What is a TikTok filter? Definition?

A TikTok filter allows you to add content when recording a video with 2D and 3D elements using augmented reality. This way, you can integrate elements into your real environment before even making your video or photo since they are added to the interface of your camera directly in the TikTok application.

What is Augmented Reality?

The augmented reality is a new technology that allows virtual elements (2D and 3D) to be integrated into the real world through different media. On TikTok, the medium used is the TikTok mobile app itself, which allows the use of many filters and effects.

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TikTok Filters Possibilities

Face Animation filters are TikTok filters that rely on movements or actions of the face and head to activate animations. A TikTok effect using face animation allows for a multitude of different filters.

Roulette filters on TikTok allow you to scroll through many answers and display one randomly. This is a very popular TikTok effect and one that is widely used by creators as it allows for funny situations.

3D visualisation offers many possibilities for brands that sell online. It allows users to try a product virtually directly on the TikTok application through a TikTok effect.

Immersive packaging is a TikTok effect that animates the packaging or products through image recognition or QR code scanning. Immersive packaging allows the user to travel to a specific universe.

The AR game filters are very popular and invite users on TikTok to play with augmented reality. This TikTok effect is widely used for challenges and challenges and offers the possibility to interact with the brand's universe.

Is virtual try-on on feet and wrists available? New?

Tracking is the technology that recognises and tracks users' body parts. This feature will therefore allow products to be tried on the feet and wrists. Foot tracking is already available on Instagram and Snapchat and has already proved its worth for brands that want to increase their conversion rate through try-on on social networks. For example, a brand will be able to offer users to try on their shoe collection directly on the application thanks to a TikTok effect. Similarly for wrists, it will be possible to try on bracelets or watches directly on oneself. For the moment, Effect House has not yet announced the official release date but it could happen soon.

Where to Find TikTok Filters? Search?

In order to offer original content to TikTok users, the app has a large library of TikTok filters. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a specific filter or explore all the effects that might interest you. Thus, TikTok has decided to help content creators navigate this. Here are the various ways to find a TikTok filter.
find a tiktok filter first way

1. Find TikTok filters by creating a TikTok

The first way to find a TikTok filter is simply in the video creation tools. Indeed, when you press the button to create a video, the TikTok filter gallery is located at the bottom left.

Once in the effects catalog, you can simply browse through the filters that are categorized and discover all the possibilities. There are 12 different categories which are: 

  • Trending TikTok filters
  • The new TikTok filters
  • Fun TikTok filters
  • Interactive TikTok filters
  • TikTok atmosphere filters
  • TikTok beauty filters
  • AR universe TikTok filters
  • TikTok green screen filters
  • TikTok filters with accessories
  • TikTok filters with animals
  • TikTok editing filters
  • TikTok filters for events

 

In order to offer original content to users of the application, TikTok has a very large library of TikTok filters. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a specific filter or explore all the effects that might appeal to you. Thus, the TikTok giant has decided to help content creators find their way around. Here are the various ways to find a TikTok filter. 

search for a tiktok filter second way

2. Exploring TikTok filters

To offer original content to the users of the application, TikTok has a vast library of TikTok filters. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a specific filter or explore all the effects that could appeal to you. Therefore, the giant TikTok has decided to help content creators find their way around. Here are the various ways to find a TikTok filter.

find a tiktok filter third way

3. On videos in your feed

The second way to find TikTok filters is to browse your "For You" or "Following" feed, and when you find a filter you like, simply click the yellow button on the video and then the filter name. A page with all the videos made with this filter will appear, allowing you to get inspired. At this point, you can try it out immediately and create your TikTok video, or you can save it to your TikTok filters to use later. To do this, click on the small "Save to Favorites" icon, and you'll be able to find it later in the "Filters" option when you want to create a video!
find tiktok filter fourth way

4. On the profile of the TikTok filter creator

When a creator publishes a new TikTok filter, a gallery is created on their profile. This gallery is symbolized by a small magic wand that gives you access to the gallery tab. For example, if you like a creator's style, you can subscribe to them and receive notifications when they publish a new filter.

There are therefore 4 ways to find TikTok filters on the application. This allows creators to easily create content with TikTok filters that suit their desires. In this way, TikTok showcases its filters all over the application in order to encourage users to create content with them.

Use a TikTok filter? How?

First of all, you need to have selected your TikTok filter. To do this, you must have searched for it. Once on the filter, the TikTok app opens either the front or back camera, depending on the augmented reality experience in your TikTok filter. For example, if the filter's principle is to display 3D elements in the user's environment, the phone's default camera selected will generally be the rear camera. In the case of a roulette filter, the phone's front camera will be selected.

Generally, TikTok filters can be activated using triggers. There are different types of triggers available on the TikTok app:

  • The user's finger touches a specific point on the screen.
  • The finger remains pressed on the screen
  • Finger touches the screen anywhere
  • The user starts recording the video

These different types of triggers allow to trigger an augmented reality experience. For example, the TikTok filter can change the color of the user's hair.

Usually, TikTok filter creators integrate an instruction at the beginning of the augmented reality experience that will allow the user to understand the action they must take to trigger the filter.

What is a TikTok challenge/trend? Definition?

TikTok is the social network that allows users to create content that can quickly become viral. TikTok challenges and trends are formats that are widely adopted by users and generate the most engagement. These can include challenges related to music, sports, dancing or lip-syncing. Because TikTok trends are adopted by many users, it is very easy for users to see challenge videos appear on their "For You" page.

Top 3 Best TikTok Challenges 2023

You're It Challenge

You’re It challenge is proposed by the brand Nike. The campaign aims to highlight young girls who play sports. The challenge is as follows: perform a sports action in a video with the TikTok filter and share it with the hashtag #YoureIt.

Make Up challenge

Max Factor is a makeup challenge. The goal is to reproduce the same eye makeup that is displayed above the head. This TikTok filter is a roulette filter and therefore allows makeup to be displayed randomly.

Kulosa challenge

In order to promote his new album, Kulosa released a TikTok filter that follows the codes of the famous YouTube series "Colors". This effect was then picked up by many users in a trend.

TikTok filters allow brands and users to easily participate in trends and challenges. These are tools that can inspire creators and give free rein to their imagination. When creating a TikTok filter, you need to make sure that your effect can be widely replicated and that it does not limit users.

Why are TikTok effects an advantage for brands? Benefits?

TikTok has become the most used social network by young people and creativity is at the heart of the application. For this, you always have to be more imaginative than others and find new ways to stand out and make your brand known. Thus, there are hundreds of TikTok filters that allow you to personalize videos and make them unique. These filters are a way for brands to convey their values ​​and promote their product, while developing their presence on the social network and not becoming intrusive in the lives of users. TikTok filters have become essential for anyone who wants to create their own identity and communicate in a fun way.

Why go through our agency specialized in TikTok filters?

Our agency specializes in creating TikTok filters and supports you throughout your projects! Our tech teams have already created hundreds of filters for social media and have acquired strong expertise. With more than 700 filters created since the creation of Filter Maker, TikTok filters hold no secrets for our developers.

Today, brands must create a real connection with their community. This is why integrating TikTok filters is essential as they offer content that allows for interaction. Going through our agency is a solution that will make the process of creating a TikTok filter simpler and faster. Our expertise will allow you to offer a filter that corresponds to your community and your needs.

How much does a TikTok filter cost? Price?

The price of a TikTok effect varies according to several parameters defined beforehand as well as the interlocutors. Here we will only talk about the prices set up by our agency Filter Maker. The minimum price is 1000€. in our agency. Here is the list of parameters to be taken into account.

Imagination and creation of elements to integrate into the TikTok filter

The content of a TikTok filter must be tailored to the needs of the company. Indeed, some clients provide us directly with the (2D and 3D) content to be integrated into the filter. And sometimes, companies contact us to be guided in the creation of a filter without having any graphic content to provide us with. Thus, the price of a TikTok filter depends on the design and graphic creation of the elements to be integrated into the effect. This parameter can vary from 100€ to 10,000€ depending on the assets to be created.

Integration and optimization of AR graphical elements

The second parameter to consider is to integrate the graphic assets into the filter and optimize them to have a high-quality rendering. Thus, depending on the choice of the scene (front or rear camera), the optimization of texturing and rendering, the management of lighting, and the specificities of the filter (hand tracking, segmentation, etc.), the price of a TikTok filter will fluctuate. This parameter will then change the price between 200€ and 7000€.

Creation and organization of interactions to make the filter more dynamic

In order to make the filter more dynamic, there are many possible interactions. These interactions will allow the user toinitiate actions. For example, when a user smiles, an element or animation will appear. The interactions in a filter can make the price of a TikTok filter fluctuate and depends on their complexity and the number of interactions to integrate. For example, some filters incorporate multiple animations to create a whole process within the filter. This can be illustrated with an AR game filter that requires a lot of interactions.

The other parameters that can affect the price of a TikTok filter

Other parameters should be taken into account when evaluating the price of a TikTok filter
  • Deadline: Our agency defines a production schedule in order to optimise project management. So, if the deadline is short enough, we will have to modify the schedule and therefore modify the programme of our creative teams and developers.
  • Project management: for each TikTok filter project, we draw up a backlog to manage the feedback loops. We therefore define a detailed specifications document to ensure specific elements are taken into account from the beginning to avoid increasing costs during the TikTok filter creation process.

Make a TikTok filter? How?

Since 2022, TikTok has made available to creators the TikTok filter creation software. This software is called Effect House and is an open-source software. It works with patches and react JavaScript and requires some knowledge of augmented reality. First and foremost, it is important to create your creative elements (images, videos, 3D) using other tools. Indeed, Effect House only allows you to create the assembly and operation of a filter but is not a software for creating elements (also called assets). Thus, for your 2D elements, you can use Photoshop, Canva or Illustrator and for 3D objects, Blender. After all your assets are created, you can follow this tutorial to help you create a TikTok filter.

How to make a TikTok filter on Effect House:

Step 1:

Download Effect House and install it on your computer by following the software's instructions. To ensure that it is the correct software, go directly to the Effect House website. After installing it, log in to your TikTok account from the software.

Step 2:

Choose a template from the gallery based on the type of filter you want to create. These templates are very helpful if you are new to Effect House because they provide you with the basic structure of a TikTok filter. Here are the different templates:
  • Hand Gesture: it will allow you to create a filter where hand and finger movements can be tracked.
  • Cloth Try On: With this template, you can offer a virtual clothing try-on through body part recognition.
  • 3D Face Mask: This template uses face recognition and gives you the ability to superimpose 2D assets on the face.
  • Head Tracker: if you want to create a filter with 3D accessories (beanies, hats...), this template will help you track the user's head.
  • Face Morph: it allows you to modify the morphology of the face (eyes, nose, mouth...).
  • Character Drive: This type of filter allows you to superimpose a 3D character and make it dynamic through the recognition of the user's body movements.
  • Face Inset: It allows you to insert the user's face into a 2D or 3D element.
  • Music Band: This template allows you to create a filter where the user can create music using interactive elements.
However, if you want to create your filter from scratch, you can choose to create a new project and start from scratch.

Step 3:

Integrate all the graphic elements that you want to add to your filter. As explained earlier, these elements must be created outside of Effect House. In addition, you must pay attention to the weight and format of your files because the total weight of the TikTok filter file must not exceed 5MB.

Step 4:

Create animations and interactions in your TikTok filter. Indeed, you can choose not to animate your elements but it will not make your filter dynamic. There are many nodes and patches that allow you to create a unique TikTok filter. Nodes allow you to create a TikTok filter with scenarios triggered by actions that the user can take. Here is the list of all available nodes:
Audio
  • Audio Resource
  • Audio Resource Controller
  • Audio Player Controller
  • Beats Detection
  • Detection Output
  • Mixer
  • Onset Detection
  • Pitch Detection
  • Speaker
  • Spectrum Detection
  • Volume
  • TikTok Sound
  • Volume Detection
Body
  • Body Detection
Control
  • Do N
  • Do Once
  • Flip-Flop
  • Gate
  • If
  • Sequence
  • Switch
Event
  • Finger Touch 1-Point
  • Screen Hold
  • Screen Pan
  • Screen Tap
  • Start
  • Update
  • Video Record
Hand
  • Gesture Detection
  • Hand Gesture examples
  • Hand Detection
Face
  • Face Info
  • Pet Face Info
  • Head Movement Detection
  • Face Avatar Result
  • Face Detection
  • Facial Movement Detection
  • Face Avatar Drive
  • Facial expression detection
  • Pet Face Detection
Logic
  • And
  • Equal
  • Greater or equal
  • Greater than
  • Loss or equal
  • Less than
  • Logic select
  • Or
Math
  • Cross
  • Dot
  • Lerp
  • Normalize
  • Normalize to Range
  • Remap
Time
  • Get system time
  • Get time
  • Timer
  • Wait for seconds
Transform
  • Set Transform
  • Reflect
  • Angle Between
  • Local Transform Info
  • Look At 
  • Rotate Around
  • Screen to World
  • World to Screen
  • World Transform Info
Utility 1/2
  • 3D Animation Controller
  • Animation Sequence Controller 
  • Color Space Converter
  • Combine
  • Continuous Snapshot
  • Counter
  • Data Convert
  • Effect Resolution Info
  • Get Enabled
  • Get Item from Array
  • Get Visibility
  • Image Tap
Utility 1/2
  • Make Array
  • Peek
  • Point in Rect
  • Rect Overlap
  • Set Enabled
  • Set Visibility
  • Select
  • Snapshot
  • Spin
  • Split
  • Transit by Time
  • Vertex to Rect
Nodes require a certain logic in their connection (input, output). For example, if you want to launch an animation as soon as a user starts recording a video, you will need to connect "Recording Exec" with the "Video record" action to launch the animation with a "sequence controller" node.

Step 5:

Once you are satisfied with your TikTok filter, you just have to publish it on Effect House. However, you should check that the file is not too large and does not exceed 5MB.

Publish a TikTok filter? How?

To publish a TikTok filter, you need to use a computer, the Effect House software, and follow this tutorial.

Step 1: Download Effect House

To get started, visit the Effect House website and download the software for creating and publishing TikTok effects. Click on "Download" and follow the instructions.

Step 2: Create your vignette

When publishing a filter on TikTok, you must have a thumbnail that visually represents your effect. You can create it from scratch or use a frame from your demo video. If you want to create the thumbnail, you can start from scratch or use the templates provided by Effect House.

Requirements:

Format: PNG

Safe area: 144 x 144 px

Export size: 162 x 162 px

Using a template :

Click here to visit the templates page. The templates are accessible through Photoshop or Illustrator. Download the file and follow the instructions.

Step 3: Create your demo video

The demo video is necessary to publish a TikTok filter. Indeed, it is a file that will be analyzed by TikTok moderators to see if your filter complies with TikTok's rules and policies. The video should therefore showcase all the features of your filter so that TikTok teams can assess its compliance.

Requirements:

Ratio: Portrait (9:16)
Format: MOV or MP4
File Size: Max 32 MB
Video Duration: Max 15 seconds

You have two ways to create your demo video.

With your computer

As explained above, the demo video will not be public. Therefore, you can simply create your video using the video templates from Effect House. You have the option to choose from different profiles that replicate specific movements or actions to simulate the animations present in your TikTok filter. For example, if your effect requires the person to tilt their head to activate an animation, you can choose a video template where the person tilts their head.

  • Open Effect House and click on "Open Project"
  • Open your TikTok filter file
  • Click on "Screen record" and then download your video

With your smartphone

Creating your own demo video with your smartphone allows you to showcase complex animations that are difficult to illustrate using the software's template videos. This way, you can truly demonstrate the logic behind an effect so that the moderators can understand the mechanics.

tiktok filter publish on effect house
  • Open Effect House and click on "Open Project"
  • Open your TikTok filter file
  • Click on "Preview in TikTok" at the top right
  • Then open the TikTok application and scan the QR code
  • Record a demonstration video

Step 4: Publish your TikTok filter

After preparing all the assets, you can now publish your filter. Creating your publication elements in advance allows you to be more efficient when publishing your TikTok filter. Here are the detailed steps.

Go back to your project on Effect House and click on "Submit" in the top right corner.

15-1
Upload your thumbnail and give your filter a name

Choose a filter name that describes the theme of your TikTok filter to help users understand its mechanism. It will appear wherever your filter is present and can be modified after its publication.

The name of your TikTok filter must be a maximum of 20 characters including spaces and must not be the same as any other filter on your TikTok account. 

16-1
Choose the corresponding "Effect Hint" for your filter and click on "Upload"

Effect Hint is a brief instructional phrase that appears when a user tries a TikTok filter. This hint helps to understand how to interact with the effect and thus facilitates its use. For example, if the filter's animations are triggered by tapping the screen, choose the Effect Hint "Tap Screen". Furthermore, if the filter does not require any action, choose "None".

How-to-publish-my-TikTok-filter-6-1
  • Choose a category
  • Select "None" in "Challenge".
  • Choose tags that describe your filter
  • Add comments if necessary
  • Import your demo video and click on "Submit".

Step 5: Validation by moderators

Once you have published your effect, the moderators will analyze the content of your filter. Like all social media platforms, creators and users must adhere to the platform's policies and rules. Therefore, the validation process for your publication request may take a few days. After that, you will receive a notification explaining whether the filter has been approved and published or not. In the case of a negative response, you will be provided with detailed reasons for the refusal so that you can modify your filter and resubmit your publication request.

The filter policies to adhere to on TikTok? Regulations?

Instagram filters are content just like any other on the social network and therefore must adhere to the same rules. Here is an overview of the aspects to comply with for your filter to be published on Instagram.

Content requirements for filters :

TikTok filters should have different names to distinguish them from each other. Filter thumbnails should follow the thumbnail creation guide such as rounded corners and a transparent overflow area.

TikTok filter size limit :

Filters should not exceed 5 MB when fully uploaded, i.e. assets (2D and 3D elements) and augmented reality overlays.

Respect for others :

TikTok filters must not promote content featuring nudity, sexual abuse, or malicious organizations inciting any form of violence on the platform. Encouragement of illegal and dangerous substance consumption (drugs, alcohol, and tobacco), hatred towards a minority, or harassment is strictly prohibited by the application.

How to promote your TikTok filter? Strategy?

Promoting your TikTok filter is necessary to ensure that your campaign goals are achieved. For this, you have two options: organic or paid activations.

Promoting your TikTok filter organically

  • Regularly post content showcasing your TikTok filter to ensure its visibility.
    • Videos explaining the filter mechanism.
    • Share videos providing examples to inspire users.
  • Create a trend or challenge around your effect to increase its usage
    • Create hashtags and a challenge around your filter.
  • Create content for other digital touchpoints to announce the release of the filter (other social media platforms, website).
    • Share content that highlights the use of your TikTok filter. Don't forget to include a call to action to facilitate access to the TikTok filter.
  • Print the QR code of your TikTok filter to promote it in your stores or on brochures.
    • Use specially designed displays to encourage visitors to use the filter.

Promoting your TikTok filter through paid advertising

  • Run an influencer campaign about your filter to expand the audience.
    •  Influencers use the TikTok filter and invite users to do the same.
    • The influencer campaign can be done on TikTok and on Instagram to increase the audience.
  • Create TikTok ads to promote the release of your new filter.
    • Post videos and tutorials to invite users to try the filter.
    • If you have done an influencer campaign, reuse his videos.

Promoting your TikTok filter is crucial and should not be neglected. It is important to leverage both organic and paid channels to ensure you achieve your goals. Paid promotion is not mandatory, but it can be highly effective in the short term.

What are the statistics of a TikTok filter? Engagement?

Statistics on the content published on social media platforms are crucial to measure the impact of your campaign. With these statistics, you can analyze and understand what elements have worked and what hasn't.

TikTok filters have separate statistics from other content since their usage is different. Therefore, it is important to understand them properly and avoid confusion with other statistics. 

insight of tiktok filter on effect house
The dashboard available on Effect House shows statistics for each TikTok filter but also as a whole. The data available is quite limited on TikTok and does not show demographic statistics. Here are the 5 themes available on Effect House:
  • Views : Number of views of videos on TikTok that use the effect
  • Posts : Number of videos on TikTok that use the filter
  • Plays : Number of times the filter has been opened (i.e. clicked) in the effects gallery
  • Likes : Number of times videos with the effect have been liked on TikTok
  • Shares : Number of times videos with this filter have been shared on TikTok.

FAQ

TikTok filters allow you to transform and energize reality. It is therefore very easy to create original and unique TikTok videos. Moreover, TikTok effects can also be used to create trends and challenges, making it possible to create viral content.

There are many TikTok filters in the app, so it can sometimes be difficult to find a filter you saw in a video. To do this, when you search for a TikTok effect, you can enter keywords that characterize the effect. Another way is to visit the creator's profile, which contains a gallery of all their effects.

Anyone can create TikTok filters. Indeed, creators, communication agencies, and brands can publish their filters using Effect House, which is the software for creating TikTok effects. However, this software is a tool that requires technical knowledge (augmented reality, 3D, modeling, coding...).
Creating a TikTok filter requires expertise in augmented reality. In fact, the vocabulary used is very different and requires a precise understanding of the modules available in the Effect House software. For example, you need to master different trackers, textures, materials, and planes to create a TikTok filter. Additionally, if you want to incorporate 3D assets, you will need to have knowledge of 3D modeling and texturing techniques. Furthermore, if you want to animate your effect to make it dynamic, there are various patches available (such as pulse, switch, loop, etc.) that must be skillfully used to achieve successful animation.
When you go to the TikTok filters gallery or when you watch videos, you may have noticed that some effects are highlighted more than others. There are two reasons for this:
  • The TikTok application highlights popular filters or those that are part of a trend or challenge. The choice of popular filters is based on the number of times the filter is used and the number of views it generates.
  • The second reason is the fact that companies can choose to invest in TikTok ads to showcase their TikTok filter quickly.

Using TikTok filters is free. The social media platform has made this choice to allow creators to produce unique and original content. TikTok effects are tools that provide video ideas to continue feeding the app with entertaining content.

TikTok challenges are mostly linked to filters. However, there are challenges that do not require the use of an effect to participate. Here are 3 examples of challenges that include a TikTok filter:
  • You're it challenge by Nike
  • Max Factor Make up Challenge
  • Kulosa Challenge of Kulosa
Read more about these challenges, click here.

When a user/creator creates a filter, a tab appears on their profile with all the filters they have made. If you want to stay updated when your favorite creator publishes a TikTok filter, you can follow them, and you will receive videos with their effects directly in your "For You" feed.

When you capture a video or photo with a TikTok filter, you cannot remove the applied filter afterward. Since TikTok effects are augmented reality overlays that are directly added to your environment, they cannot be removed later. The only way to remove a TikTok filter from your video is to retake the same video without using the TikTok filter.

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