Designing Mechanical Beasts: Robotic Wolf VFX in Blender - Course by Chris Reilly & 80 Level

Learn how to develop a hard surface mechanical animal model in Blender, combine 3D and live-action footage, work with VFX, and prepare cinematics in this unique cross-disciplinary course. Chris Reilly will walk you through the process from start to finish, delivering a stunning VFX experience.

What does this course offer?

✨ Understand both preparing models for short cinematic applications and integrating them into live-action footage. 

✨ All you need in one course: modeling, rigging, animation, shaders, footage filming, camera tracking and solving, compositing, light condition matching, and other VFX techniques.

✨ Get familiar with two alternative workflows for compositing your rendered model into the footage. Shoot with a regular camera and work in Blender, or go professional with a BlackMagic camera and BRAW footage in DaVinci Fusion.

✨ Master multidisciplinary practical skills that open the doors for a career in the gamedev and movie industries, as well as product marketing and design spheres.

What’s included?

• 12+ hours of narrated content
• Lifetime access
• All project files
• Compositing workflow alternatives
• Expert tips & tricks 
• Access to a closed Discord channel to connect with other students
• Access to the 80 Level Talent platform

Required Software & Tech

To follow along with the course easily, please use the following software and plugins:

• Blender 4.2.1 LTS
• Adobe After Effects (25.3) - free trial available
• Adobe Photoshop (26.8) - free trial available
• DaVinci Resolve (18.6) - alternative workflow for compositing

Software versions are mentioned for reference. That’s what Chris used while recording the course.

Add-ons required:

• BlenderKit - free plan available
• Rigify - native Blender add-on
• Looptools - native Blender add-on
• Edit Mesh Tools - native Blender add-on
• Node Wrangler - native Blender add-on

Tech & Cameras

• If you own a BlackMagic Camera - that's perfect, but it's not necessary.
• Any kind of regular DSLR Camera would also work for filming the footage and practice.

And don't worry if you don't have a camera or an opportunity to film your own footage, we've got your back! Alongside the project files, you'll get a "Footage" folder with some cinematography that Chris filmed and used in this course. Shoot your own footage, or just follow along with his.

Meet your mentor

Chris Reilly has been in the 3D industry for about 6 years, but he's been creating using VFX and 3D design since his teenage years. He's worked for a variety of clients, including viral media like Zack D. Films, and developed bespoke 3D collectibles for large IPs like The Walking Dead and William Shatner.

He is "a true generalist" who combines hard-surface modeling, real-time rendering, motion design, and programming to create content that bridges creativity and systems thinking. From compositing VFX into live-action footage to designing real-time environments in UE5, his work lives at the intersection of creative direction and custom pipelines. He's contributed to branded experiences for major IPs, startups, and global campaigns, delivering cinematic trailers, animated explainers, and product-centric 3D assets, so you can be sure you're in good hands.

“I want to give you a guide to marrying the real world with Blender 3D in a convenient, coherent way so that you, too, can blend your imagination with reality” shared Chris.

Full course outline

Is this course the right fit for you?

This is an intermediate-level course for those with experience in Blender and modeling. You need a working knowledge of Blender, viewport navigation, basic tools, and mesh editing/hard-surface modeling.

Learn hard-surface techniques to make your own creations and gain the power to create indie-style visual effects at home, breathing life into hand-shot live-action footage! 

Important Legal Disclaimer

There is no time limit on your access to the course and its content once you purchase it. Feel free to complete it at your own pace.

When you purchase or access 80 Level courses or content, you’re getting a license to use it, not ownership. You can use the content for personal learning, but you don’t own it or its materials.

• You may use the content for personal, non-commercial purposes only. 
• No reselling, redistributing, or using the course content for your business.
• No modifying or copying content to share with others
• No abusive behavior in forums or chats

Using Your Course Artwork for Portfolio

Good news! You can share the artwork you create during the course in your personal online portfolio (only for non-commercial, personal showcasing purposes), as long as:

• You credit “80 Level” and Chris Reilly
• You include a link to the course page
• The final artwork is created by you, not derived from the course

Contact info

If you have any questions or comments about the course, please contact us via courses@80.lv 

Links

Connect with your course mentor, Chris Reilly

Website  | YouTube |  LinkedIn  |  X/Twitter  |  Instagram

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