Cinema 4D: Introduction to the basics

In todays society motion and static graphics created on Cinema4D, are seen everywhere; from advertisements, commercials, and billboard design. The creative and implicit nature of the design creates a meaningful but very effective process of using this unique piece of software.  

Today in one of the last Process and Production workshop we were given the opportunity to play around with Cinema 4D. The software was something I haven't played around with before and it was all very new to me. We were introduced to the interface and the basic elements of it.  We were also introduced to the rendering effects of the software- simple rendering and rendering for saving. The refined and simplistic nature of the design shows that the refinement can be very unique and effective. 

The software, that is free for students and fairly simplistic to use, was presented to us in different stages.

We started by looking at lighting. We looked at the 3 different types of lighting, back light, fill light and key light. These, as in photography and trying to make the the scene look as realistic as possible, should be placed in a triangle formation. The key light should have the strongest ambience with a large temperature and the other two should be dimmer that would enable for a more realistic and inventive effect. I also, by using a 4 split screen, altered the lighting to fit the pyramids perfect effect. 

We then learned about implementing cameras and the effectiveness of picking a specific camera angle and design. This can be edited and manipulated to effect the nature at which the viewer watches the graphic. 

We then applied sunshine and played around with the effect of this. We also learned how we can manipulate this to fit with actual weather situations around the world using time scale and earth coordinates. This can be very handy architecturally when trying to demonstrate sun paths and sun tracks and how they effect buildings and for film and motion when trying to make a realistic graphic. 

We then looked at textures, fill colour and the effect of this. I decided to use a warm and high temperature colour scheme to try and fit with an Egyptian Pyramid aesthetic. The sand colour fill that I implemented as well as the sun texture that was applied earlier makes for a very North African atmosphere. 

We also experimented with typography and the implementation of Motype. I played around with the font, typographic structure, the level on the ground as well as the thickness and composition of the font. Using a simplistic Helvetica Font I wrote my name. I think this looks effective yet I wanted to carry on working on the pyramid file and incorporating more designs and effects. 

We learned then about masks and textures. Just using a simple google image search, I added three sand and desert textured effects that would enable the pyramid to fit in with its setting. The use of the contrasting textures and running colour scheme I think works very effective. 

Final Outcome

I then copied and pasted the pyramid and added two other ones that are different in scale and size. I then rendered the outcome and came up with the final piece. I am really pleased with this outcome and I think that for a first attempt it works very effective. If I had more time to work on this piece I would make an animation effect, possibly zooming around the scene cinematically in the same motion graphics style shown in the youtube video. I would also like to possibly make a more effective texture that when rendered looks more realistic. There is much more things to be played around with so I think I am going to try be very experimental with future cinema4d projects. I will also try and link this in with future projects as I think I took to the skills of the software very effectively.