Could Snapchat's mysterious job posting hint at the company's 3D plans?
Snap Inc, the parent company of Snapchat, has listed a series of 3D-centric job postings hinting that the company plans to get even more interactive in the coming year.
Mysterious Snapchat job posting hints at company's 3D plans
First spotted by Business Insider, close to one dozen new vacancy listings hint at the enigmatic firm's desire to move into the 3D space. Most of the roles are based at Snap's head offices in Los Angeles and call for candidates with 3D design, modeling and animation experience.
Pushing Snap's desire to be known as a camera company, one of the job postings for a 3D designer and animator requests that candidates are able to "model everything from characters to objects and environments," and "work with brands to create 3D assets."
Another advertises for a professional who can "digitally sculpt 3D characters," while a third notes that such characters will "play an important role in shaping how Snapchat tells visual stories."
The new additions to the team may be poised to work on Snapchat's augmented reality Lenses format, but the job postings could also indicate that the business is looking at other ways to enhance the way its users interact with the app.
Business Insider notes that a job description for a performance capture specialist stipulates that the successful applicant will "develop internal and external tools to support the creation of new Snapchat experiences." This type of technology is often used by video game creators and movie makers to create virtual characters by mapping out real life actors.
Snap has said it won't be commenting on the job postings.
After Snapchat rebranded to Snap earlier this year and unveiled its Google Glass-style sunglasses Spectacles, the firm's chief strategy officer Imran Khan said the upstart wanted the world to know it was "bigger than just one app". He said he believed the firm was "reinventing the camera" adding that its "greatest opportunity" was to improve how people live and communicate.