Your ability to come up with fantastic ideas that not only get people excited, but also fill up your bank account, is critical. Don’t miss this mind-jolting episode as John and Robin discuss the importance of fearless experimentation to getting ahead creatively and commercially.
For free 1-minute business tips with Robin Dickinson, watch BLACK CHAIR Business Success TV.
Learn how to bend 2D layers along paths using Cinema 4D and After Effects in this 3 part tutorial by EJ Hassenfratz (@eyedsyn).
Tinka Tinka’s Render Booster can dramatically improve After Effects render speeds.
The Pixel Lab’s Backyard Pack for Cinema 4D includes 30 backyard themed models.
The Pixel Lab’s Garage Pack for Cinema 4D includes 30 garage and mechanic themed models.
It was my honour to be included as part of this talented group of After Effects creators and teachers at the 2013 Media Motion Ball in Las Vegas. Photo by Steve Oakley.
Maxon and Adobe have announced a strategic alliance. Looks like it’s going to get a whole lot easier to work between After Effects and Cinema 4D.
The Pixel Lab’s new model pack for Cinema 4D includes 30 roof themed models.
Vimeo has launched a new visual enhancer powered by Vivoom – a vast library of video looks created by myself, Angie Taylor (@theangietaylor) and Andrew Embury (@aembury).
Newton 2, the powerful physics simulator for After Effects has been updated. Check it out on aescripts.
Plexus for After Effects has been receiving some attention recently on air. Check it out on aescripts.
After Effects pioneer trainer Brian Maffitt (@bmaffitt) has created some stunning imagery by pointing a projector into a blizzard and recording the result. Not surprisingly the imagery is making waves online and reminds us all of how great it is to have Brian as part of our industry.
The Pixel Lab’s latest Cinema 4D model pack includes 30 travel related models.
My latest collection of presets for GenArts Sapphire is all about colour, with a focus on the Quadtone, Gradient and Tint effects.
Greyscale Gorilla has released a big new HDRI collection for the popular HDRI Studio Pack.
Adobe After Effects has turned 20. Hard to believe it was only 4 years old when I started with version 3.1. Check out some user and employee stories here and perhaps leave your own!
15 Responses to this post
September 27, 2010 at 2:40 am |
Really good discussion, guys. I’ve recently found myself starting to get into a rut with my work, and have been itching to just play with After Effects, and do some experiments! Indeed, we all probably learned how to use that software by experimenting.
But once you get into work mode with After Affects, play times get fewer and farther apart. I think the biggest challenge of experimenting with design is not necessarily fear, but time. There are always time crunches in our life, deadlines in our work, etc. Theses days it’s getting harder and harder to find time to just play with AE. But the catch 22 of the whole thing is, as you mentioned, if you don’t find time to experiment, your work will definitely suffer for it.
hmmm…. better cancel that date with my wife and curl up with my laptop and AE for a while ;D
September 27, 2010 at 8:28 am |
Great point Chris, time is the biggest challenge for me too. The only way is to set aside a small amount of time each day (or as many days as you can) to watch tutorials, experiment and get inspired. I do at least one of these every morning before starting work and it pays me back plenty. Best wishes, John.
September 28, 2010 at 4:44 am |
Yup, you’re right, Jon. You really have to do it as much as possible, and doing it before you start work is a great way to get your creative juices flowing! I do watch a lot of tutorials, and I guess I never thought about watching tutorials as “experimenting.” But now that I think about it, tutorials do get my creative juices flowing as well! Just gotta be sure to play with my own designs as well
October 7, 2010 at 8:26 am |
Hey Chris, I’ve been looking at some inspiration and doing a short tutorial each morning recently and can feel the creative batteries being topped up.
September 27, 2010 at 6:14 am |
This was my favorite ep so far!
By the way, where’s that link?
September 27, 2010 at 8:26 am |
Hi John, I’ve added the link now. Best, John.
September 27, 2010 at 4:32 pm |
Cool!
September 28, 2010 at 3:02 am |
Hahahaha, nice episode. I love how Robin is like this know it all guy who really knows what he’s talking about, and sometime he ask John for his opinion and John was like this little kid who get asked by his teacher and he knows the basic idea of his answer but try really hard to come up with a long answer that hopefully could impress his teacher.
Love both of you guys, and please don’t stop making new episode for this video series.
Thank You!
ps: are you guys close friends?
September 28, 2010 at 7:38 am |
Whoops, my bad. I’ve just realized that you guys got the same last name. So that’s why he somehow looks a bit like you hahaha…
Forgive me , I’m new here xD
October 7, 2010 at 8:26 am |
Hey Ryan, we are actually friends with the same surname… nah, were’ brothers. Best, John.
October 1, 2010 at 7:02 am |
Right now I am in a situation where I lost my motivation to try out new things. Like Chris in his comment mentioned, I just try to get the job somehow done in the (very short) given time…
This issues of BOD reminded me that creativity was the reason why I started working in this industry. Thanks for getting me back on track guys
October 7, 2010 at 8:33 am |
Great to hear illd. We all need to be reminded now and then… it’s so easy to get lost in the day-to-day that we forget why we got into this business in the first place. Best, John.
October 30, 2010 at 5:15 am |
I want to know more about designs, hope that you can help me…
November 1, 2010 at 8:51 am |
I just had a big discussion with co-students of how graphic and film schools not emphasizing or pushing a class of the business aspects of creative careers. This is an awesome series. We had a good discussion involving paper work, proposals, how to charge, how to protect yourself and foundations to make happy accidents that heighten means to a wonderful profit.
So many people in the creative world get burned out because they have to go through a lot of trial and tribulations in a business sense with their creative magic. I hope to be able to teach a class in relation to what you got going on here.
John, you are the best.
Question, I see you sometimes on chat in your tutorial videos….where can I be part of creative discussions?
Let me know, I’d like to be part of your circle of digi-friends.
-3Dem
November 12, 2010 at 6:14 pm |
Hi 3Dem, great to hear you are finding value in our discussions. I host the occasional live e-seminar, which I record and post. Keep an eye on my Twitter feed for future dates (@motionworks) Best wishes, John.
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