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Article
C4D’s New Flake Shader is LEGIT + More Cool New Features

Maxon has just announced their spring 2023 updates to the Maxon One subscription. Every tool from Cinema 4D and Redshift to ZBrush and Universe scored some new features that will make creating just a bit easier and faster.

Article
Dylan Cole: World Creator

Have you ever thought about the 3D world building magic behind the blockbuster Avatar series? Meleah Maynard interviews 3D Artist and painter Dylan Cole on his concept wizardry and journey in creating immersive worlds beyond imagination for films such as Daredevil and Lord of The Rings and Avatar.

Tutorial
Work Faster in After Effects and Premiere

Wanting to work faster in After Effects and Premiere? The Essential Graphics Panel is about to become your best friend, whether you’re using or creating Motion Graphics Templates (aka Mogrts), or just looking for ways to streamline your work within After Effects. Kyle Hamrick is back to show you the ins and out of this often underutilized feature.

Article
What is 3D Rigging for Animation?

Is 3D character rigging always hard and complex? 3D Character rigging is an important step that is often overlooked by 3D artists due to it's perceived complexity. In this article, EJ Hassenfratz breaks down how rigging doesn't have to mean Pixar level complex character rigs, but a discipline that can be super accessible. From simple rigs made from deformers to joint chains, this article will show you why 3D rigging should be a part of any 3D artists skillset!

Tutorial
How To Rig A 3D Model

Some artists think that rigging is stingingly painful. We think that’s a load of beeswax! That’s why we’ve enlisted 3D character artist Can Erduman to show you how easy rigging characters can bee as he walks you through rigging your very first character in Cinema 4D! I don’t know about you, but we think this video will get a lot of buzz!

Article
Is Blender Hard?

Blender 3D is a powerful and versatile software for 3D modeling, animation, and rendering. (Oh and did you know that is is free??) However, it has a reputation for being challenging for beginners to learn due to its steep learning curve and complex interface. In this article, we will explore the difficulty of learning Blender 3D and what resources are available to help people get started.

Tutorial
Design & Animate Your Own Logo From Scratch

Wanting to design and animate your very own logo, but not sure where to start? In this tutorial, Matthew Corrales guides you through the process of finding an idea, refining the design in Adobe Illustrator and animating in After Effects.

Titanfall New Frontiers

The bridge between motion design and gaming is becoming increasingly more apparent with artists using real time game engines like Unreal Engine 5 to create stunning 3D content. In this article Michael Maher interviews film maker Caleb Chamberlain on how he created a passion project trailer for the smash hit video game: Titanfall New Frontiers and how Unreal Engine, Blender, Adobe After Effects and some visual effects magic using the Red Giant suite got the job done.

Article
School of Motion Course Credentials

Show off your badges with School of Motion's new verified credentials! The most important part of your education is preparing you for the real world, but bragging rights are great too. That's why we're now offering verified credential badges with your completed courses.

Tutorial
Building the Ultimate After Effects Computer

How do you make After Effects run fast? We teamed up with Puget Systems and Adobe to develop the fastest computer for After Effects.

Podcast
AI: An Artist’s Friend or Foe? Discussion with Dan Jeffries, CIO of Stability.ai (Stable Diffusion)

Joey sits down with Daniel Jeffries, CIO of Stability AI, to discuss the real-world use cases of artificial intelligence in art and motion design.

Podcast
2022 Year in Review

What even is motion design anymore? Joey Korenman is joined by EJ Hassenfratz, Kyle Hamrick, Ryan Summers, and an all-star lineup of studio owners & industry experts for their hottest takes on this year’s burning questions.

Article
The School of Motion Alumni Holiday Card 2022

Over 70 School of Motion Current and Former Students Collaborated on the Annual Animated Alumni Holiday Card Video!

Article
12 Days of MoGraph Giveaways 2022

It’s the reason for the season – School of Motion’s 12 Days of MoGraph giveaway! What’s on the prize list this year? It’s motion graphics galore, from generous gift cards to popular courses to year-long software subscriptions.

Article
What are the Differences between the Jobs of an Animator and a Motion Designer?

What are the differences between the jobs of an animator and a motion designer? The main difference is the type of projects they work on, the specific skills and techniques they use, and the career path and job outlook for each profession. Both careers involve creating moving images and graphics, but the specific tasks and responsibilities can vary.

Tutorial
How to Create Viral VFX

In this tutorial, we will recreate one of Peter Quinn's amazing VFX social media videos. We'll go through the entire process from filming, compositing and to final looping magic. Buckle up cause it's gonna be a ride 😎

Tutorial
3D Character Design in Adobe Illustrator

Turn your 2D art into 3D! Learn how easy it is to turn 2D vector art into 3D character designs in Illustrator! Learn how to map 2D textures onto your 3D models in Illustrator and discover how to export your 3D character to other 3D applications like Adobe Stager, Blender or Cinema 4D! 3D is a super important skill to learn and Illustrator makes it easy for any 2D artist to enter the world of 3D.

Article
Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2022 Deals for Motion Designers

Get out your wishlist. We've gathered our favorite Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals for motion graphics artists!

Article
Fire, Smoke, Crowds and Explosions

From humble beginnings to award winning video games, ActionVFX has found it's place in the VFX world with Fusion, Nuke and After Effects Artists using their asset libraries.

Tutorial
Getting Started with Pyro Fire Simulation | Cinema 4D 2023.1 Update

Cinema 4D 2023.1 introduces Pyro, the new fire simulation system that allows you to create fire and smoke simulations easily in C4D! That’s right, the new C4D particle based simulation system now has the ability to generate fire simulations and you can finally unleash your inner pyromaniac -natively- inside of C4D. In this video, EJ walks you through how to use Pyro, how to render with Redshift and how to create more stylized smoke and fire along with his thoughts on Pyro.

Tutorial
How To Use Track Mattes in After Effects

The 2023 update to After Effects made track mattes friendlier to use and much more versatile, so if ever there was a time to learn how to use track mattes in After Effects, that time is now. Track mattes are a super-powerful feature that may not be widely understood by a lot of After Effects users, but at least for you, that changes *today.* Don’t know the difference between a mask and a matte? Never had to worry about an alpha channel or luminance values? That’s ok; we’ve got you. Join us on a matte-tastic journey through what a matte is, why you should use it, and all the creative ways you can take advantage of this cool tool in your own work.

Tutorial
Design Hacks for Video Editors: Composing a Title Card

In this video, you'll learn a simple process to design compelling titles that don't rely on presets or templates. Building on the things you learned in the first 2 videos in this series, you'll learn how to use grid layouts in After Effects, how to use stabilization, roto, and keying to clean up footage, and how to lay out type using the Rule of Thirds. This video is jam-packed, so buckle up.

Tutorial
Design Hacks for Video Editors: Typography Tips

Choosing fonts and laying out type can be daunting for video editors who don't have a design background. The good news is: With a few simple rules, you can create type layouts that are beautiful, clear, and that make you look like you know exactly what you're doing.

Tutorial
Design Hacks for Video Editors: Choosing Colors

Learn to choose colors that work well together in with design tip for video editors. Value structure is a concept that can help anyone learn to control their colors in a mathematical way, making it much easier to create designs that pop and lead the viewer's eye precisely.

Article
Behind the Scenes of "Everything Everywhere All at Once"

Behind the Scenes of “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” How six artists worked from home to create hundreds of impressive visual effects for a crazy sci-fi adventure.

Tutorial
New Features in After Effects 2023!

After Effects 2023 just dropped, and there's a slew of new features. Some are long-awaited quality of life improvements, and some are major-league-holy-crap game changers! Let's explore both.

Tutorial
Designing once for Multiple Screen Sizes in After Effects

Download our FREE After Effects template and learn how to design once, then deliver in multiple aspect ratios in After Effect. These tips will save you from having to redesign your artwork for various screens, saving you an insane amount of time.

Tutorial
Cinema 4D 2023's New Cloth System is AMAZING!

The new cloth system in Cinema 4D 2023 is a massive improvement over the old one. It's faster, more powerful, and part of a unified simulation framework that will be utilized more and more in the future. In this tutorial, EJ Hassenfratz shows you some of the powerful features in the new cloth system.

Tutorial
10 Hacky After Effects Tricks to Improve your Renders

10 After Effects tricks from industry pros to help you make your renders better when you're short on time and inspiration. These are battle-tested effects stacks and hacks that will come in handy on almost any project.

Tutorial
How to Get Adobe to Buy you for $20 Billion, in 3 Easy Steps!

Adobe recently acquired Figma for $20 billion. Why did they pay so much, and what does this mean for motion designers? Let's explore the significance of the Figma deal, and talk about how it affects you.

Article
Big News About our Course Prices

Over the years, we've always strived to be the premium option for learning to do animation, design, 3D, or visual effects. We've also tried very hard to make education accessible to more people in more places. These two goals are difficult to balance, and we feel that we could be doing a better job. So we're doing something about it.

Article
Free Tools to Start Up Your Freelance Art Business

Standing up your own business is a challenge, but there are a ton of affordable (even free) tools that can make your life so much easier. Freelance designer and art director Sherene Strausberg is here to show you a few tricks to get started.

Article
Keeping Time Through History

How would you approach a project that needs to show the illustrious history of one of the world's premier timepiece manufacturers? This is the kind of video that makes—or breaks—your brand, so no pressure. Fortunately for Italian-based Taxfreefilm, their brilliant idea arrived just in time.

Tutorial
Harnessing the Power of AI Art

AI art programs such as Midjourney and Dall-E sure are impressive, but how do they really work? What do you need to know to get the most out of them, and how can they be used by artists, animators, and designers? We brought in John LePore to find out.

Article
Take Your Project Quotes from $4k to $20k and Beyond

Are you stuck grinding on low-level projects? Do you want to attract bigger clients and larger contracts? How exactly can you go from a $4k quote to a $20k quote? Shea Lord is here to show you the path.

Article
Perception Designs the End Titles for Lightyear

How do you design a title sequence that conjures the spirit of a movie while still existing outside of it? Perception took this challenge while working on the new Disney Pixar movie "Lightyear."

Tutorial
How to Art Direct Concepts and Timing

Climint Canal of Clim Studio believes personal projects are where you can explore new concepts, perfect your skills, and experiment with difficult techniques. In this video, he shares an exploration of how to art direct concepts and timing in order to enhance your overall animation.

Article
A Quick Guide to Extruding in Cinema 4D

Get up and running with some of Cinema4D's Extrude tools, turning 2D vectors into 3D render-ready artwork.

Article
Cinema 4D Shortcut Keys

Sometimes the only thing you need to maximize your workflow is an understanding of shortcut keys, so we've made the ultimate guide just for you. Stretch those fingers, because it's time to dive into the most important hot keys for Cinema 4D.

Podcast
Pushing Past Your Limits with Nocky Dinh

What happens when you reach the limit of your skillset? Do you accept that this is the peak of your career, or do you push yourself beyond your limits and climb to even greater heights?

Tutorial
3D Shading Tricks in After Effects

Fraser Davidson and Cub Studio developed Super Jonny 150k as an action-packed, 16-bit world chock full of character animation, effects, and nostalgia. In this teaser clip, learn a few 3D shading tricks to enhance your After Effects projects.

Tutorial
Your First Day in ZBrush

Getting started in ZBrush can be intimidating, but it is a powerful tool for designing and polishing 3D models. We're going to familiarize you with the interface, learn the key tools of the trade, and show you how to complete your first project.

Article
Eclectic, Colorful, and Heartfelt

Working closely with the team at Microsoft Design, VFX Studio Tendril conceptualized, designed, and executed a complete refresh of over 1800 smileys, people, animals, objects and symbols. We asked Cofounder and Creative Director Alexander “Xande” Torres, Creative Director Leo Mateus and Lead Modeler Flavio Diniz to tell us about the challenges and rewards of this complex project.

Podcast
Listen as We Direct a REAL Voiceover Session

If you want to hear what a real VO session sounds like, then you've come to the right place! In this podcast you'll get to be a fly on the wall for a VO session lead by Jake and Joey. Along the way Joey is going to be dropping some golden nuggets of VO directing advice to help you direct VO like a pro the next time you need to.

Article
Blender vs Cinema 4D

If you want to learn a 3D program for design and animation, there are many strong competitors on the market. But if you had to choose, which offers the best experience and the most versatility? We're comparing Cinema 4D to Blender to see which program will work best for you.

Tutorial
Discover Your Creative Style Through Freewriting

What happens when you grab a pen and paper and let your creativity take the wheel? Sofie Lee discusses how free-writing a poem led to her amazing animation, Dream.

Article
No Ordinary Ghost

Something’s Awry Productions is a family-run animation studio known for creating whimsical, intelligently funny, 3D-animated content from a “slightly awry perspective.” We talked with Kris Theorin, the studio’s lead animation director, about their most recent release, a 3D-animated short film called “Grump in the Night.”

Tutorial
Short Film Collaboration using Frame.io

A behind-the-scenes look at how our Creative Director Kyle Hamrick created motion graphics elements for an exciting collaborative film project with Valentina Vee, Ryan Connolly & Jon Brandon Cruz. The team made use of Frame.io for Creative Cloud and the Camera to Cloud feature to create this short film trailer from 4 different locations on a very short deadline.

Podcast
Legwork or Legend? The Career of Aaron Ray

What does it take to build a legendary career? A LOT of legwork. Director/Illustrator Aaron Ray talks about his work and journey through motion design, and shares his fresh perspective on the industry.

Article
Welcome to the Dawn of AI Art

We are witnessing the dawn of computer-generated artwork, but how good is it really? Can Midjourney, Dall-E, and others really affect the industry? Well let's dive in and see what we can create!

Article
Making of “Star Wars: Knights of Ren”

What happens when two talented artists turn their passion into a viral fan-fiction video? You get Knights of Ren, a love letter to Star Wars that showcases what's possible with Cinema 4D and Redshift.

Article
Unreal Engine Used in Places You Don't Expect

Unreal Engine 5 is amazing for far more than just creating video games. From Hollywood to Twitch, look at the incredible versatility of this real-time render engine.

Tutorial
Mixing After Effects and Cinema 4D

What happens if you take an unpolished render from Cinema 4D and bring it into After Effects? Turns out, you can create some stunning, stylized compositions using common tools. Jordan Bergren has the tips you need to take your work in a new direction.

Article
Creating the Titles for “The Mysterious Benedict Society”

Creating a title sequence is no easy task. How did Penny Nederlander and Shine combined 2D and 3D to get just the right look for Disney's "The Mysterious Benedict Society?" You'll have to read to find out.

Podcast
Animating the Unreal with Chromosphere

How can a passion project turn into a game changer? Will your pursuit of new skills and talent lead to brand recognition? We talked with Kevin and Theresa from Chromoshphere about Yuki-7 and Unreal Engine.

Article
School of Motion Teams Up with MoGraph Mentor

School of Motion just acquired MoGraph Mentor! What does this mean for you, for the future, and for our amazing community?

Article
10 NFT Artists You’ve Never Heard Of

Digital artists are gaining international renown in the NFT space, but there are so many new faces to learn. How can you decide which artists you want to support? We asked Emonee LaRussa to share her top ten artists on the NFT scene.

Article
The Best Places to Find 3D Models

Looking for the best sites to find free and paid 3D models? We did the legwork for you.

Tutorial
Simple 3D Character Design Using Cinema 4D

Looking to design simple 3D characters in Cinema 4D? Today, we’re going to focus on creating a stylized character in Cinema 4D, and talking about the tools and techniques you can use to enhance the originality of your character!

Article
Visualizing the Evolution of Microsoft’s Fluent UI

Learn how Wes Cockx and Nando Costa visualized Microsoft's new Fluent User Interface.

Podcast
NFTs and the Future of Motion with Justin Cone

What do NFTs really mean for the future of our industry? We have Buck's Justin Cone here to discuss what's coming next.

Tutorial
How to Set Up Your Cinema 4D Projects Like a Pro

Want a sneak peek at an amazing Holdframe Workshop? Echoic X Ident is a jam-packed animation made by Nidia Dias for Echoic Audio. The 11-second ident is bursting with particle sims, graphic compositions, and bold colors, and is a brilliant display of Nidia’s voice and vision.

Tutorial
Intro to Redshift Renderer

Join Jesus Suarez as he introduces you to Redshift for Cinema 4D. He'll walk you through essential concepts like how to use node materials, lights and cameras techniques, and covering important render settings that help create beautiful renders.

Article
Behind the Scenes of the Whoopsery Bakery

Take a behind-the-scenes look at Psyop's latest two-minute film, “The Whoopsery.” What can ZBrush do for your next project?

Podcast
Animating for a Good Cause with Nicolaj Larsson

Doing personal projects is a great way to experiment and flex your creative muscles. Personal projects can also be part of a strategy of beefing up your portfolio or reel, especially if you're just starting out in the industry. Our guest today is Nicolaj Larsson, the founder and creative director of the Copenhagen based studio ccccccc.tv.

Article
A Motion Designer's Guide to NAB 2022

NAB, the largest media trade show in the world, is back after three years. Whether this is your first time or your fifteenth, we've got an insider guide to make sure your trip is unforgettable.

Tutorial
15 Must Know Shortcut Keys in Cinema 4D

If you want to step up your 3D animation and design game, you need to learn keyboard shortcuts in Cinema 4D. Knowing your hotkeys speeds up your workflow and allows you to focus on the creative aspect of the program rather than hunting through mentions to find a certain function. In this tutorial, we’re going to take you from beginner to keyboard king.

Article
School of Motion Has a New CEO

Running a company requires you to have vision, drive, and just a hint of madness. It also means finding and hiring incredibly talented people.

Podcast
Which Render Engine is Right for You with Chad Ashley

Do you need a third-party renderer? Tune is as we talk with Chad Ashley from Greyscale Gorilla about all of the third-party rendering options out there!

Article
Top 5 Tools to Identify a Font

Need help identifying a font? We have the 5 best tools for tackling typography right here.

Tutorial
Use Procreate to Animate a GIF in 5 Minutes

Want to add motion to your social media feed? Learn how to create an animated sticker in Procreate in under 5 minutes.

Article
The Cycle of Self Doubt

Andy Needham discusses his short film ‘Peace & Turmoil,’ and how feelings self doubt shouldn't stop a person from expressing themselves creatively.

Podcast
How Much Do Designers Get Paid with Carole Neal

How much money can you make in the creative world? No matter what career you’re aiming for, it can be hard to find a direct answer. So how can you find out the real dollar value of your work? That’s why we reached out to Carole Neal, the Marketing Director at Aquent.

Article
A Guide to Free Brushes in Procreate

Procreate is a very powerful illustration app which can be loaded up with tons of free brushes to give you more options. Here is a guide to finding and using free brushes in Procreate.

Tutorial
3D Design with Spline

Learn how to design, animate, and export with the free browser-based design app Spline!

Article
Behind the Scenes of Dune

What is like working on a mega-blockbuster like Dune? Check out this behind-the-scenes interview with Paul Lambert and Patrick Heinen.

Podcast
Were We Wrong About Studios? Giant Ant's Jay Grandin Responds

What is the artist / studio relationship really like in 2022? Were we wrong in our end-of-the-year podcast? Jay Grandin from Giant Ant is back to respond.

Article
The Ultimate Guide to Adobe Creative Cloud Apps

Adobe Creative Cloud comes with a collection of amazing programs for designers and animators, but what are they all for? We've put together an alphabetical guide for the apps in Creative Cloud.

Tutorial
Create Eye-Popping Visuals in Photoshop with Boris FX Optics

If you've ever struggled with make your images stand out , we explore the creative possibilities with the amazing Boris FX Optics – a VFX-grade Photoshop plugin that will change the way you work in Photoshop.

Article
Mail Delivery and Murder

What happens when you mix a talented team of 3D artists, Cinema 4D and Unity, and Emmy-winner Tony Hale? You get the new animated film "Carrier!"

Podcast
How to Stand Out in Your Job Search

Having trouble standing out from the pack when applying for work? We talked with Frank Suarez about how you can standout as a candidate for any position.

Article
Digital Art Career Pathways and Salaries

There are so many career paths available to digital artists, but do you know them all? What software do you need to know to be a web designer or game developer? How much does it pay? We explore the different options and offer our takes in this guide to pathways and salaries.

Tutorial
What's the Difference Between Procreate, Photoshop, and Illustrator

Photoshop, Illustrator, and Procreate are 3 of the most widely used design apps on earth. Find out when to use each one, and the strengths & weaknesses of each app.

Podcast
Unique Jobs that Need Motion Design

Having trouble finding work? Perhaps your focus is too limited. There are a ton of gigs out there for designers and animators, and we're going to show you the unique opportunities you might have missed.

Article
10 Tools to Help You Design a Color Palette

Learn about color palettes, how to make color palettes, and tools to help you generate color palettes.

Tutorial
How to Animate a Social Media Post in 5 Minutes

Easily animate your designs for social media using After Effects.

Article
Alone in a Digital World

Take a behind the scenes look at Taehoon Park's latest award-winning film “0110”—which was made with Cinema 4D, After Effects, Redshift, Marvelous Designer and ZBrush.

Article
10 Websites with Great Animation

With tools like Webflow and Lottie, creating animation for websites is easier than ever. Check out these 10 killer websites that showcase great uses of animation.

Podcast
Dreaming of Apple - A Director's Journey

What is it like leading a live commercial event for the biggest name in tech? We spoke with Shane Griffin who directed the Apple M1 Max launch event.

Tutorial
How to Resize Images in Photoshop

Learn 6 ways to resize an image in Photoshop and when you might use each method.

Article
The Best Typefaces in Adobe Fonts 2022

With over 20,000 fonts to choose, Adobe Fonts is a gluttony of selection. Here's our guide to our favorite typefaces for 2022.

Tutorial
How to Prep Photoshop Files for After Effects

Photoshop is a great place for designing content to animate in After Effects - but knowing how to prep your files and think like an animator is crucial for success!

Article
Behind the Scenes of Black Widow

Digital Domain has worked on Marvel films in the past—“Avengers Endgame” and “Thor Ragnarok”—but handling the visual effects behind the cataclysmic ending of “Black Widow” was an enormous undertaking. Check out this behind the scenes interview with the creative team.

Article
How to Use Adobe Fonts

With over 20,000 fonts available, Adobe Fonts is an incredible resource. Here is how to use Adobe Fonts, available with your Adobe Creative Cloud subscription.

Podcast
How Personal Should a Personal Project Be?

Many artists don’t take time to develop their personal projects. They worry they can’t find an audience, or that there just isn’t enough time in the day. Today, we want to encourage you to find your passion. What is the story you’ve always wanted to tell, but just never found the time to start?

Tutorial
How To Import Photoshop Layers into After Effects

One of the best features of Adobe’s Creative Cloud is the ability to import layers and elements between programs. In this tutorial, we'll show you how to import layers from Photoshop into After Effects so you're ready to animate your designs.

Podcast
Yes, You Are a Designer

Are you intimidated by design? It's a foundational element of our industry, and one of the most important pieces in creating strong, evocative art. We sat down with Greg Gunn from Three Legged Legs to discuss his journey into Motion Design, and how you can find your rhythm as a designer.

Tutorial
The Ultimate Guide to Cutting Out Images in Photoshop

There are many tools you can use to cut out images in Photoshop. We've compiled the ultimate guide for quick selections, detailed masks, and Sensei-powered tricks to take your Photoshop game to the next level.

Podcast
The Year in MoGraph - 2021

It has been an incredible year for designers and animators, but what's coming next? Joey, EJ, and Ryan sit down for a marathon podcast covering everything and anything in the industry from the past year.

Article
The Alumni Holiday Card 2021

Another year, another incredible holiday card from the School of Motion alumni! Check out this collaborative video featuring 50 artists from all around the world.

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