I am building Blips, a next-generation location-based social media app where users post short videos (“Blips”) anchored to real-world locations. I’m looking for an experienced developer (or small team) to design and build a fully custom in-app camera system, similar in capability to Snapchat or Instagram, but purpose-built for Blips. This is not a basic camera implementation. The goal is to create a custom Blips camera with its own AR filter system, extensible architecture, and unique functionality that differentiates the app from existing platforms. ⸻ Core Requirements 1. Custom Camera Interface • Fully custom camera UI (not system default camera) • Photo + short video capture • Front & rear camera support • Gesture controls (tap, hold, swipe) • Camera controls (flash, flip camera, zoom) • High-performance, low-latency preview • Clean, modern UI matching a premium social app ⸻ 2. AR Filters & Effects System • Ability to apply real-time AR filters similar to Snapchat / Instagram • Support for: • Face tracking • World tracking • Masks, overlays, shaders, and animated effects • Architecture that allows: • Adding new filters without rewriting core camera logic • Enabling/disabling filters remotely • Bonus if filters can be: • Location-aware • Time-based • User-specific (e.g., verified users get special filters) ⸻ 3. Custom Blips-Specific Camera Logic • Camera functionality tied to geo-location • Ability to: • Restrict recording unless user is physically within a defined radius • Apply location-locked filters • Embed location metadata into captured media • Camera should integrate cleanly with the rest of the app backend ⸻ 4. Platform & Tech Expectations • Mobile platforms: iOS and Android • React Native, Swift, Kotlin, or hybrid approaches are acceptable • Experience with AR frameworks required (ARKit, ARCore, OpenGL, Metal, or equivalent) • Must understand performance optimization for real-time camera rendering • Code should be clean, modular, and well-documented ⸻ Nice-to-Have (Not Required) • Experience with Snapchat Lens Studio, Spark AR, or custom AR engines • Prior work on social media, camera apps, or real-time video apps • Ability to advise on camera UX and creative features • Experience building creator tools or filter editors ⸻ What You’ll Deliver • A fully functional custom Blips camera module • AR filter system with at least a few demo filters • Clean API or interface for adding new filters • Documentation explaining: • Camera architecture • Filter pipeline • How future filters are added • Source code owned by Blips ⸻ Who This Is For This project is only for developers with real camera/AR experience. If you’ve built camera pipelines, filters, or AR features before, this is a great fit. If you’ve only worked on standard CRUD mobile apps, this project is not suitable. ⸻ To Apply, Please Include: 1. Examples of camera, AR, or filter-based projects you’ve worked on 2. Your recommended tech stack and why 3. Estimated timeline and rough cost range 4. Any ideas you’d suggest to make Blips’ camera truly unique