Blender & Nuke VFX Workshop by Alex Hanneman

This workshop is a straight-up walkthrough of two CG shots, taught by a senior compositor who’s worked at Weta Digital, ILM, and Sony Pictures Imageworks. Alex Hanneman shows you how he combines Blender for 3D, Nuke for compositing, and experimental A.I workflows to get feature-film quality results without a studio budget. You get access to the actual Nuke scripts, so you can see every single decision he made and follow along step-by-step.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• Merge Blender and Nuke into a single, efficient VFX pipeline
• Use A.I tools to create 2D, 2.5D, and full 3D assets for your shots
• Apply visual language principles from films like Dune and The Creator
• Enhance renders with professional haze, volumetrics, and lens effects
• Read and understand professional Nuke scripts to improve your own work
• Think like a resourceful filmmaker and solve problems creatively

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Working knowledge of Nuke is required. Basic Blender experience helps, but the 3D principles carry over to any software.
• Tools: Nuke (Non-Commercial version is free and sufficient), Blender
• Hardware: 16GB RAM minimum (32-64GB recommended), 50GB of free storage for the smoke assets

📝 Description

This isn’t a button-by-button software tutorial. It’s a masterclass in artistic decision-making. Alex walks you through complete shots, explaining why he makes each choice—from lighting setups to color grading—so you understand the thinking behind the technique, not just the clicks.

The workshop leans heavily into being a resourceful filmmaker. You’ll learn how to achieve high-end results using Blender as your 3D workhorse and Nuke for the final polish that makes CG actually look cinematic. Alex is upfront about it: After Effects is the wrong tool for serious CG compositing. Nuke is where the magic happens, and he shows you exactly how to use it.

What makes this workshop genuinely different is the A.I component. These are experimental workflows you won’t find in big studios yet. Alex explores how to use A.I to generate assets, enhance existing CG, and speed up your pipeline—staying ahead of the technological curve without losing the artistic touch.

You also get serious value from the included assets: professionally captured smoke elements in 16-bit linear raw, over 100 lens flare textures, and the actual Nuke scripts from the workshop shots. These aren’t just for the course—you can use them in commercial projects afterward.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• Blender artists who want their renders to look professionally composited
• Nuke artists looking for new creative workflows and artistic inspiration
• Freelancers who want to direct their own films or offer Blender + Nuke services
• Anyone curious about integrating A.I into their VFX pipeline, even if they don’t use Blender

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Alex Hanneman is a Senior Compositor with extensive feature film experience. He’s worked at top VFX studios worldwide, including Weta Digital, Industrial Light and Magic, and Sony Pictures Imageworks. His background spans numerous high-profile films, giving him a deep understanding of what it takes to produce studio-quality work—knowledge he now shares through Compositing Academy.

🏁 Final Result

• A complete understanding of how to take a CG shot from Blender through Nuke to a final, cinematic composite
• Hands-on experience with professional Nuke scripts and A.I-enhanced workflows
• A library of commercial-use assets (smoke elements, lens flares) for future projects
• The artistic framework to make your own films with a resourceful, independent approach