Hey Reader,

Zach here,

with another round of exciting 3D news from around the world.

This time we have our CG Boost Summer Sale, a cataclysmic dragon animation from Polyfjord and an “old” but still amazing Pacific Rim VFX breakdown video.

Let’s dive in.
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​Get our two Most Popular Courses 20% Off​

The CG Boost’s Summer Sale is here (and will run for the next 2 weeks, till July 26th). You can get our two most popular courses now with a 20% discount.

Simply use coupon code below at checkout.

20% Off Coupon Code: SUMMERBOOST

These courses have stood the test of time and guided many beginners from almost no Blender knowledge to making stunning 3D renders.

If you aren’t sure if these courses will work for you, take a look at our student’s results galleries, and read what our students think about these courses (use the filter at the top of these pages to show results for specific courses).

We also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee which you can make use of, if you realize that a course is not for you, so there’s no reason to hesitate.

​Pacific Rim VFX Breakdown​

Alan here, I work as manager at CG Boost and wanted to share with you something from the ancient past (at least in internet years).

I can’t believe this Pacific Rim VFX Breakdown video is already 10-years old, and it still holds up.

As a young adult, learning all I could about Blender and 3D, I found myself coming back again and again to this video. I guess I thought if I watched it enough times I'd be able to create something at that level, being super naive about the fact that one of the best VFX teams in the world was used for Pacific Rim.

While I still haven’t reached something of that caliber, watching it today I feel the same level of inspiration, and I wouldn’t be where I am now if at least I hadn't tried and failed again and again.

I hope it's of inspiration and encouragement to you, and a reminder of just how fun doing what we do can be.

Back to Zach.

​Deathwing Dragon’s Fire Fan Animation​

It’s not just Alan who’s taking inspiration from old movies or games.

Polyfjord has recently shared a video love letter to Blizzard’s World of Warcraft Cataclysm Cinematic, that is already 13 years old. The animation may be a bit dated, but it still looks amazing.

Polyfjord took the challenge to recreate the fire and smoke simulation with tools available today. Specifically, EmberGen (a real-time simulation software) and Blender.

To tackle such a big project on his own, he had to use some clever tricks to extract the dragon model from the game (with textures, rig, and even animation) and focus mostly on the fire and smoke simulation in EmberGen that he later imported and rendered in Blender.

You can watch his whole process here.

I hope this ignites your passion for creating your own animations and/or VFX. Polyfjord’s example demonstrates that it's entirely possible to produce something amazing today without a million-dollar budget or a large team.

That's all for this week, until next time with more 3D news and inspiring content.

~Zach