concept or tech specs.
  6. The client will now review your concept or tech specs and you’ll receive an email notification letting you know if you have been chosen or not. Whether you are selected or not, you will receive a £50 payment for your concept (please note we don’t pay for tech specs). You should expect this payment after the project is closed.
  7. During the Production phase of the project, you and the client will be provided with a Timeline with all key dates to keep in mind. This is to ensure that the project stays on track. By logging into the Poplar Studio platform, you will be able to communicate with your client and deliver the necessary assets for each feedback round.
  8. After the project is completed, you will receive your payment for your work on the project and for your concept.

2. What are creator certifications?

Creator certifications are a great way to show off your skills for specific platforms on your creator profile. They give reassurance to clients that you have the skills they are looking for when commissioning a project.

There are three separate badges you can obtain: Bronze (standard knowledge), Silver (advanced knowledge) and Gold (expert knowledge). These badges will be seen by clients when viewing your profile.

Gold and Silver badges provide creators with access to higher-end brands. Depending on the brand’s subscription tier, they may request only Gold creators, so we recommend that you aim to achieve the Gold badge in order to have access to all briefs.

If you’d like to test yourself for a creator certification, please contact us at creators@poplar.studio. To gain a badge, you will need to get a score of 80% or higher in the relevant test.

3. My client isn’t responding. What should I do?

If you haven’t heard back from a client and are concerned that this delay will affect the project deadline, please let us know as soon as possible by contacting us at creators@poplar.studio.

4. What if I can’t meet a deadline?

If you’re concerned that you won’t be able to meet a deadline, whether on your initial Timeline or during the AR creation process, please contact us as soon as possible to explain the reasons for your concern.

5. What makes a good image target for an image tracker AR experience?

A good image target is essential when it comes to image tracker AR experiences, to ensure that these will track as well as possible.

In this article we give you a quick summary for common image target requirements from platforms including Vuforia, Spark, Lens Studio and 8th Wall.

1. Richness of detail 

The target image should include a wealth of detail, avoiding transparency and blank space around the image.

Images such as street scenes, groups of people, collages and sport scenes are some examples of good target images.

2. High contrast

Both colour and black and white images work as image targets, but there should always be good contrasts between bright and dark regions. Please note that image target detection can’t distinguish between colours, so these can’t be relied on as a key differentiator between targets. Please also avoid images with lots of pastel colours.

3. No repetitive patterns

The target image should use distinct graphics throughout and avoid symmetry or repeated patterns or motifs. Please also stay away from smooth or soft edges and textures that include a lot of gradients.

4. High resolution

The target image should have a high resolution of at least 300×300 pixels.

Use a PNG or JPG with a resolution of 2048 x 2048 or less

5. Appropriate size

Image tracker AR effects work best when the image target fills up a large portion of the device camera. With that in mind, please make sure that the size of the finalised image target will be large enough. For example, distant billboards and small stickers may not fill up the frame.

6. No image reflectivity

Glossy surfaces and screen reflections often lead to low tracking quality. Make sure that the image is made from matte materials.

7. Flat surface

Images on curved surfaces such as bottles don’t tend to track well, so please ensure that the final image is meant for a flat surface.

Find out more about image target recommendations in:

6. How to use the 3D model viewer

One handy feature of the Chat system is the 3D model viewer. This allows you to upload 3D models so the client can preview them and give you feedback more easily.

To use this, click on the 3D Model button next to the Attach button and select your 3D model file. We recommend uploading a GLB or FBX file. glTF files are also supported.

If your model consists of multiple files, they must be uploaded as a ZIP file.

A preview screen will pop up, showing how the 3D model will be visualised. If the 3D model doesn’t render as expected, you can select the checkbox below it to “Disable 3D preview” and instead write instructions in the field below to let the client know what software they should use to view the 3D model.

7. What files do I need to provide to the client at the end of the project?

At the end of each project, please ensure you provide your client with all required project files. You should zip all the files and upload them to the Poplar Studio platform so the client has access to them in future if needed. On top of all source assets such as 3D models, the files you are required to provide depend on the AR platform.

Facebook and Instagram

Please provide a folder including:

  1. An icon.png
  2. A Spark AR project file (.arproj)
  3. Folders including other assets, such as objects, patches, textures and audio
  4. An exported Spark AR .arexport file
  5. A video of the Effect as either a .mov or .mp4 file

Snapchat

Please provide a folder including:

  1. An icon.png
  2. A project.data file
  3. A folder called “Public” containing all assets: textures, sounds, UI, meshes and scripts.
  4. A file that ends in .LSproj.
  5. A video of the Lens as either a .mov or .mp4 file

WebAR

Please provide the client with all of the files required to host the experience such as HTML, CSS and JS files, as well as any static assets, models, documentation, media and instructions for deploying the experience.

Apps

Please provide source files and built versions (e.g. .apk/.ipa) of the app for the agreed platform(s). Make sure to include any documentation, private keys or certificates, integration instructions, designs or any other material that may be useful should any maintenance be required in future.

8. Do I need to publish the effect for the client?

You and your client should agree at the beginning of each project if you will be responsible for publishing the experience for them. If you agreed so, please ensure you publish the effect at the close of the project.

9. How do creator payments work?

Creators must invoice us in order to receive payments:

  1. We will send you a PO that you must reference in the invoice.
  2. In your invoice, please include your full name, company name, email, company address, VAT number (if in the UK) and bank details. If you’re not in the UK, please ensure to include your full international bank details, including relevant IBAN or SWIFT codes.
  3. You will be paid the full amount within 30 days of completion of the project.

Concept payments are paid upon completion of the project. To receive a concept payment, please provide us with your PayPal email address. If you don’t have PayPal, please get in touch with us at creators@poplar.studio.

10. What confidentiality agreements should I be aware of?

When you register on Poplar Studio, you are consenting to our Terms & Conditions which, under section 7 (‘Confidential Information’), require you to keep client information confidential. Additionally, as part of any project you carry out for a client on Poplar Studio, you may be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). This is to protect the client’s assets and other information which they may wish to keep private.

To help you understand what our Terms & Conditions will mean for you, here is a list of the rules you will be required to follow in order to comply with them:

  • Do not discuss or show any of the work produced with the client with anyone, including test links.
  • Do not showcase the work produced after publication, unless you have the explicit consent of Poplar Studio and the client.
  • Do not repost any Poplar Studio briefs outside of the Poplar Studio platform.
  • Please provide a list of all creators you are working with for a given project, so that we can request them to register as creators at Poplar Studio. Anyone who hasn’t signed up as a creator will not be authorised to work on the project. In some cases, if requested by the client, we may also need to send them an NDA.