Greyscale Gorilla has released a stunning new lighting kit for Cinema 4D.

Showcase your skills and win cool tools

Are you ready for a new challenge? Well Motionworks is teaming up with Digieffects, and this time your mission is to create an eye-popping animation using Digieffects plug-ins. All entries will be showcased on Motionworks, with the top three entries receiving an entire set of Digieffects plug-ins worth over $1,000. Read below for the details.

• All entries must use the music track written especially for the challenge by Selcuk Can Guven. Download music
• All entries must include the Digieffects logo (3D is okay) Download logo
• All entries must feature at least one Digieffects plugin. If you don’t own any Digieffects plugins you can use trial versions. Any watermarks from the demos won’t affect your chances of winning. Download trials
• Resolution should be no greater than 640 x 360.
• Format can be Vimeo, YouTube or MP4/H264.
• The length of the animation should be that of the music track.
• All entries must be sent to Motionworks no later than April 1, 2010.
• All entries will be featured on Motionworks during the challenge, with the final 3 chosen from the top 10 entries.
• Send your movie or link to john@motionworks.com.au.
• Please list all plug-ins used in your entry.

So let the challenge begin. We can’t wait to see your creations!

In this handy tip, guest host Tim Clapham demonstrates a must-know and surprisingly simple technique for creating custom scripts in Cinema 4D. The example Tim shows where he zeros all coordinates will save you a bunch of time! Watch Tip

In this tutorial learn how Digital Juice’s Motion Designer’s Toolkit and some free grunge textures helped me to recreate the blood splatter style used in the Inglourious Basterds trailer.  Watch Tutorial

Do you ever find yourself suffering the effects of overwork – even doing what you love? This episode takes a frank and honest look at the damage working crazy hours can do to your business – and your life – and how to handle it.

For free 1-minute business tips with Robin Dickinson, watch BLACK CHAIR Business
Mentoring TV

A handy checklist of the top 4 things users do wrong when rendering in Cinema 4D.

Amateurmedia.net has some terrific type-based Cinema 4D tutorials.

Over-reacting to critical feedback almost cost Chris his job

Great topic! I have a horrible story where I learned this stuff the hard way!

When I was just young and starting out, I was working on an opening sequence for a client. From the start I had the go-ahead from my producers, and I spent weeks pouring  my heart and soul into this project. I felt it would be my big break! To my delight, my producers and co-workers all loved my final project. I was feeling pretty cheeky. But when the piece was submitted to the client, they didn’t like it. At all. I was crushed. Read more…

In this two-part tutorial learn how to take basic Adobe After Effects presets and customise them to create your own unique looks. This section focusses on further enhancing the text animation, adding and customising a background preset and adding finishing touches including a bloom look and displacement. Watch Example | Watch Tutorial Read more…

It’s been a while coming but here is my review of the final entries to the recent Unplugged challenge. Thanks again to all entrants for putting in a big effort. Watch Review

Do you ever find yourself overreacting to feedback from others about your work? Then don’t miss this essential episode as John and Robin discuss powerful ways of handling your toughest critics. Read more…

Rob Redman has released Xbreaker, a handy, new script for smashing up your Cinema 4D objects. The basic version is free.

Stu Maschwitz has a brand new tutorial showing the ins and outs of Mojo. One cool tool! For a 10% discount use the code “motionworks10″.

Harry Frank has posted a great collection of images captured during his recent visit to Alcatraz.

Naldzgraphics has posted 33 terrific and inspirational Iron Man images. Coolness personified.

Do you or anyone you work with have perfectionist tendencies? Then don’t miss this critical episode as John and Robin discuss the key differences between a ‘perfect’ job and a profitable job. Read more…

How one Motionworks follower turned around a life-destroying
drug addiction to become a skilled and popular Cinema 4D artist

Hi John, back in ‘92 when I’d been a 32-bit paint system specialist (a rarity back then) I was hunted by the music industry for a variety of projects that – at the time – were very exciting and made me alot of money and allowed me to circulate among many stars of the day in both design – Peter Saville & Malcolm Garett among others – and pop stars. Great fun.

Sadly this new found popularity and lifestyle brought with it the inevitable negatives of drug abuse which moved very quickly from ecstasy & cocaine to heroin which stayed with me destroying my life and the majority of my career for the better part of 20 years.
Read more…

In this two-part tutorial learn how to take basic Adobe After Effects presets and customise them to create your own unique looks. This section focusses on giving a simple text preset a touch-of-class, with a clear explanation of Text Animator Groups, Animator Properties and Range Selectors. Turning a simple typewriter look into something much more special. Watch Example | Watch Tutorial Read more…

Knowing which material project type to use when using textures in Cinema 4D can be confusing. That’s why I asked my buddy Rob over at Pariah Studios to whip up this handy little tutorial! Thanks Rob! Watch tutorial

Paul Babb is the popular and charismatic CEO of Maxon USA.
In this Cinema 4D–focussed episode of Unplugged we talk about
Paul’s early days, including a time in film and on the stage;
then dive head–first into Cinema 4D and MoGraph and what makes it
just the hottest 3D software out there right now. Read more…

This promo for our brand new MILG7: MoGraph Unleashed video training, was created using Cinema 4D and After Effects. The Out Now text bounces using MoGraph 2.0 MoDynamics, the sky was added in After Effects using Trapcode Horizon, and the colour grade was created using a combination of Magic Bullet Looks and Mojo. For a 10% discount on Horizon, Looks or Mojo enter “motionworks10″ on checkout!  Watch Movie

It will come as no surprise to Motionworks regulars that I’m a big fan of Brian Maffitt. Brian is a veteran trainer and someone that I have aspired to while developing my own presentation style. The foundations of my After Effects knowledge were built watching Brian’s Total After Effects series. Read more…

The Making It Look Great Cinema 4D Bundle includes Making It Look Great 6: Design and Production Techniques for Cinema 4D and After Effects, and Making It Look Great 7: MoGraph Unleashed. Both loaded with hours of Cinema 4D, MoGraph and After Effects techniques. Read more…

MoGraph Unleashed – Real-world Cinema 4D MoGraph workshops

MILG6 host, Cinema 4D expert and Mograph master Tim Clapham is back to guide you step-by-step through 6 stunning, 3D motion graphics projects.

In these workshops, Tim demonstrates must-know, real-world Cinema 4D MoGraph techniques and workflows you will find immediately useful in your own work.

While based around MoGraph, Tim also discusses general Cinema 4D workflow techniques for modelling and texturing which will improve your all-round expertise when working with Cinema 4D. Read more…

John Montgomery dreamt of working in film and television from a very early age. For the past 3 decades John has lived that dream, honing his craft as a visual effects artist on high-end systems such as Flame and Smoke. In this candid interview John reveals how he got started in the industry, and came to be co-founder of FXGuide and FXPhd. Read more…