This article is for those interested in learning one of the industry-standard software for 3D modeling and animation, Cinema 4D. However, if you’re a novice looking to test the waters with a free and open-source software, Blender could serve as an excellent starting point.

As a general advice, we always say it’s important to study with group support when possible. For Cinema 4D enthusiasts, we recommend the online community r/cinema4D. Here, you can share your work, ask for help, and find lots of useful links to YouTube channels just for Cinema 4D.

In this Best Courses Guide (BCG) we’ll explore the best online courses to improve your skills with Cinema 4D considering different learning styles and levels of expertise. We’ve included a range of options from the Class Central catalog of 500+ Cinema 4D courses.

Click on the shortcuts for more details:

• Top Picks
• Why You Should Trust Us
• Courses Overview
• How We Made Our Picks and Tested Them

Here are our top picks

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Why You Should Trust Us

Class Central, a Tripadvisor for online education, has helped 60 million learners find their next course. We’ve been combing through online education for more than a decade to aggregate a catalog of 200,000 online courses and 200,000 reviews written by our users. And we’re online learners ourselves: combined, the Class Central team has completed over 400 online courses, including online degrees.

Courses Overview

• 1 course is free and 8 are paid
• The Cinema 4D subject is followed by 4.2K learners on Class Central
• Courses in this guide have more than 22K enrollments and views
• The most featured provider is Udemy with 5 courses.

Best Project-Based Course for Beginners (Cineversity)

If you’re just getting started with Cinema 4D and don’t want to commit to a paid course just yet, this is the course for you.

Getting Started With Cinema 4D is a beginners course that is part of the “Cineversity Getting Started Series” by Maxon, the official creators of Cinema 4D. This course is an ideal first course for getting into 3D modeling and animation with the software for free.

Led by E.J. Hassenfratz, the creative director at School of Motion, this course walks you through Cinema 4D basics while working on your first project. You’ll be guided through the software’s fundamentals and work on a character animation project from start to finish. What’s more, you’ll get hands-on experience with project files created with Cinema 4D 25.

In this course, you’ll learn:

• The Cinema 4D interface, menus, and keyboard shortcuts
• Advanced topics including MoGraph, UVs and BodyPaint
• 3D lighting workflows
• Different animation techniques, scene management, and render settings.

Best Paid Course for Beginners (Udemy)

For serious learners ready to commit to a more dense course, Cinema 4D Masterclass: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners serves as a solid starting point to Cinema 4D. This course goes beyond our first recommendation, providing a deeper exploration of the software’s capabilities.

What sets it apart is the access to a learning community, a built-in platform for you to ask questions, share insights, and directly interact with the course instructor. Completing this course also earns you a certificate, attesting your proficiency in the basics of Cinema 4D.

Led by Ozgur, a Maxon Certified Cinema 4D Instructor, this course is designed to take you from a novice, or slightly familiar, to a competent user of Cinema 4D.

The course walks you through a complete 3D project from scratch, covering:

• Modeling, lighting, texturing, animating, and rendering
• Insider tips and industry-standard techniques
• Exercise file for hands-on practice.

“Informative course, structured in a way that helps you remember the steps or easily find details. It gives you the tools to start doing your projects in Cinema. Made a scary Cinema 4D a piece of cake!” – Olga, Udemy learner.

Best Video Editing and Motion Graphics Certificate covering Cinema 4D with Live Sessions and Mentoring (Noble Desktop)

If you prefer instructor-led learning, Noble Desktop’s Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate offers real-time feedback and accountability that pre-recorded courses can’t match. Additionally, you get a NY State-Licensed Certificate.

What I find interesting is that this program runs both in-person (NYC campus) and online (Zoom). Even if you’re attending online, you’ll have individual attention and can see other students in the classroom. You’ll be able to interact with instructors, receive feedback, and ask questions during sessions. Plus, you’ll get access to class recordings and workbooks – pretty helpful for catching up if you miss a class or reviewing what you learned.

Key Benefits

• Small class sizes (8-15 students)
• Includes eight 1-on-1 mentoring sessions
• Earn a NY State-Licensed Certificate
• Free retake within one year.

Noble Desktop knows what they’re doing – they’ve been around for over three decades providing instruction with industry experts. So you can rest assured your mentorship will not be with someone who just finished the course. Don’t take my word for it – student reviews on Yelp and Google praise their practical approach and instructor quality.

What You’ll Learn

• Edit professional-quality videos in Adobe Premiere Pro
• Techniques like color correction, multi-cam editing, and green screen removal
• Create motion graphics in Adobe After Effects, including text animations and compositing
• 3D modeling and animation workflows with Cinema 4D Lite
• Clean audio in Adobe Audition with track mixing and audio restoration
• Use motion tracking in After Effects to create effects and remove unwanted elements
• Time remapping and compositing techniques for high-quality keying effects
• Develop a professional demo reel to showcase your video editing and motion graphics skills.

Flexible Schedule Options

• 1 month (weekdays)
• 4 months part-time (evenings).

“Noble Desktop is definitely a hidden gem for hands-on training and certifications. So glad I signed up for the classes. Jerron Smith is the perfect instructor to teach the Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate: thorough, detailed, patient, super engaging, and personable. The class is interactive, and he encourages participation and conversation. Noble Desktop is a home run, and the price is well worth it.” – Juan Quintero

Best Course to Master Modeling (Udemy)

If you’re here for the ins and outs of modeling and need a strong foundation in polygon modeling, this comprehensive course is for you: Cinema 4D Complete: Vol. 2. All about Modeling!

Guided by Lionel VICIDOMINI, a Paris-based Maxon Certified Instructor, Master Trainer, and Motion Designer, you’ll refine your abilities in a range of modeling processes.

• Learn precise polygon manipulation techniques
• Explore spline usage for creating complex objects
• Master polygon commands including extrusion and beveling
• Utilize generators and deformers for efficient modeling
• Gain experience with OpenVDB parametric modeling
• Apply skills in practical workshops to create diverse objects

“This is truly a Master course. The instructor is led by a renowned C4D artist in Maxon webinars. There are no other exhaustive modeling courses for cinema 4D like this.” IrisMan E., Udemy learner

Best Course to Master Mograph (Udemy)

Following up with the last course is Cinema 4D Complete: Vol. 3 Unleash the power of Mograph!. Lionel VICIDOMINI continues his educational series, this time focusing on the power and utility of Mograph. This tool allows users to generate intricate, captivating animations with ease due to its flexible modular design.

The course is structured as a video guide, offering learners the freedom to navigate through the content based on their needs and level of expertise. You will:

• Master core Mograph concepts and techniques
• Explore the extensive library of Mograph effectors
• Learn to combine fields with effectors for enhanced control
• Gain experience with Mograph Generators like Voronoi Fracture
• Discover techniques for blending Volumes and Fields
• Create organic growth systems using Vertex Map fields
• Apply learned concepts through practical exercises.

“I really enjoyed listening to Lionel’s lectures. He teaches clearly and the important thing is he teaches the logic of animations that he makes you understand easily. He answers your questions quickly and he cares about his students.“ – Alper B., Udemy learner.

Best Quick-Start 3D Course for 2D Animators Using Cinema 4D (Skillshare)

Looking for a fun, engaging way to dip your toes into 3D animation? 3D for 2D Animation: Getting Started in Cinema 4D could be the ideal crash course for you. Particularly made for those already familiar with 2D animation, this course offers a practical introduction to Cinema 4D, with a focus on creating a dynamic skateboard flip animation.

Guided by Russ Etheridge, a UK-based freelance Animation Director and Designer with over a decade of experience, you’ll start by exploring the basics of modeling and 3D animation with Cinema 4D, and then how to make it look like a 2D drawn animation using Sketch and Toon.

This course also provides learners with the opportunity to share their projects and receive feedback from both the instructor and peers.

“Absolutely loving the class! C4D felt strange and complicated but after the class I can navigate around the interface easily and also model small objects. Thanks Russ!” – Nash Vail, Skillshare learner.

Best Course to Learn Redshift for Cinema 4D (Udemy)

If long rendering times in Cinema 4D are hampering your productivity, the Redshift for Cinema 4D Masterclass could be the solution you need. This course is dedicated to leveraging the speed of GPU rendering in Redshift to transform your workflow efficiency and create stunning, photorealistic render.

In this course, you will:

• Master GPU rendering with Redshift in Cinema 4D
• Learn to optimize Cinema 4D’s interface for Redshift
• Explore lighting techniques using Redshift lights and HDRI images
• Create advanced materials with the Redshift Shader Graph
• Achieve professional-looking depth of field and Bokeh effects
• Optimize scenes and implement denoising for efficient rendering.

“A perfect course for anyone who wants to learn Redshift step by step… I fully understand lighting, materials and render settings and even learn more about physical property after completing this course.” Timotion H., Udemy learner

Project-based Course With Redshift and Cinema 4D (Skillshare)

Here is the instructor train scene example created in this class.

If you’re looking for a more hands-on experience to learn and practice Redshift for Cinema 4D, Create A Space Train Scene With Cinema 4D & Redshift Render is the course for you.

As the course name states, this is a guide on creating a cinematic space train station scene using Cinema 4D & Redshift Render. The course also offers instructor-led assistance through the “Discussions” section for any necessary clarification. Also, if you share your final project on Skillshare, you can receive feedback from your peers and the instructor.

• Master basic modeling tools in Cinema 4D
• Gain proficiency with the GPU-based Redshift Render Engine
• Learn optimization strategies for Redshift Render settings
• Discover techniques for quickly generating extensive scenes
• Create smooth camera animations for cinematic effects.

“I just learned redshift a few months ago and it was quite overwhelming, your class brought back all of the concepts I learned in a very digestible way and was such a great refresher, and I re-learned how to use all of the features of redshift, as well as learned a ton of new tips. Please make more redshift tutorials!” V D, Skillshare learner.

Best Course to Master Motion Tracking With Cinema 4D (Udemy)

In this intermediate-level course, you’ll master motion tracking with Cinema 4D, a crucial skill for integrating 3D objects into live-action footage. Taught by Lionel VICIDOMINI, you’ll learn to use Cinema 4D’s built-in 3D tracker effectively.

In this course, you will:

• Master Cinema 4D’s built-in 3D tracker
• Learn proper video capture techniques for effective tracking
• Explore automatic and manual tracking methods
• Understand scene calibration for accurate scale and orientation
• Practice object tracking and 3D reconstruction
• Develop skills in planar tracking and object-assisted tracking
• Apply lens distortion workflows for improved results.

The modular structure of this course allows for selective learning based on your requirements. Each chapter handles a specific topic or technique. All lectures are available for download, along with the exercise files.

“This course is very professional. Lionel’s explanations are very easy to follow and the results are very good. I think all his tips are very useful and I can always come back and revisit his lessons in case I forget how to do something.” – JP I., Udemy learner.

Why You Should Trust Us

Class Central, a Tripadvisor for online education, has helped 60 million learners find their next course. We’ve been combing through online education for more than a decade to aggregate a catalog of over 200,000 online courses and 200,000 reviews written by our users. And we’re online learners ourselves: combined, the Class Central team has completed over 400 online courses, including online degrees.

How We Made Our Picks and Tested Them

Trying to find “the best” can be daunting, even for those of us who live and breathe online courses. Here’s how I approached this task.

First, I combed through Class Central’s Catalog, reddit communities such as r/cinema4D, and the internet to find a variety of free and paid open courses, some with certificates.

I extracted information from course syllabi and reviews, and compiled their ratings, leveraging the Class Central database with its thousands of course ratings and reviews written by our users as well as available course provider ratings. I watched some course videos to sample courses I hadn’t already taken.

Then, I defined the scope for these recommendations. A Cinema 4D course can cover various topics. I chose top courses from a range of sub-fields: Fundamentals, Modeling, MoGraph, 3D to 2D animation, Redshift for C4D, and motion tracking.

Ultimately, I used a combination of data and my own judgment to make these picks. I’m confident these recommendations will serve as an excellent learning path to master Cinema 4D.