Unreasonably Effective Training

Dive into the fundamentals of motion design with our most popular (and recently updated) After Effects course. After Effects Kickstart is your secret weapon to dominate the world of animation. You'll plunge head first into the world’s most popular animation software, crafting dynamic visuals from day one. By the conclusion, you’ll be comfortable creating—and showcasing—your own AE creations.

Master the basics of Photoshop and Illustrator and gain invaluable insights in this introductory level course from Jake Bartlett. By the end of this course, you'll be able to create your own artwork from scratch with tools and workflows used by professional designers every day.

Learn Cinema 4D from the ground up in this introductory C4D course led by Maxon Certified Trainer, EJ Hassenfratz. Unlock your creative potential as you master the essentials of 3D modeling, lighting, and animation—key skills for 3D motion design. Gain command over the basic principles that will set the stage for your future in advanced animation.

Animation Bootcamp teaches you the art of creating beautiful movement. In this course, you'll learn the principles behind great animation, and how to apply them in After Effects. By the end of this course, you'll animate a variety of shots in multiple styles with professional assets and personalized feedback that can be added to your portfolio.

In Cinema 4D Ascent, you'll learn to master marketable 3D concepts in Cinema 4D from Maxon Certified Trainer, EJ Hassenfratz. Over the course of 8 weeks, this class will teach you the fundamental 3D concepts you need to know to create beautiful renders and tackle any task a studio or client might throw at you.

Design Bootcamp shows you how to put design knowledge into practice through several real-world client jobs. You’ll create style frames and storyboards while watching typography, composition, and color theory lessons in a challenging, social environment.

In Advanced Motion Methods you'll learn how to structure animations according to geometric proportions found in nature, deal with complexity, create cool transitions, and learn tips that only a seasoned After Effects veteran can. This course is built for working professionals that are looking for mentorship to push themselves to add more to their compositions and push themselves to the next level.

In Illustration for Motion you'll learn the foundations of modern illustration from Sarah Beth Morgan. You’ll discover a range of illustrative styles through mock client briefs meant to mimic jobs found in the real world. By the end of the course, you'll be equipped to create incredible illustrated works of art that you can use in your animation projects right away.

In Design Kickstart, you’ll take on industry-inspired projects while learning key design concepts that will elevate your design work right away. By the end of this course, you’ll have all of the foundational design knowledge necessary to start crafting storyboards that are motion ready.

In VFX for Motion you will learn a broad set of Visual Effects tools and techniques using After Effects. Prepare to add keying, roto, tracking, matchmoving and more to your creative toolkit. By the end of this course, you'll have the practical knowledge of working with live-action footage, and you'll even get some tips on how to direct and work on a VFX shoot.

This project-based course throws you into the deep-end, giving you the training and tools to create a fully-realized piece from bid to final render. At the end of this 12 week course, you'll have a piece that's created entirely by you and ready for your portfolio.

Expression Session will teach you how to approach, write and implement expressions in After Effects. Over the course of 12 weeks, you'll go from rookie to seasoned coder. By the end of this course, you will have all of the foundational knowledge you need to be able to write, understand, and use Expressions in After Effects to improve your daily workflow.

If you’ve ever tried to animate a character in After Effects, you know how difficult it can be. In this course, you'll learn key character animation techniques in After Effects. From simple movements to complex scenes, you'll be confident in your character animation skills by the end of this course.

Blender for 3D Artists is the ultimate crash course for experienced 3D artists ready to master Blender. Learn how to model, animate, and render using Blender’s powerful tools while integrating seamlessly into your existing workflow. From the basics of Blender’s UI to advanced features like Geometry Nodes and Grease Pencil, this course will prepare you for real-world production. By the end, you’ll be ready to use Blender confidently on client projects and take your 3D skills to the next level.

Rive Academy: Volume 1 is the ultimate introduction to the world of interactive animation built with Rive. You’ll learn how to design, animate, and prototype interactive motion design that you can ship anywhere. By the end of the course you’ll be ready to use Rive in production, and go further in more advanced courses.

Learn the art and science of character design in this fun and jam-packed course. Learn shape language, the 80/20 rules of anatomy, how to use motifs, create appeal, and much more. You’ll learn dozens of drawing tips and hacks, plus get extremely comfortable using Procreate (though any drawing app will do).

Get comfortable working with Unreal with this beginners course designed for motion designers from Jonathan Winbush. By the end of this course, you will learn how to import assets, world build, animate, and create cinematic sequences all in real-time. You'll also learn how to work with materials, lights, and cameras so you'll be able to create amazing 3D renders in no time.

Drive your freelance motion design career to the next level with a repeatable method of finding, contacting, and landing clients. You’ll learn new ways of identifying prospects and nurturing leads, plus how to develop a freelance philosophy that keeps you thriving through chaos. See this system in action so you can implement it yourself!

Get comfortable using After Effects for an editor’s everyday needs & create your own dynamic templates (Mogrts) to help your team work smarter every day. After these courses, you’ll be able to create a stylish animated graphics package, remove unwanted elements from footage, track graphics into an existing shot, and create multiple easily-customizable templates.

Get comfortable using After Effects for a video editor’s everyday needs in this beginner course from Jake Bartlett. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to create a stylish animated graphics package, remove unwanted elements from footage and track graphics into an existing shot.

Learn the essentials of creating your own dynamic Motion Graphics Templates (Mogrts) in After Effects to help you & your team work faster and smarter every day. By the end of this course, you'll be able to create multiple easily-customizable templates for use in Premiere Pro.

With Demo Reel Dash, you’ll learn how to make and market your own brand of magic by spotlighting your best work. By the end of the course you’ll have a brand new demo reel, and a campaign custom-built to showcase yourself to an audience aligned to your career goals.

Lights, Camera, Render is an in-depth advanced Cinema 4D course from David Ariew. This course will teach you all of the invaluable skills that make up the core of cinematography, helping to propel your career to the next level. It comes packed with valuable assets, and tips on tools and best practices that are critical to creating stunning work that will wow your clients!

In this advanced course from David Ariew, you will discover the ingredients that go into creating beautiful renders every time. You'll hone your eye for design while developing beautiful styleframes, and will learn how to think like a cinematographer. This course comes packed with valuable assets, tips on tools, and best practices that are key to creating stunning work that will wow your clients!

Lighting is one of the most important aspects of a render! In this advanced course from David Ariew, you'll learn critical lighting concepts and techniques that make the difference between a bad render and a stunning one. Learn studio lighting techniques before progressing to realistic indoor and outdoor environments. This course is packed with valuable assets, tips on tools, and best practices.

This advanced 3D course is a masterclass in camera moves and cinematography. You'll learn how to tell a compelling story through camera moves. You'll dive into Hollywood film study and learn camera animation techniques as you gain a deep understanding of how to craft your frame. Learning how to create continuity through shots to build your own gorgeous and captivating title sequences.

Every course & workshop we offer available instantly, with unlimited critique, access to our community, verified credentials, monthly livestreams and more.

This free course hosted by Michael Jones introduces the foundational concepts of design and animation, getting you ready to take your next steps into the world of motion.

Discover how to grow your creative career in this free, instant access course. Explore the ever-expanding field of design and animation, discovering where you fit in and where you’re going next. By the end of this course, you’ll have a roadmap to help you get to the next level of your creative career.

Get an in-depth look at what it takes to be a Motion Designer in this free, 10 day course. Along the way, you'll learn about the software, principles, and techniques used in the field through in-depth case-studies and tons of bonus material.

Dream is a stunning visual poem that was written, directed, and designed by Sofie Lee. This film represents the power and effectiveness of using abstraction, visual metaphor, and design to create an unexpected world, convey an emotion, and tell a story. In this Workshop, we explore Sofie's background and experiences, her inspiration behind writing this poem, and later how she translated that into the final storyboards, designs, and direction for this beautiful self-initiated film.

Nidia Dias has always been fascinated with the intersection of 3D design and organic movement, and these curiosities inform much of her work as an Art Director and Designer. One of Nidia’s most renowned pieces is a jam-packed animation made for Echoic Audio, an award-winning music and sound design studio. The 11-second ident is bursting with particle sims, graphic compositions, and bold colors, and is a brilliant display of Nidia’s voice and vision. Nidia takes a deep dive into the making of her Echoic X Ident and talks about using projects as a way to test out new ideas and tools, collaborating with a partner, and using X-Particles and advanced Cinema 4D techniques to realize her singular vision.

The amazing team at Ordinary Folk and an open brief from School of Motion? What more could you ask for? In all seriousness, this project is something special. It’s rare that we motion designers get to use our skills to help support our own community, but the stars have aligned. As a result, we have this award-winning film that combines just about every technique under the sun. This film could act as the perfect time-capsule for all things motion design these past few years. It perfectly sums up the current moment, and there is definitely something for everyone in this Workshop!

Doug Alberts is as bright of a rising star as there can be. He is overwhelmingly positive, and this outlook permeates everything he touches—from his amazing work to his unwavering productivity. As a recent grad and newly-minted director at Hornet, he is seemingly unstoppable! "Bugged" is a mixed media, 3D short film that’s cute, playful, and impeccably designed and executed. This film perfectly represents how 3D art and design is much more than just shiny forms and photorealistic rendering. Doug demonstrates the limitless power of these tools in this fantastic film!

Clim is as close to motion design royalty as they come. For years he’s released amazing work, both personal and professional. What’s so striking about this trend is how consistent it has been. Even back when most great works came from under the umbrella of a big studio, Clim was paving his own path and making independent work. It’s About Time is no exception. This beautiful 3D film is a perfect example of what makes Clim’s work so great: his excellent taste and sensibility married with his commitment to craft and creating beautiful personal projects.

Super Jonny 100k was an action-packed, 16-bit world chock full of character animation, effects, and nostalgia. The epic continues in Super Jonny 150k, and this time he’s back to vanquish foes, keyframes, bezier handles, and take on his greatest threat yet… the After Effects render queue. In this Workshop, we dive deep with the legendary Fraser Davidson and the talented team at Cub Studio into this world of adventure and intrigue, and hopefully, we’ll learn some tips and tricks along the way.

It’s easy to fall victim to the notion that there is one process to rule them all. In reality, everyone works slightly differently, has their own unique preferences, and knows what works for them when it comes to making great designs and animations. At the end of the day, the results are what matters! In this Workshop, we take a deep dive into the mind of Johan Eriksson, his process, and how a more spontaneous approach to filmmaking is what led to his amazing animation, Crack.

Demo Reels – they can become the toughest assignment you will face as a working artist, and you’ll face it several times over the arc of your career. No client but yourself to answer to and a million directions to be taken, all Demo Reels share one element in common: the Opening Sequence. If you want to get noticed, you need to tell people who you are, what you do, and why you’re the best one for the job! In this Workshop, we crack open one of the definitive Demo Reel title cards – or in this case, title sequences of all time. Join us as we pry open Sekani Solomon’s stunning opening title to his 2020 Demo Reel and discover why AND how he built this beauty.

In this Workshop, award-winning director and founder of Holdframe, Joe Donaldson, talks about the series he created for The New Yorker. We discuss everything from the project’s conceptual development and process, all the way down to the production techniques used in each film. This Workshop offers a unique behind-the-scenes glimpse at what went into creating each of these films on seminal figures: Leonard Cohen, Janelle Monáe, and David Attenborough. Focusing specifically on what decisions were made, why, and what it was like producing 3, nearly 3-minute films, in just 15-weeks.

Every freelancer knows how difficult it can be to get their work noticed. It can be even more difficult to change someone's perception of the work you create. In 2018, Jonathan Lindgren was determined to change the way people viewed his work and in turn, the creative opportunities that he was receiving. The result was Jonathan’s short film, How to Make Sushi. His love of 3D, character animation, and the attention to detail in every frame of this piece deserve all the spotlight it has been given.