This work (NOT done by me) is my new standard of excellence.  I want to get this good.  Blender, the latest 3D animation program I have picked up, is an open source and free-to-download.  In the world of video production, it’s up against industry standard programs like Cinema 4D, 3DS Max, Maya, and it is steadily gaining ground.  Check out this amazing snippet using Blender’s recently released ‘cycles’ render engine and a masterful choreography of material texturing:

Fun Note:

I have been learning Blender (on my own) for the past few weeks, implementing it in virtual set creation, etc.  I was trained in the use of Maya for modeling, rigging, and animating in college.  In high school I had fun designing in 3D using AutoCAD and Architectural Desktop.  Before that I used LEGO bricks and a web cam.