Mograph Techniques: Creating a Bouncy Cartoon Logo in Cinema 4D

Mograph veteran EJ Hassenfratz shows how to create playful bouncing logo animations using CINEMA 4D and After Effects.

Mograph Techniques is designed to show artists how to work quickly and efficiently while creating something awesome. This installment shows how to create a bouncy cartoon logo under a tight 2-hour deadline. The techniques shown are nondestructive and fully editable, so the effect can be adapted to any text.

Author EJ Hassenfratz uses CINEMA 4D to extrude 3D text from Illustrator letterforms and animate the letters individually utilizing the very versatile Jiggle deformer, which applies fun, unique movements to each one. Then he adds bright, cheerful textures and lighting to the scene, and composites the final effect in After Effects, incorporating some finishing touches that will make your logo seem even more playful and expressive.

Introduction

• Welcome
• Using the exercise files
• Choosing the right version of CINEMA 4D

1. Creating the Cartoon Text

• Face-time introduction
• Creating 3D type from logo splines
• Creating rounded text using subdivision surfaces
• Prepping text to be animated with the Jiggle deformer

2. Animating Using the Jiggle Deformer

• Face-time introduction
• Animating "P" using Jiggle deformer
• Animating "O" using Jiggle deformer with Linear Falloff
• Animating "I" using Jiggle deformer and Scale
• Animating "N" using Jiggle deformer and Rotate
• Animating "G" using Jiggle deformer and adjusting falloff direction

3. Animating With Alternative Methods

• Face-time introduction
• Animating "S" using vertex maps and Jiggle deformer
• Animating "R" using Correction deformer
• Animating the entire logo using deformers
• Applying Jiggle to the Bulge deformers
• Adding random movement to letters

4. Adding Materials, Lighting, and Camera

• Face-time introduction
• Texturing the "Sproing" logo
• Lighting the logo
• Animating the camera move

5. Setting Up for Render and Compositing in After Effects

• Face-time introduction
• Adding ambient occlusion
• Setting up object buffers, adding multipasses, and rendering
• Importing assets and compositing passes in After Effects
• Adding motion blur and color correction

Conclusion

• Next steps