Affinity is FREE FOREVER, 1-Click Depth Passes + Coca Cola Angers Everyone | Motion Mondays

This week, we've got some absolutely massive news. Canva just made Affinity completely free forever, which is kind of insane when you realize we're talking about professional-grade design tools that rival Photoshop and Illustrator. We'll break down what this means for the industry and whether you should actually make the switch. Also Coca-Cola released their second AI-generated holiday commercial and it's way better than last year's attempt, but there are still some glaring issues that give it away.

We're also looking at Maxon's new Depth Generator plugin that creates z-depth passes from regular footage using AI, Figma's acquisition of Weavy and what node-based AI workflows mean for designers, Procreate Dreams 2 beta announcement, and some absolutely gorgeous work from Blur Studio, Versus, and Tektura Studio. Plus Adobe is hiring for the After Effects team, and there’s a Blender crowd simulation plugin that costs $19 instead of $16,000.

⚡️ New Course: After Effects Insider!

We are excited to release After Effects Insider, a comprehensive 12-hour course designed for professionals who want to maximize efficiency in After Effects and unlock its full potential. Learn to customize workspaces, optimize performance, create reusable templates, work with 3D models, and discover hidden effects and techniques. Taught by Eran Stern, this course covers essential workflow optimizations and advanced production techniques that will transform how you use After Effects—from setup to final render.

🎓 SCHOOL OF MOTION COURSES MENTIONED

• School of Motion All-Access

• School of Motion Team Training

• After Effects Kickstart

• NEW: After Effects Insider

• Courses & workshops coming soon

🗒️ SHOW NOTES

• Texture Fabrik

• Figma Weave

• Weavy Tutorials

• SOM Holiday Card 2025

• Procreate Dreams 2 Beta

• SOM Podcast - Procreate Dreams - The 2D Animation Revolution for Digital Artists

• Maxon's Red Giant Depth Generator

• Adobe is looking for a Product Manager -Motion Graphics and Visual Effects

• Coca-Cola Injects 'Holidays Are Coming' Ads With an Upgraded Dose of AI

• Ben Marriot - 15 After Effects Tricks You'll Wish You Knew Sooner

• iCrowds for Blender

• PiXimperfect - New Photoshop Tools Roundup

• Canva's Affinity 2

• Affinity's NEW Adobe Killer - Hands-On Review

🎨 ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

• Blur Studio - Reel

• We are Versus

• Tektura Studio - Walkman

• SOM Student of the Week - Jose Cerda

• Jose Cerda's Portfolio