SEBASTIAN MICHALSKI 3D ANIMATION | MOTION DESIGN | ART DIRECTION

BoschBMWAudiMercedes-BenzAllianzStakeBeiersdorfSixtStraumannPULSSiemensJungheinrichLamborghini

WORK

Stake F1 Team — Las Vegas GP 2024
Stake F1 Team Las Vegas GP 2024

Special livery for the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend.

The Pantry — The Pantry
The Pantry The Pantry

Shelves, jars and produce in a pantry, with fruit opening mid-air. Texturing.

BMW — i Vision Dee
BMW i Vision Dee CES 2023

Concept study presented at CES 2023 — exterior in motion, digitised interior and the reduced Dee design language.

Audi — e-tron GT — Aerodynamik
Audi e-tron GT — Aerodynamik

A drag coefficient of 0.24, and the parts that get it there: air curtains steering the airflow into the wheel arches, cooling-air inlets that stay shut whenever possible, a flat underbody ending in a wide diffuser, and a rear spoiler that extends in two stages with speed.

Bosch — Coded #LikeABosch
Bosch Coded #LikeABosch CES 2025

Fully CG environment for Bosch's CES 2025 film, built around professional cyclist Danny MacAskill — eBike, home appliances, smart home and mobility shown as one connected, software-driven world.

Audi — RS 3 — Antriebsstrang
Audi RS 3 — Antriebsstrang

The five-cylinder drivetrain shown straight through the body — engine, exhaust and gearbox down to pistons and valve train — ending at the torque splitter that shifts drive between the rear wheels.

Audi — e-tron GT — Lichttechnologie
Audi e-tron GT — Lichttechnologie

Matrix LED headlights with laser high beam, which doubles the range of the main beam above 70 km/h. The film runs through the leaving-home animation, the glare-free high beam that cuts out oncoming traffic, junction light and cornering light.

Audi — RS e-tron GT — Electric Sound
Audi RS e-tron GT — Electric Sound

How an electric car gets a voice. The sound is assembled from 32 separate components and remixed live by two control units, following road speed and accelerator position. One speaker outside carries the pedestrian warning required by law; two in the rear doors carry the sound the driver hears.

Audi — e-tron — Batterie & Sicherheit
Audi e-tron — Batterie & Sicherheit

The battery from pack to module to cell, the extruded aluminium structure built around it, and how the load paths of a side impact travel through that structure instead of through the cells.

Audi — Q4 e-tron — Interieur
Audi Q4 e-tron — Interieur

The interior package: passenger space on a compact footprint, the storage compartments, the digitised cockpit and a boot that changes shape with the rear seats.

cocoon — Recovery Treatment Oil
cocoon Recovery Treatment Oil

A 30 ml facial oil in a glass dropper bottle, 89 % organic ingredients. The animation lets liquid, glass and label do the work — no set, no distraction, just the product on stone.

Audi — Q8 — MHEV
Audi Q8 — MHEV

What the mild-hybrid system does in ordinary traffic — extended start/stop, coasting with the engine off, and slowing down early because the car already knows the junction ahead.

mobile.de — Leasing
mobile.de Leasing

Leasing campaign for mobile.de — cars set down into the scene from above, one after another, closing on the campaign line.

Audi — A7 — Lenktechnologie & Parken
Audi A7 — Lenktechnologie & Parken

Front-axle steering with a variable ratio together with dynamic all-wheel steering, shown where it is easiest to feel: manoeuvring in a multi-storey car park.

mo-jet — mo-jet
mo-jet mo-jet

An electric jet drive for the water, taken apart piece by piece: the body bundle, the battery, the kill switch, one remote for every bundle, and how to ride it. Only the CAD data existed.

Allianz — GENO Jingle
Allianz GENO Jingle

Logo animation for Allianz in Bavaria as partner of the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken, closing on the campaign line. Built entirely in After Effects from nothing but the Allianz logo as an SVG.

Audi — Rad & Reifen
Audi Rad & Reifen

Wheel, brake and tyre at close range — hub and rings, the ceramic brake behind the spokes, and the tyre under load in motion.

Sanduhr
Sanduhr Personal work

An hourglass. Own idea, own project, every part of it — modelling, shading, lighting, animation and rendering — done from scratch.

Audi — TT offroad concept
Audi TT offroad concept

The plug-in-hybrid layout of the concept car, laid open: combustion engine at the front, electric machines front and rear, the high-voltage battery in the floor, power electronics and charging port.

HB — Hardbrakers
HB — Hardbrakers Personal work

Logo animation for Hardbrakers, a Hamburg fixed-gear cycling collective that has been riding grand tours around the world since 2012. The logo existed as an SVG — everything else was built from scratch.

Sixt — Studio-Set
Sixt Studio-Set Design-Varianten

Virtuelles Studioset für Sixt: Wand, Licht und Bühne als 3D-Aufbau. Gezeigt werden fünf Entwurfsvarianten desselben Sets — eine Szene, aus der jede Fassung als Rendering fällt.

Beiersdorf — Nivea — Reparatur
Beiersdorf Nivea — Reparatur

Bottle animation for the Nivea repair line — texturing and animation in Cinema 4D.

Dosch Design — Pointcloud
Dosch Design Pointcloud

Agency showreel — built entirely in After Effects from a short script.

Bally Wulff — Action Star — Super Hero
Bally Wulff Action Star — Super Hero

Title animation for Action Star Super Hero, part of the Action Star slot series. Supplied were the logo as an SVG and the game clips — the animation was devised and built from there.

Bally Wulff — Action Star 6
Bally Wulff Action Star 6

Title animation for Action Star 6. Gold, light and a hard cut on the number — same starting point as the rest of the series: a logo and a handful of clips.

Bally Wulff — Action Star — Magnet
Bally Wulff Action Star — Magnet

Title animation for Action Star Magnet — two poles pulling towards each other, then the release. Built from the supplied logo and game clips.

Stake F1 Team — Las Vegas GP 2024

Stake F1 Team — Las Vegas GP 2024

Special livery for the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend.

Role
Environment built, assets prepared, scene optimisation, lighting
Tools
Cinema 4D, Redshift
Reference
formula1.com — Kick Sauber Las Vegas livery gallery
The Pantry

The Pantry

Shelves, jars and produce in a pantry, with fruit opening mid-air. Texturing.

Role
Texturing
BMW — i Vision Dee

BMW — i Vision Dee

CES 2023

Concept study presented at CES 2023 — exterior in motion, digitised interior and the reduced Dee design language.

Role
Motion graphics, compositing
Tools
After Effects, Blackmagic Fusion
Audi — e-tron GT — Aerodynamik

Audi — e-tron GT — Aerodynamik

A drag coefficient of 0.24, and the parts that get it there: air curtains steering the airflow into the wheel arches, cooling-air inlets that stay shut whenever possible, a flat underbody ending in a wide diffuser, and a rear spoiler that extends in two stages with speed.

Source data
CAD from the client
Role
Shading, texturing, lighting, animation, rendering, compositing, motion graphics
Tools
Cinema 4D (V-Ray, Redshift), After Effects
Reference
audi-technology-portal.de
Bosch — Coded #LikeABosch

Bosch — Coded #LikeABosch

CES 2025

Fully CG environment for Bosch's CES 2025 film, built around professional cyclist Danny MacAskill — eBike, home appliances, smart home and mobility shown as one connected, software-driven world.

Role
Retouching, 3D rendering, texturing, animation
Audi — RS 3 — Antriebsstrang

Audi — RS 3 — Antriebsstrang

The five-cylinder drivetrain shown straight through the body — engine, exhaust and gearbox down to pistons and valve train — ending at the torque splitter that shifts drive between the rear wheels.

Source data
CAD from the client
Role
Shading, texturing, lighting, animation, rendering, compositing, motion graphics
Tools
Cinema 4D (V-Ray, Redshift), After Effects
Reference
audi-technology-portal.de
Audi — e-tron GT — Lichttechnologie

Audi — e-tron GT — Lichttechnologie

Matrix LED headlights with laser high beam, which doubles the range of the main beam above 70 km/h. The film runs through the leaving-home animation, the glare-free high beam that cuts out oncoming traffic, junction light and cornering light.

Source data
CAD from the client
Role
Shading, texturing, lighting, animation, rendering, compositing, motion graphics
Tools
Cinema 4D (V-Ray, Redshift), After Effects
Reference
audi-technology-portal.de
Audi — RS e-tron GT — Electric Sound

Audi — RS e-tron GT — Electric Sound

How an electric car gets a voice. The sound is assembled from 32 separate components and remixed live by two control units, following road speed and accelerator position. One speaker outside carries the pedestrian warning required by law; two in the rear doors carry the sound the driver hears.

Source data
CAD from the client
Role
Shading, texturing, lighting, animation, rendering, compositing, motion graphics
Tools
Cinema 4D (V-Ray, Redshift), After Effects
Reference
audi-technology-portal.de
Audi — e-tron — Batterie & Sicherheit

Audi — e-tron — Batterie & Sicherheit

The battery from pack to module to cell, the extruded aluminium structure built around it, and how the load paths of a side impact travel through that structure instead of through the cells.

Source data
CAD from the client
Role
Shading, texturing, lighting, animation, rendering, compositing, motion graphics
Tools
Cinema 4D (V-Ray, Redshift), After Effects
Reference
audi-technology-portal.de
Audi — Q4 e-tron — Interieur

Audi — Q4 e-tron — Interieur

The interior package: passenger space on a compact footprint, the storage compartments, the digitised cockpit and a boot that changes shape with the rear seats.

Source data
CAD from the client
Role
Shading, texturing, lighting, animation, rendering, compositing, motion graphics
Tools
Cinema 4D (V-Ray, Redshift), After Effects
Reference
audi-technology-portal.de
cocoon — Recovery Treatment Oil

cocoon — Recovery Treatment Oil

A 30 ml facial oil in a glass dropper bottle, 89 % organic ingredients. The animation lets liquid, glass and label do the work — no set, no distraction, just the product on stone.

Role
All aspects — concept through compositing
Reference
behance.net/gallery/131297665
Audi — Q8 — MHEV

Audi — Q8 — MHEV

What the mild-hybrid system does in ordinary traffic — extended start/stop, coasting with the engine off, and slowing down early because the car already knows the junction ahead.

Source data
CAD from the client
Role
Shading, texturing, lighting, animation, rendering, compositing, motion graphics
Tools
Cinema 4D (V-Ray, Redshift), After Effects
Reference
audi-technology-portal.de
mobile.de — Leasing

mobile.de — Leasing

Leasing campaign for mobile.de — cars set down into the scene from above, one after another, closing on the campaign line.

Role
Animation, lighting, shading
Tools
Cinema 4D, Octane
Reference
youtu.be/xWrepmPldhQ
Audi — A7 — Lenktechnologie & Parken

Audi — A7 — Lenktechnologie & Parken

Front-axle steering with a variable ratio together with dynamic all-wheel steering, shown where it is easiest to feel: manoeuvring in a multi-storey car park.

Source data
CAD from the client
Role
Shading, texturing, lighting, animation, rendering, compositing, motion graphics
Tools
Cinema 4D (V-Ray, Redshift), After Effects
Reference
audi-technology-portal.de
mo-jet

mo-jet

An electric jet drive for the water, taken apart piece by piece: the body bundle, the battery, the kill switch, one remote for every bundle, and how to ride it. Only the CAD data existed.

Source data
CAD only
Role
All aspects — concept, modelling, texturing, lighting, animation, rendering, compositing
Tools
Cinema 4D, Octane
Allianz — GENO Jingle

Allianz — GENO Jingle

Logo animation for Allianz in Bavaria as partner of the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken, closing on the campaign line. Built entirely in After Effects from nothing but the Allianz logo as an SVG.

Source data
Allianz logo as SVG — nothing else
Role
All aspects
Tools
After Effects (no 3D)
Audi — Rad & Reifen

Audi — Rad & Reifen

Wheel, brake and tyre at close range — hub and rings, the ceramic brake behind the spokes, and the tyre under load in motion.

Role
All aspects — concept, modelling, texturing, lighting, animation, rendering, compositing
Tools
Cinema 4D, Redshift
Reference
audi-technology-portal.de
Sanduhr

Sanduhr

Personal work

An hourglass. Own idea, own project, every part of it — modelling, shading, lighting, animation and rendering — done from scratch.

Role
All aspects of the 3D
Audi — TT offroad concept

Audi — TT offroad concept

The plug-in-hybrid layout of the concept car, laid open: combustion engine at the front, electric machines front and rear, the high-voltage battery in the floor, power electronics and charging port.

Source data
CAD from the client
Role
Shading, texturing, lighting, animation, rendering, compositing, motion graphics
Tools
Cinema 4D (V-Ray, Redshift), After Effects
Reference
audi-technology-portal.de
HB — Hardbrakers

HB — Hardbrakers

Personal work

Logo animation for Hardbrakers, a Hamburg fixed-gear cycling collective that has been riding grand tours around the world since 2012. The logo existed as an SVG — everything else was built from scratch.

Source data
Logo as SVG — nothing else
Role
All aspects
Tools
Cinema 4D
Type
Own project
Reference
granfondo-cycling.com — Hardbrakers, Gangsters of Love
Sixt — Studio-Set

Sixt — Studio-Set

Design-Varianten

Virtuelles Studioset für Sixt: Wand, Licht und Bühne als 3D-Aufbau. Gezeigt werden fünf Entwurfsvarianten desselben Sets — eine Szene, aus der jede Fassung als Rendering fällt.

Role
Set-Design, Modelling, Shading, Licht, Rendering
Tools
Cinema 4D
Beiersdorf — Nivea — Reparatur

Beiersdorf — Nivea — Reparatur

Bottle animation for the Nivea repair line — texturing and animation in Cinema 4D.

Role
Texturing, animation
Tools
Cinema 4D
Dosch Design — Pointcloud

Dosch Design — Pointcloud

Agency showreel — built entirely in After Effects from a short script.

Source data
A short script — nothing else
Role
All aspects
Tools
After Effects (no 3D)
Bally Wulff — Action Star — Super Hero

Bally Wulff — Action Star — Super Hero

Title animation for Action Star Super Hero, part of the Action Star slot series. Supplied were the logo as an SVG and the game clips — the animation was devised and built from there.

Source data
Logo as SVG and the film clips
Role
Animation devised and built
Tools
After Effects
Reference
ballywulff.de — corporate documentation
Bally Wulff — Action Star 6

Bally Wulff — Action Star 6

Title animation for Action Star 6. Gold, light and a hard cut on the number — same starting point as the rest of the series: a logo and a handful of clips.

Source data
Logo as SVG and the film clips
Role
Animation devised and built
Tools
After Effects
Reference
ballywulff.de — corporate documentation
Bally Wulff — Action Star — Magnet

Bally Wulff — Action Star — Magnet

Title animation for Action Star Magnet — two poles pulling towards each other, then the release. Built from the supplied logo and game clips.

Source data
Logo as SVG and the film clips
Role
Animation devised and built
Tools
After Effects
Reference
ballywulff.de — corporate documentation

AWARDS

German Brand Award
Automotive Brand Contest
Questar Award
Vaasa Wildlife Festival

CLIENT FEEDBACK

We’ve had very good feedback on the film — thank you for your work.

Celina FingerDivision Media

The models fit well. Thank you for the well-communicated work.

Jochen Mülderlenne3D

Thanks for the rendering. (…) It all fits perfectly and is exactly as agreed.

Heiko GentschGentsch & Gentsch

Great work.

End clientvia Division Media

Thanks again for being able to step in at such short notice.

Carla PfeifferSTAUDACHER

Thanks also for jumping in at such short notice!

Tobias SchönenbergSchönenbergFilm GmbH

Your work looks great – we will keep you in mind for future work.

Kirsty WilliamsonUltra Studio

Quotes originally in German are translated.

SERVICE

Pre-Process

  • Concept Development
  • Scripting
  • Mood- & Storyboarding
  • Animatics
  • RnD
  • LookDev

Fields & Applications

  • Automotive
  • Products & Packaging
  • Technical & Assembly
  • Consumer goods & Cosmetics
  • Spaces & Environments
  • Motion- & Graphic Design

Technical & Creative

  • Mechanical rigging
  • Compositing & Grading
  • Projection mapping
  • Camera tracking
  • CG Supervision
  • Art Direction
  • VFX
MODELLING
SHADING
LIGHTING
RENDERING
COMPOSITING

TOOLS

CREATE

  • Cinema 4D
  • Blender
  • Unreal Engine
  • After Effects
  • Fusion 360

RENDERER

  • Redshift
  • Octane
  • Corona
  • V-Ray

COMP

  • After Effects
  • Nuke
  • Fusion
  • Photoshop

ABOUT

Sebastian Michalski

I am a freelance art director from Hamburg, Germany, creating (technical) 3D animations, product visualizations and motion graphics for brands, agencies and post-production studios.

For 13+ years I have been helping clients stay ahead of the market and their competitors by providing every form of digital communication they need. From explanation to marketing, I deliver what a project actually needs — always on time.

I cover the entire 3D animation pipeline myself – from the CAD file to the final graded film. Agencies get one point of contact instead of a pipeline of separate trades: short loops, nothing lost in handovers, and, if needed, under NDA or white-labelled under their name.

Guide prices

All figures are guide prices („from“), net plus VAT. The binding quote follows in writing after the briefing. The actual price depends on the number of shots, product complexity, data (CAD available or not), resolution, length, number of scenes, audio and usage rights.

ServiceGuide price
Day rate (3D / motion / art direction)€650 (half day €350)
Product still (CGI), first shot from CADfrom €450
Each further shot from the same scenefrom €150
Product animation 15–30 sfrom €2,500
Technical explainer / assembly animation 60–90 svaries strongly with resolution, length, scenes, level of detail and audiofrom €6,000
Logo animation / titles (After Effects)from €900
3D configurator (web)from €8,000, project price by scope

For animations and explainer films the price varies especially strongly: resolution (HD/4K), length, number of scenes and cuts, level of technical detail, camera moves, audio, voice-over, subtitles and language versions all change the effort considerably. No figure without this note.

FAQs

What does a 3D product still cost?

Guide price: first shot from €450, each further shot from the same scene from €150. The binding quote follows in writing after the briefing.

What does an animation or explainer film cost?

Guide price: product animation 15–30 s from €2,500, explainer film 60–90 s from €6,000. Here the price varies especially strongly — resolution, length, number of scenes, level of technical detail, audio and voice-over all matter. Exact figure after the briefing.

How long does it take?

Guide price: single still 3–5 working days, image series 1–2 weeks, animation 2–4 weeks. Express on request (+30 %).

For which industries?

Automotive (e.g. Audi, BMW), consumer goods and cosmetics (Beiersdorf/Nivea), technology and machinery, electronics. Examples under „Work“.

Is my product suitable?

Anything available as CAD or as photos plus dimensions. Glass, liquid, metal and textile are all possible.

Do I get revisions?

Yes, two revision rounds are included. Each further round from €120 (guide price).

What data do you need?

Ideally STEP or IGES; OBJ, FBX and native CAD formats also work. Without CAD: photos from all sides plus dimensions.

What do I receive?

Images as PNG/TIFF/JPG up to 8K, cut out on request. Video as MP4 or ProRes up to 4K.

What usage rights do I get?

Simple, unlimited-time use for web, social media and print is included. TV, outdoor advertising or buyout on request.

Do you use AI?

For proposals and variants, yes. The final image is 3D work from your data — product shape and label stay exact.

In which languages?

German and English.

How quickly do you reply?

Usually within 24 hours on working days.

CONTACT

Pitch package

Visuals for your pitch, with a fixed scope: three key visuals or one 15-second animatic, delivered within 48 hours. Under NDA or white-labelled, as you need it.

  • Fixed scope, fixed price
  • 48 hours after the brief
  • Production terms agreed upfront — if you win the account

Reserved capacity

I keep production days free for your month. You call them off when a project firms up and release them when it does not.

  • Fixed days per month
  • 48-hour call-off
  • Unused days roll over once

CAD data prep

Engineering data is built for manufacturing, not for the camera. I turn your CAD files into clean rendering models — on their own, even when the images are made elsewhere.

  • STEP, IGES, JT, Alias, CATIA
  • Clean surfaces, usable edges, movable assemblies
  • Delivered as a file you keep

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