The lettuce won - that’s how every person and their dog shared the news last week of the resignation of Liz Truss as the UK PM.

What started out as a healthy LOL about 10 days ago for me when the live cam was created, rapidly turned into a work sprint to serve up a googly eye official augmented reality Instagram filter after the Daily Star formally commanded Everywoah to rustle something up.

At times of gloom and woe, and yes political hellfires, people continue to fiercely enjoy shared experiences and healthy humour, and there’s plenty of reasons why remixable video, aka AR filters, compliment video live streams, chats and tweets, with copious amounts of bantz all week long.

Tip of the Lactuca sativa var. capitata

When you end up walking into a meme with an AR filter it can take any sort of direction, these video clips in this compilation are literally the tip of the iceberg.

As trite as silly face filters may seem, they appeal to our innate sense of escapism, of acting, of playing up -  sort of like momentary fancy dress without too much of the hassle of the apparel and physical makeup.

And it’s notable how many people feel free and safer when their true identity is partially concealed yet they can still exasperate and express themselves through a daft mask. 

The Daily Star bantz big time

Congrats to the Daily Star who sparked a cultural phenomenon as the story gained widespread participation and coverage from UK and global media.

In doing so they have ensured that the humble 60p lettuce follows in the tradition of british satire entering the hall of political fame and folklore, forever destined to rank highly among other revered foods joining the likes of the tub of lard (Roy Hattersley), eggs (John Prescott, et al), milkshake (Nigel Farage, various), custard pies (Ann Widdecombe, Rupert Murdoch), and that more contemporary morsel, the bacon sarnie (Ed Miliband).

And whilst many astute observers around these parts have noted that the Daily Star staff are closet Economist fans having taken editorial inspiration from their “iceberg lady” and “shelf life of a lettuce” quips, there’s another deeper conspiracy story worth digging up that may explain the head start the lettuce genuinely had.

Grocery Gazette spills the beans

You see back in sunny hot September, the esteemed publication Grocery Gazette, announced that UK supermarket Tesco had relaxed the required specification of its Iceberg lettuces, allowing growers to harvest them quicker so they retained their crispiness.

The new sizing specification meant that lettuces  - mostly exported here from Murcia, SE Spain from where I compile this piece - were permitted to be harvested up to two days earlier than before, ensuring they didn’t wilt in the fields and stayed crisper for longer.

So now you know, global warming and the risk of crop failure ultimately impacts political life.

And people love to dress up as a vegetable.

Try the filter at everywoah.com/filters/liz-lettuce on Instagram or TikTok.

Last week: unexpected vegetables, this week, reptiles loom large.

It’s some 44 years since Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” was composed.

Released in December 1975, it only took a few weeks to become a hit in ´76.

It has endured as a classic song marking the end of a significant relationship.

The drum intro alone has been much sampled and the song interpreted by many acts in homage to the songwriter.

It’s some 44 days, or thereabouts, since Arno Partissimo released the What Disney? are you Instagram filter that has since kicked off a craze.

It’s been much copied, and rehashed by many since, with little regard to the originator.

Whilst imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, it’s a welcome change to at least see things remixed a little, yes?

If you’re wondering how, perhaps the problem is all inside your head.

Because there must be fifty ways to remix, to improve, to create filters that engage an audience.

The answer is easy if you take it logically.

The what sort of... randomiser filters succeed, in part, because of their simplicity.

They invite a momentary lapse of reason for everyone, to escape from reality.

They appeal to being free. 

I'd like to help you in your struggle to be free.

To consider fifty ways to finesse your filter.

Be visual

The language of filters is predominantly visual.

You don't need to discuss much.

Your filter doesn’t need text to thrive.

Infact, if your filter contains excessive text, you’re likely to be denied publishing approval from Instagram.

Make a new plan.

Think audio

Filters need not be silent.

You don't need to be coy.

Include ambient audio in your filter or facially triggered audio fx.

Just listen.

Rear is here

It's not all self.

Rear camera face filters don't have to be identical to selfie filters.

Filters on rear camera allow detection of objects, placement of augmented ones.

Mix it up.

Just slip out the back.

Delight more

Everyone likes a surprise.

An Easter egg perhaps?

A raise of eyebrows, a tilt of the head, a pucker up.

To make you smile again.

Unlock to play

A Russian Doll reveals more within it.

Reward filter behaviour with more filters.

Maybe a time sensitive coupon code?

Just drop off the key, in backchannels.

And get yourself free.

Filters offer creative freedom in abundance

Form yours or hire a filter fanatical team to finesse further

It's really not my habit to intrude

I hope my meaning won't be lost or misconstrued

But I'll repeat myself at the risk of being crude

There must be fifty ways to leave your filter.

An awful lot has happened since I last blogged.

A lot that has happened since I last blogged has been awful.

Those assertions could of course be true for many and the few.

Since starting up Everywoah, the vision has remained to evoke a feeling, to elicit a woah, through augmented and virtual reality.

Communicating feelings that transform into positive actions is the goal that follows from a woah.

There is an innate series of reactions that people experience when they interact with augmented reality and exude a woah.

No matter how short lived the moment, the pure fantasy, and escapism that accompanies that momentary lapse of reason of a woah is a joy to behold.

From joy and woah comes action.

Realities are questioned.

Assertions are challenged.

What if it wasn't virtual?

What if the augmented were mixed?

What if we didn't have to mix our reality?

The clock is ticking.

The UK Parliament is revolting.

People are entitled to a final say 🗳️

Press the 🛑 Stop Brexit button.

Press it on Facebook

Press it on Instagram

Record a video.

Tell the world.

Made for Best For Britain by TFUK supporters with ❤️ at Everywoah.

So last week, I had a moment where I thought out aloud.

I tweeted this:

pic.twitter.com/o3MGtqNcBZ

— Paul Gailey (@paulgailey) June 14, 2016

@paulgailey beautiful photo, captured by?

— Becky Kelway (@RKelway) June 15, 2016

As I told Becky, who I met a few weeks ago at The Inbounder event in Valencia, I was referring to the phenomenon as explained by the author, former trader, and essayist of probability Nicholas Taleb, that rare events that have a significant impact, appear predictable in hindsight, as opposed to in foresight.

@paulgailey the referendum?

— Becky Kelway (@RKelway) June 16, 2016

I trust that not only does the UK vote to remain in the European Union on Thursday 23rd June, but that the sentiment of #moreincommon prevails here on in.

..we are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us' - Jo Cox, MP

We owe it to the French.

When I retorted with this tweet to the statement about Morton Heilig's Sensorama:

@zillahwatson what about Antonin? pic.twitter.com/lDuExOW8yZ

— Paul Gailey (@paulgailey) April 5, 2016

I was referring to Antonine Artaud (1896-1948), a french theatre director, widely recognised as one of the major figures of twentieth-century theatre and the European avant-garde.

The Arrival

Be it the early works of Auguste and Louis Lumière and the The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station,

   

to the fabulous efforts of Damien and David to persuade Larry of the delightful viability of Cardboard, that post-modern day plastic, VR aka, réalité virtuelle bleeds tricolore more than anything.

Live VR video

And if we're talking about the continuation of the #avralance then note how those leading the field for many years now, and about to step into big Facebook and Google pursued limelight, is Video Stitch, the company behind the newly launched Orah, a 4k Live streaming camera for prosumer usage that streams to your HMD and your soon your social feed.

Yes, Orah is lead by the French Nicolas Burtey and a team of Parisians. (Ed. seriously thinking of getting one of these!)

And yet in some ways, that narrative of film making in VR is still very much in it's infancy, in a sort of Lumière moment, as story tellers grapple with how to craft a story with new fandangled  tools.

Ghosts and Characters

I recommend digesting Devon Dolan's VR thesis around the The Four Different Types of Stories in VR as modified by Kent Bye. It's a fascinating take on the art.

This piece (in Spanish) from one of the VR creator's of Ministerio del Tiempo for RTVE, goes into more detail about the film and post production techniques in VR to achieve viewer immersion. The notion of cuts and edits is an eternal one in VR that is touched upon:

To change from scene to scene, there's always some elements that allow a transition, an envelope is handed to you, and you have to deliver it to someone...

Para cambiar de escena a escena, siempre hay unos elementos que hacen de transición; te dan un sobre, se lo tienes que entregar (a alguien)

Master story tellers

And yet, those very same story telling techniques and film hacks, that are now flexing a new generation of VR maker's minds, are not too disimilar to the ones that tested yesterday's great directors:

How Alfred Hitchcock hid 10 Edits in ROPE from Vashi Nedomansky.

ROPE (1948) is Alfred Hitchcock's murder/suspense film that showcases the killing in its second shot. ROPE is often described as the film with no edits or cuts.

On further examination...Hitchcock's gem actually contains 10 edits. Five of them are hidden as the camera lens is filled by foreground objects. The other five edits are regular hard cuts that not many people either realize or acknowledge. I've isolated all 10 edits in the video below so you can learn from the Master of Suspense on how to hide your edits without losing momentum in your story.

Vive la revrolution!