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I'm looking to create a very simple animation video, maybe 1-2 minutes long, with a 3D logo and text just kind of floating around and some lighting effects. I want to make something similar to this:

What software is required to make this? Can something like Blender make this whole thing, or would I need a combo of tools like Maya and Sony Vegas?

Thanks!

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I'd do it with Blender. Free 3D, video editing, compositing, etc... software.

Learning to use blender could be a daunting task, but it is absolutely worth your time. A rough explanation the way I can think of doing what you intend to do is get your logo as a background image for reference, create a plane, add vertex as needed and duplicate your reference logo. Then extrude that plane to create a 3D logo.

Blender has an option to create 3D text so you don't need to worry about that. Setup lights, materials, plan your camera trip, set the length of your video and render the whole thing. You might want to use the compositing tool within Blender to enhance your movie with glares.

Here is a link with a video I've created

it's not good (It is a hobby for me, I don't work on this area) but you can see the potential with the text created for the beginning "El Hada Mapy" and chroma (masking is poor I was in a hurry so please don't be too picky).

By the way, I didn't see your last question. Yes, you can do the whole thing with Blender, you don't need any other software since it brings all you need to do it. You have some examples of how to do it and what you get in the next links:

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  • Thanks YoMismo - I have inserted your comments into your post (the EDIT function lets you do that too)
    – Dr Mayhem ♦
    Jul 21, 2014 at 11:22
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This was most likely done in After Effects. Simple 3D extrusions like this can be done by making a shape layer in After Effects and doing a 3D extrusion. It then looks like they added a lens flare to it and then started positioning that layer in 3D while positioning the camera and other text layers around it.

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  • This is probably it. However, for any more advanced 3D you might want to look into Cinema 4D. It's more or less the standard in the motion graphics industry.
    – gburning
    Jul 21, 2014 at 10:05
  • After Effects is used extensively in the motion graphics industry as well. Cinema 4D makes sense if it is something more elaborate, but would be overkill for rendering out an asset this basic. After Effects is still one of the most popular compositing systems out there. The two even integrate together to an extent.
    – AJ Henderson ♦
    Jul 21, 2014 at 14:35
  • Oh, without doubt. I meant that it's the standard for 3D. But from what I understand of C4D there is seldom a workflow where AE isn't involved as well at some point.
    – gburning
    Jul 21, 2014 at 14:54
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SHORT ANSWER: PHOTOSHOP & KEYNOTE.

Like anything else, there are many ways to achieve an animation similar to this, however the fact that you are asking how to do or what software to use indicates to me that your experience/skill level in motion graphics, animation or even video editing w/ photoshop is still being developed; in other words, you're a beginner. (I do not say that as a put down at all, just as qualifier.)

Unless you are pursing a career in animation or motion gfx the Pro Apps you and others mentioned should not be considered. Any of the Pro Apps (AE, Maya, Cinema, even Motion) have learning curves of hundreds of hours.

However there are plenty of shortcuts to achieve something very similar, one of which being Photoshop and Keynote. Photoshop and Keynote will process will take you +/- 1 to 3 hours and will allow you to output an HD Quicktime file.

The next level up in terms of complexity, control and learning curve would be to use Photoshop and Final Cut Pro (or any NLE that allowed you to keyframe).

Following that would be to purchase a template that you could use in Motion (or AE but I wouldn't recommend AE even for a template unless you really intend on committing yourself to a time investment).

Following that would be to actually make the whole thing in Motion.

All of my options can be achieved by a typical computer techy kinda guy who's creative and doesn't mind following some tutorials and applying themselves.

Good luck.

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    Saying it would take 100+ hours to learn to do this in AE is completely deceptive. Learning AE well may take hundreds of hours, but doing simple things does not. This could probably be done, even by a new user, in under the 3 hours you mention as the long end for Photoshop and Keynote, especially at the quality level that Photoshop and Keynote will allow. Sure you won't fully learn AE in that time, but you don't need to, a basic extrusion and keyframe animation is pretty trivial (about 10 to 15 mouse clicks in total).
    – AJ Henderson ♦
    Jul 23, 2014 at 15:58
  • How would you make the 3d extruded layer in Photoshop? This is no simpler than doing it in After Effects (really more complicated) and if you do it in AE, it's a whole 3 to 5 mouse clicks to animate it instead of having to try to hack Powerpoint or Keynote in to doing it. That said, this suggestion does provide a cheaper way to accomplish the goal if they already have that software and don't yet have After Effects or Motion, but I would not call that approach easier.
    – AJ Henderson ♦
    Jul 23, 2014 at 16:03

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