Hey Reader,

Zach here,

With a bunch of fresh inspiration and resources from the 3D world.

Today I’ll start with a great tutorial from P2Design about how movies are structured. Next, I’ll share an epic hand-drawn animation and a making-of video about "Forevergreen." Finally, I’ll share a 2D animated version of Gandalf comforting Frodo with his wise, encouraging words.

Let’s dive in.

​Animated Film Structure Explained by Pierric Picaut​

If you have ever tried making an animated movie (even a short one), you know it is a challenging task. What can help you avoid getting lost in the process is a good understanding of how it’s structured.

Pierric Picaut explains the basic building blocks of filmmaking: Shot, Scene, and Sequence in this tutorial.

You can learn more about the fundamentals of filmmaking in our Master Cinematic Storytelling in Blender course.

​"The Old Knight - Part 2" - Amazing Hand-drawn Animation​

​This beautiful animation by Gabe Hordos is the second part of a short film about an old but brave knight (I’ve shared the first part in one of the previous newsletters).

The story continues with even more drama and beautifully hand-drawn frames. Even though the animation is a bit choppy (single-handedly making a hand-drawn animation demands cutting some corners), it delivers the emotions and sense of danger with great framing, poses, and expressions.

Watching it made me feel nostalgic about the old Disney classics that once ruled the animation world before the advent of 3D graphics. Quite like with the hero of this story, even though 2D animation might be old, it still has the chops to save the day.

​How "Forevergreen" was created​

I’ve shared the "Forevergreen" film in one of our previous newsletters. It’s great to see the creators sharing a little bit of the magic they do behind the scenes so we can learn and get inspired by their process.

All the work in progress and concept art for this short is so full of passion, talent, and craftsmanship that it feels like an artwork of its own. In the age of fast and soulless AI slop, this feels like a breath of fresh air.

​Gandalf’s Wisdom in a Beautiful Short Animation​

Peter Jackson’s "The Lord of the Rings" movies have become the "golden standard" of how we imagine Middle-earth, but it’s great to see other artists take the time to give Tolkien’s classic characters a unique, original spin.

​This 2D animated short by Jacob Mathess (and a couple of friends) is about Gandalf sharing his famous words of wisdom with Frodo. It also offers brief yet beautifully executed glimpses of other dramatic scenes from "The Lord of the Rings".

A real feast for the eyes and great food for thought (Gandalf’s wisdom can indeed show you the way).​
​

That’s all from me today. Have a great weekend, and until next time.

~Zach

P.S. Our "Cozy Days" 3D Challenge is still running if you want to give it a spin.