Vimeo asked me to do a tutorial for their excellent Vimeo School series and I said “heck yes!” It’s all about how to make a fun animated title using Cinema 4D and After Effects. In Lesson 1, we build the logo from a vector file and prepare it for render. In part 2, we composite it in After Effects using the built in Tracking Software, lens blur and color correction. Follow along over at Vimeo School or watch it below.
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Nice! Loving the cross application tutorials Nick. Happy holidays and thanks.
Great Nick !!!
I’m looking forward to giving a go a few of your tutorials over the Christmas Hols..
Is this wrong ?
I which all your tutorials where that detailed!
Me too. I often get lost during Nick’s tuts. I followed this one very easily. Loved it.
its not really animated isn’t it?
BTW
Is ‘Nick for Vimeo School’ and the Greyscale Gorilla the same person?
haven’t you noticed? it’s not the gorilla. he is a lot more polite…( :
Lol
Yeah, I prefer the fast talking, high on caffeine ,talking to himself,unplanned approach, jump straight in there Nick
This Nick must be a imposter
Nick, you are simply amazing. I was looking for a good tutorial like this but couldn’t find one until now. Thank you so much!
you are nick and you are the gorilla !
That’s a cool tutorial for any beginner, I know some of pros want beefier and meaty tuts but it’s the holidays and I want to take a break from all things graphic related until the new year!!
Peace
Looks gorgeous! Thanks a lot for these tutorials, I found them really helpful!
Meg
Have happy holidays and loking forward the new ones
Saw this yesterday actually on vimeo’s training page. Very nice!
Thanks Nick! this is a very helpful tut and can be used in a lot of effects..am thinking traffic streaks with some rotating shiny type..
Best Regards
Just saw you’re running OSX Lion. Any problems with plugins? Software? Is it worth updating?
Really great tutorials!
Nick I’ve got a quastion maybe not applicable for this tut. But im wondering if there is something similar to AE’s motion blure in C4d? which I can use for animation inside Cinema4d? I’ll be really greateful for a quick tip.
Ps- Hope to see some tutorial with trackings 3d graphicks using more rotations footage. And plays with nulls trackings points in C4d. I allways wonder how it works.
thanks for these tuts!
Are you trying to emulate DOF in C4D?
If so, C4D’s physical renderer has the ability to make use of depth of field, although it will extend the render time.
You can get some very nice results from it though
NO, not deph of field. “Motion blure” is a great option in AE for add more realistic moves to titles or graphicks. And Im wondering if C4d has something similar. would be cool.
Check this:
http://www.5min.com/Video/Adobe-After-Effects-7—How-to-Apply-Motion-Blur-85439453
You can add motion blur in the render settings. It is located in the drop down with GI and AO. You will want to select subframe motion blur and say how many samples you wish to do. You need to be in the picture viewer to see the motion blur render out since it takes multiple frames into account.
Another method is to render out a vector motion blur pass and bring it into AE and then you have the ability to control it through the ReelSmartMB plugin. But the first option will solely be in C4D.
Yeaahhh! Thank u Collin!
Nick, Awesome tutorial like always!
Quick Tip: When rendering with Alpha enabled, it isn’t necessary to turn off the background
That’s true. As long as you have the compositing tag applied with seen by camera unchecked, you’re good to go.
Too much DOF in the background, title text need 2 be more animated for 15 sec vid.Other then that the scene take on a railroad should make a train hit the Vimeo title and break it in pieces..
Uhhhh….no.
Hey Nick! Just a question, instead of using a FastBlur at the end for blurring a little the logo, why didn’t you use the built in motion blur in AE? Thanks a lot! Cheers
this came at the perfect time nick! thanks so much, just the look i was going for. love your tutorials, keep up the great work!
exactly what i was looking for thanks!!!
how is this any different than the Gauntlet Series from Rendertime other than the fact that Vimeo asked you to do it?
Wow Nick!! have been trying to make something like this, and i could thanks for the tutorial you just made my Christmas i appreciate you and your work..happy holidays Nick hope you have a wonderful one with your family.
Great tutorial as always!
Quick tip:
I would put the another instance of “vimeo” inside “depth map” comp with a fill effect applied in white, so if you focus in depth, the “vimeo” remains blurry/
Keep up the good work!
Very nice tutorial Nick,very useful my friend
your DOF effect technic is very nice but I am usually using ”Depth of Field Effect” in AE..
..(Effect top menu/ 3D Channel / Depth of field)
very fast render and useful technic but firstly render settings in C4D / in the save tab;you may select format to ”RPF” and enable to ”Z Depht” in options of RPF and Render
please try this,you like it
Thank you very much for great tutorial Dear Nick,
You are always Best my friend
I watched this on Vimeo today, not realizing you posted it here. I was wondering how I had missed it on your site. Nice job Nick. While I was on Vimeo I also stumbled upon this one and will be using it for my students, it is a well rounded piece and goes over many principles of Motion Design.
http://vimeo.com/7440725
this was part of Vimeo Video School / Lessons which is found here
http://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/156/what-is-motion-design
Nick, i love you
Nice tut as always Nick ! Have nice holidays and christmas !
Great Nick. But would love to see how to import tracking data into cinema4d for some rad 3d tracking action.
The best hands down tracker I have seen is Boujou. I will warn it is #1 expensive and I only got it since I worked for the Saudi military but the thing gives excellent results. It requires you to edit the .c4d file in a text editor though. You have to set the Quaternion rotational value to “0″ instead of pi which is why it comes in backwards. The other thing you must change is the parent000002 to 1 so that you don’t import the tracking data within the camera and have the psr all out of wack. Hope this helps. I have been aware of the new camera tracker in AE but haven’t used it so I can only provide my workflow…
best
I don’t have a very good camera and its proving to be almost impossible to find decent free HD footage of something useful to have a go at tracking.
Anyone got any suggestions?
Just still image,some matte paint,little bit of composing, work fine for me.
>> inspiration >>> inspiration >>> and ” connecting the dots”
)
http://www.fubiz.net/2011/12/07/private-moon/
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Pingback: Creating Animated Vimeo Title Sequence in Cinema 4D and After Effects
Thanks for the extensive explanation on AE tracking (and for the rest of the tutorial, of course), a very interesting review.
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Hi,
thx for this tutorial. I like to know how to render out a shadow in C4D and compose it in AE. I know that i have to use channels, but don’t know how… Maybe you would like to make in future a tutorial for this. Some bouncing balls on a table or so?
Merry XMas To All of You
Nikolaus
Nice tutorial. Like Niko I would like to know how to setup the render to have the shadows created in Cinema.
I guess I have to use multipass, but to be honest I’m scared of multipass…
I have found some tutorials on this topic, but all of them uses the video as a background in Cinema.
Thanks to Nick !!
Nick, that was the nuts! My first foray into after effects. Last day at work before xmas and ive put the company logo into a moving scene. Brilliant! Now, is putting animation into the scene as easy?
Happy Christmas to you and your good lady wife. Looking forward to some more lovely stuff in the new year!!
One more thing, what camera did you use nick?
Hi Nick! Big thanks for post from Russia – your english like russian for me)))
You post is antipod to this picture )
http://theord.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/drawOwl.png
I talk about little less videos. 44 min for second tutorial little big.
But very very thanks!
Hi from Tula. (Russia)
Hey I’ve used the same technique few month ago doing my new reel’s intro!!
Even the out of focus is identical! The only difference is that in my version the background was a picture too.
below the link:
http://vimeo.com/31962476
Hey Nick! Thanks for the tutorial! it was really easy to follow you step by step! Can you do more compositing tutorials using cd4 and after effects? thanks again and enjoy the video!
http://vimeo.com/34572645
N for Nick!!!
thanks a lot for the tutorials, as always so much absorb!
cheerz, siniz.
Nick, your work is awesome!
Tutorials are great… So instead of trying to make a title sequence myself, how much for you to make one for me?
Sir Nick, take a look at what i pulled off.
http://vimeo.com/34181940
Your tutorials are amazing. I have been working with cinema4d for only about a month now, but I’ve been able to learn a great deal just by following along and tinkering on my own. Keep up the good work!
Great tutorial Nick. Just got my Panasonic HDC-SD900 so this is perfect.
Keep up the great work & happy holidays.
LOL Nice tutorial but its too boring cause its SO detailed!!!!!
U r explaining each step lol!!!!!!
Thats because he is doing a though job. Its important when people are trying to learn something.
Awesome job on the tutorial man – loved it!
Thank you so much for all the work you do on your tutorials.
Hey GSG, wonderful tut! I have a quick question, something I have not been able to get around in C4D on this note, a similar animation. Say my logo is on a huge cityscape, ok. In C4D the “Background” we create for perspective causes it to vanish behind it in z space, when trying to get the perspective right for sitting it far off in the distance. Figured you might know of a work-around or fix. Thanks for your time, laters.
It’s a very good tutorial. I had fun doing it.
Please see my work and give me your opinion. Thank you!
It´s my link.
http://vimeo.com/34339484
I think you should have moved the camera a little more.
i wish the footage was available for download :/
hey Nick, the stuff with Cinema was easy,good to handle and well explained but i don´t have AE is there a good way to make this stuff with Motion 5?
Greetings from Germany you are awesome ;0)
Thanks Nick for the tutorial, it’s very helpful especially how you explain the reason being each move. I just had a quick question, i didn’t pick it up from the tutorial, maybe i missed it, what’s the reason why we’re attaching the tracks to the null object instead of the title itself? thanks.
Gorilla You are the man thanks for all the tutorials. They have helped me so much!!!!
Hey People,
I got a question. i followed this tutorial.
But can i do this with this tutorial too?
Can i let the 3d text fly in the movie? just like it comes from the right and stops in the middle?
(sorry for bad english)
Thanks Nick! Here is my result…
http://vimeo.com/34666620
Emily your test was absolutely amazing. Loved it. You should have done a tutorial. How did you go about masking the guy out and what did you manage to track in this footage?
Just wanted to extend my gratitude. Discovered these tutorials a few months ago and you have really opened my eyes to a lot of great techniques and concepts.
Hi Nick can you take a look on my reel of 2011 and give your opinion please?
I´s a one minute video and i really liked to know what you think about it.
Thanks man.
Demoreel 2011:
http://vimeo.com/34864983
Cheers Nick, My first dalliance into AE, easy enough to follow. Would love to know how to go the other way – get the motion tracking information back into Cinema, so that you could pan around a 3d object rather than just the straight on 2D look.
Nice Tutorial Nick. I did my own motion tracking test using this tutorial of yours. I would like to see if you could do a more complicated motion tracking tutorial than this one. How to you go about camera matching a 3D object with your camera? I can’t find to many tutorials out like that.
Here is the link to my camera tracking test using your tutorial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kcNoz2GhtI
i did try again tracking the movement of the camera. but its still not 100 percent right. do you have any tips Nick?
http://vimeo.com/34979685
Hi! Great tutorial. Thanks alot. Just a quick question about the grain generated by the AO. How can I reduce that? For some reason it gives me alot of grain on my shadows. Is that normal? I increase my minimum samples but it wont seem to go away. How can I fix that?
Thanks again,
Sam
Great tutorial, used it to make a MTV ident. Thank you so much. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMfylv54glQ&list=UULiwN7EBgzsFPT2oQd7SytQ&index=2&feature=plcp
Very nice! I actually used it just for what you did. the vimeo logo intro. I was looking for something to do for one and you made a tutorial. Just what I needed! Thanks man! Also introduced me into how to work tracking better!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNbGSayCUro
YO cheers for the awesome tutorial, just what i needed to learn. i am having issues with the logo rending grainy! cant figure it out . . all settings are as per the tut. any ideas?
Cheers
Thanks for the grand tutorial
Here’s what I was able to make with it:
http://vimeo.com/35478718
I didn’t stray too far from the tutorial; it’s stylistically the same. But alas, I know nothing of Cinema 4D
Hi Nick!
In Lesson 1 around 2 minutes I see some sort of dark grey area around the save as window (in which you can select recent folders etc) What is that? It looks likes a real timesaver
It’s called Default Folder X. It’s great.
Ah cool. Thanks!
Thanx Nick !!! Great tutorial , very well explained, amazing info!!, thanx a lot to share your knoledge.
really apreciate your exellent work!!!
Best!
Hi Nick,
First of all Im a HUGE fan of the Greyscale Gorilla and the Gorilla itself!
Im having a trouble of avoid the influence of my sky color in my material.
For example my sky is a beautiful blue sky and when a use the my material just turn blue too, i can change the material color to whatever color and hi always be blue… What Iam Doing Wrong?
Sub Question Inside the first question: In Maya Xsi and Etc I can make a render selection and just move the attributes of the material, automatically the cene render itself without me having to hit the button render all the time… there is a way to do that in C4D?
Thanks in advanced and cheers from Brazil to Gorilla Nick!
Just wondering, I first off thanks for the tutorial, is there a shadow with low opacity, I mean, a shadow really ties the whole room together, I mean, illusion.
tiadvance
Is it possible to work with 3d animated logo instead of still to get the same results? Thanks
Absolutely. Just render out an animated sequence instead of a still. The rest will be similar.
Thanks for your reply! Your tutorials are very helpful for a c4d beginner like me! Greetings from Belgium
It is horribly annoying to listen to your tutorials when you keep swallowing your saliva on and on and on…… ((((
Sorry about that, Alex. I went to the doctor recently to try and clear things up. I’m sure you don’t want the details, but i’m feeling better now. Thanks for your concern.
Alex is too into your voice cause I watched the whole tuts with headphone and had no annoyance whatsoever. Very helpful tuts Nick! All the explainations was very helpful to a newbie like me.
Hi,
I’m looking for a video to use for this tutorial (like a landscape, railroad, city… in HD) but in Vimeo or in YouTube I can’t find nothing. Can someone link me something?
Thanks
Hi Nick,
This was an interesting tutorial. I tried my version with a picture as a background (I didn’t had any good video archive) and then I added some shadows moving on AE to simulate some movement.
Here is my animated logo : https://vimeo.com/35103692
Thanks a lot for your useful tuts !
Your tutorial became pretty handy in the process of creating this, Nick. Thanks!
https://vimeo.com/42081458
What would be the main difference between using the Sky sampler (with the same BG material just like in these example) and shoot a panorama of the scene and use IR + QMC instead of Sky sampler ?
Wouldn’t these work on the same way ?
Can someone explain? Just trying to know how GI works.
Thanks