This lesson introduces the Mixed-Media Motion Graphics module, where students begin combining 2D and 3D animation skills while also developing the creative and professional soft skills needed for client work. Students will explore concept-driven design, 3D-to-After Effects workflows, abstract animation, data visualization, infographics, and portfolio-focused mixed-media projects.

This lesson challenges students to create abstract tour visuals inspired by music, using 2D, 3D, or mixed-media techniques to build short, eye-catching portfolio clips. Students will study sample concert visuals and Cinema 4D project files, then experiment with tools like displacement, MoGraph, fields, forces, and simulations to create visuals driven more by feeling, rhythm, and mood than traditional storytelling.

This lesson teaches students how to build motion graphics projects from a strong concept, showing how abstract ideas, visual themes, references, and creative constraints guide the final design and animation style. Students will study real project examples to understand how professional motion graphics artists turn central ideas into clear, memorable, and client-ready visuals.

This lesson introduces data visualization as a practical and valuable motion graphics skill, showing students how charts, maps, interfaces, numbers, and abstract data can be transformed into engaging animated visuals. Students will study professional examples, then create two short data-driven animations using provided Illustrator assets in After Effects, Cinema 4D, or both.

This lesson teaches students how to move 3D data from Cinema 4D into After Effects using Cineware, camera data, nulls, baked animation, passes, masks, and pre-rendered sequences. Students will study real mixed-media workflows and practice combining 3D renders with flexible 2D elements so they can make client-friendly changes faster and create more polished composite animations.

This portfolio lesson challenges students to create a 10–15 second mixed-media product commercial using Cinema 4D and After Effects. Students will choose a product, highlight key features, animate cameras or objects, render passes, composite labels and effects, and output a polished commercial-style portfolio piece.

This lesson teaches students how to blend 2D and 3D styles by using Cinema 4D tools like Sketch & Toon, flat materials, alpha textures, layered scenes, and After Effects compositing to create a cohesive illustrated look. Students will study professional mixed-media examples, then create their own portfolio-ready piece by making a 3D object fit believably inside a 2D environment.

This lesson introduces 3 different After Effects kits:

The Neon Studio Kit is a template for creating glowing neon signs from text or images using either native 2D tools or a 3D Element 3D workflow.

The Phone Gestures Kit is used to create polished smartphone animations, app demos, text conversations, social media screens, keyboards, and cinematic phone moves.

The Storybook Scenes Kit helps students quickly turn images and text into dynamic visual stories using pre-built 2D and 3D scene structures.