Hey Reader,

Zach here,

With new inspirations and resources from the 3D world.

Today I have a neat hard-surface modeling and a cinematic storytelling tutorial, a behind-the-scenes video of the "Koji" short film, and an exciting car animation made in Blender.

As a cherry on top, I’ll share the latest game asset creation course from Creative Shrimp. Let’s dive in.

​Make Hard-surface Models like a Pro​

If you’re struggling with making good quality 3D models and the very word "topology" makes you feel confused, I have something just right for you.

CG Loop recorded a beginner-friendly tutorial introducing some basic concepts and techniques for hard-surface modeling in Blender.

The video is well-structured and all the concepts are explained with nice and easy-to-understand animated visuals. I highly recommend watching this tutorial, especially if you’re starting your 3D modeling journey.

​Make Short Films in Blender FAST​

I've already shared this in the previous email, but just in case you missed this new tutorial by Martin Klekner, here it is again.

Martin breaks down how to quickly create simple cinematic scenes to practice your CG filmmaking skills in Blender. The tutorial comes with a free scene that you can download to test your cinematography skills.

In the video, Martin also shares some sneak peeks of our upcoming "Master Cinematic Storytelling in Blender" course, which will be released very soon.

​Behind the Scenes of the Award-winning Blender Short "Koji"​

Last year I shared "Koji" - an amazing, samurai sword fight-inspired animated short with a simple but beautiful stylized look. The creators from Ammonite Animation Studio recorded a cool behind-the-scenes video.

They explain the filmmaking process in detail, including artistic decisions and limitations that were embraced as an opportunity rather than a roadblock.

The low-poly approach resonates with how I approached my Blender Launch Pad course, allowing for maximum focus on the creative aspect without getting lost in too much detail.

​Cinematic Porsche Car Animation (Blender)​

Automotive animations can be visually impressive, but they often tend to be a bit generic and predictable. This video by Alexis Poncelet has a lot of unique and creative elements that make it fun to watch.

Not only the Porsche car is a custom-tuned version, but also the military airport-themed environment brings a distinctive style to the animation.

What I found most inspiring was the diverse camera work using different lens types and framing.

​Make game-ready Assets with Creative Shrimp​

Creating game-ready assets is one of the most often requested tutorial topics we get asked about - so was the case for our friends at Creative Shrimp.

Gleb Alexandrov and Aidy Burrows answered the people’s call and created a full workflow guide to game-ready asset creation in Blender.

This includes modeling, sculpting, texturing, and optimizing the mesh for real-time use in game engines. UV unwrapping and texture baking are also covered and finally the process of exporting the final asset to a game engine - in this case - Godot.

Good news, there is an Early Bird Sale right now, with 25% off, till Monday 3rd March 2025.

​Get the course on Gumroad (affiliate link)

​Get the course on Blender Market (affiliate Link)

That’s all from me today, have a great weekend and till next time.

~Zach