For this project, I wanted to test myself on two fronts at once:
Could I create a broadcast-ready product spot on an extremely fast timeline?
Could I push Cinema 4D’s brand-new liquid simulation system in a polished, production-style context?
The result is Coola Cola — a playful, tongue-in-cheek soda commercial built from scratch, complete with custom branding, product design, fluid FX, and a smooth, high-end CG finish.
This wasn’t a straight Coca-Cola Spec Ad. Instead, I built a fictional brand: “CoolaCola” and the diet variant, “CoolaCola One.” Both cans feature fully modeled and textured labels, with logos that nod to classic soda charm, but with just a little tongue-and-cheek.
The Goal: Speed, Efficiency & Broadcast Polish
I structured the project as if I were pitching or temping a real commercial idea:
Short timeline
High-quality look
Clean product lighting
Tight color control in comp
Fast renders without compromises
This made it a perfect testbed for Redshift optimization and Cinema 4D’s new 2025 liquid simulator, which integrates directly into the native particle system.
The Animation Workflow
The animation itself was intentionally simple and bold.
The star was always the product — so I leaned heavily on C4D's MoGraph System for dynamic, clean motion: procedural can animations, simple smooth camera motion, secondary particle accents, stylized hero splash using the new 2025 liquids system, rhythm and timing tailored to a crisp and snappy ad style.
Because Cinema4D’s MoGraph & Particle systems are inherently flexible, I was able to iterate quickly on position, offset, and camera readability without breaking setups.
The New Liquid System — First Impressions
This project let me really experiment with Cinema 4D’s new fluids. The integration into particles made it incredibly intuitive for:
Splash and stylized motion ideas
Hit-timed accents
Impact bursts at the end of the spot
Even in its first release year the results felt surprisingly production-ready, with limitations for now, especially after shading in Redshift.
Lighting, Look Dev & Render Optimization
The biggest creative challenge was achieving true broadcast-quality lighting in the shortest time possible, so I focused on: clean rim and key lights on the cans, soft glossy highlights, controlled reflections for label readability, and subtle HDRI contributions.
I optimized everything to run smoothly on my dual GeForce 2080Ti’s, keeping render times tight while preserving fidelity.
AOV Workflow & Post Work
Using Redshift’s full AOV suite allowed me to finish the spot in a highly flexible, non-destructive way. In After Effects, I dialed in: final color palette, depth of field, particle and environmental effects, and subtle motion blur. This workflow meant I could make creative decisions late in the process — without re-rendering 3D.
The Result
A snappy, polished, 10–12 second fictional product commercial that highlights: clean procedural animation, strong product visualization, fast turnaround production methods, stylized liquids, and a broadcast-ready final composite.
It’s a technical test, a branding exercise, and a playful spoof all in one.