(Page 1 of 1 pages for this article )

Filed under: 3D •Motion Graphics •Training •

Making It Look Great 7 Review

Last summer I wrote an lengthy review of the Motionworks’ Making It Look Great 6 training series, where Tim Clapham did a great job covering the integration of Cinema 4D and After Effects. I mentioned my wish for Tim to do a full series on using Cinema’s MoGraph module, and little did I know that such a series was already in the works. Not wanting to wait, I offered to proof it as it was being developed (crafty, huh!), and now it’s arrived in a store near you as Making It Look Great 7.

MILG7 consists of six projects produced using a wide variety of MoGraph objects and effectors. Not only will you learn tons of MoGraph techniques as you create some fun animations, but sprinkled throughout are a great many solid Cinema working practices that will serve you well in any project.

If you have just a little experience in Cinema, you’ll be able to follow the MILG7 course easily. I found in the earlier series (MILG6) that Tim packed a lot of clicks and moves into a few seconds and it was easy to miss a vital clue. The pace is more deliberate in this series; I found it much easier to follow along with the step-by-step instructions (the only way to really learn). The only times I went astray was when I had to create something from scratch without the aid of set values (like drawing the elegant flowing ribbon in the Flourish section – my ribbon was a sad looking thing with spikes in all the wrong places…).

I was happy to see so many real-world techniques covered that will be useful for almost any MoGraph project – these are not what we call “Spirograph” tutorials (as in “cool, an animated Spirograph – but what would I use that for?”). At the end of the series I had pages of notes and a list of more ideas to try out. I was particularly chuffed to learn how to better control the color and timing of individual clones, create visible lights, and drive animations with sound, plus there are many tips shared for texturing clones. No doubt Tim has lots of other cool ideas on how to piece together MoGraph objects; let’s hope there’ll be a volume two of MoGraph Unleashed!

Reviews are designed to spell out the pros and cons of a product and help you decide whether you should shell out your hard-earned money. The reason I’m not going to write an in-depth review of MILG7 is because buying this course is a no-brainer for anyone interested in learning MoGraph (which should include every motion graphics artist). For $98, you will get more than your money’s worth. A long review would just delay you from getting over to the Motionworks store and checking out…!

If you missed out on MILG6 (reviewed here), Motionworks are offering a MILG 6 + 7 Cinema bundle for just $159. (If you do get both at once, you don’t have to watch them in order. If anything, if you are new to Cinema you might watch MILG7 first; working through six self-contained projects is more rewarding than one complex project, plus the pace is a little slower.)

The content contained in our books, videos, blogs, and articles for other sites are all copyright Crish Design, except where otherwise attributed.

(Page 1 of 1 pages for this article )

                   

 

2D Footage with a Stereo 3D Rig in After Effects CS5.5 Jeff Foster | 02/10 Edit and Optimize 2D Stereo Pairs from a 3D Video Camera or Twin Cameras with a Modified Stereo 3D Rig in After Effects CS5.5 Adobe included a 1-step option to create a 3D Stereo Camera Rig in After Effects CS5.5, to everyone’s enthusiasm for a simpler workflow in 3D space. Great if you are working in 3D space in After Effects, but what about an easy option for 3D Stereo pairs captured by a 3D camera…

LIGHTING STRATEGIES: Rough Guide to Illuminating a Bounce Card Art Adams | 01/29 Lighting a bounce card is easy, right? Right… IF you know the basics. Here they are. Is bounce light really just about aiming a light at a white card and walking away? No. There are a couple of tricks to getting the most out of your bounce source, and I can show them to you fairly quickly using…

Stereo 3D Video Production with GoPro Jeff Foster | 01/29 Using the GoPro HD Hero2 and the 3D Hero System with CineForm Software Whether you love it or hate it, 3D Stereography is here for awhile. And if you’re totally into it like I am, you quickly realize that there are few turnkey workflows out there to capture and process 3D Stereo video that’s easy to setup, shoot and edit Stereo pairs.…

You must be registered to comment. This is an effort to reduce spam. Please REGISTER HERE.

Chuffed, eh?

Posted by Mark Spencer  on  02/26  at  01:29 PM

---

hey Mark, chuffed is a great word!

chuffed - adj
Brit slang - pleased or delighted

Posted by Crish  on  02/26  at  03:08 PM

---

Name:

Email:

Location:

URL:

Smileys

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?

Submit the word you see below: