Blender is a great way for you to start making animated movies because of how it is completely opensource and comes with great editing tools that will allow you to try to create your own 3D animations all for free. There have also been great movies that were made using Blender. You may not have heard some of these movies, but it is worth trying these out if you want to know the wonders that Blender can do.
Next Gen is probably the most popular movie made using Blender out there today. Even though it might be more mainstream than other Blender movies, it is still 100% made using Blender and features some of the best animations you can find from a movie made using Blender. Of course, it’s because of how it is also made by some of the best animation artists out there.
The main gist of Next Gen is that it is a futuristic sci-fi movie set in the year 7723. It follows the story of Mai Su, who lives in a future where sentient robots have become quite common. Mai Su had a chance encounter with one of these robots, a top-secret one at that. And while the plot may be good, what makes it better is the fact that it uses the voices of well-known actors such as John Krasinski, Charlyne Yi, Jason Sudeikis, Michael Peña, David Cross, and Constance Wu for their leading characters.
Next Gen certainly is a movie you wouldn’t want to miss if you want to watch the best movies made using Blender. It isn’t available on YouTube but you can watch its trailer there. Of course, what makes it a mainstream Blender movie is the fact that it is actually on Netflix, which released the film in September of 2018. So, if you happen to have a Netflix subscription (which most people nowadays have), you can go on and catch it there.
While Spring doesn’t have the same feature film length that Next Gen and some other animated movies have, it is quite captivating despite being only about eight minutes long. This animated short film is produced and funded as an open movie by Blender Foundation itself and is the 12th open movie from the people behind Blender. In that sense, it is needless to say that it was made and developed using only Blender.
Spring follows the story of a young shepherd girl and her pet dog as they face ancient spirits in the frozen forest below. It shows the contrast between how bright and sunny the “spring” weather is in her home “above” as compared to the gloomy and cold weather “below”. The movie won awards for Best Short Film in international movie festivals. This goes to show that it is a quality film albeit short.
As a completely open movie that is free, you can catch Spring here on YouTube.
Cosmos Laundromat is another film that was released as an open movie by Blender Foundation. It was actually only the fifth open movie released by Blender, making it one of the earliest projects made by the people behind Blender itself. As such, it is also developed and made using the animation capabilities of Blender.
At 12 minutes long, it is a bit longer than most short films but it still features a pretty quick yet very telling plot that is far from the usual adult drama that you can see in a lot of different movies. Yes, despite being an animated film, it follows an adult-themed story that will completely captivate you.
Cosmos Laundromat was released on YouTube back in August of 2015, and is still available there. You can catch the movie here.
Agent 327 is actually an adaptation of a Dutch action/comedy comic series that started during the early 60s. The plot was adapted into an animated film that was made using Blender as an animated short. It is also another one of the films that was funded and produced by Blender Foundation and is, of course, made using only Blender.
At only three minutes in length, Agent 327 is actually a pretty short film but it’s actually pretty fun, comedic, and exciting to watch especially for those who grew up watching spy movies. However, Agent 327 gives us an entirely different twist to the usual spy movies that we are used to.
Agent 327 was released on YouTube as a free open movie by Blender Studio back in May of 2017. You can catch this award-winning film here.
Hero is an entirely different Blender movie from the ones we have already mentioned on this list. The reason is that it is not a 3D-animated movie and is actually a 2D film that was made using Blender. It was made to showcase what the Blender Grease Pencil 2D animation tool is capable of.
As the sixth short film that was funded by Blender, Hero is only about four minutes long but pretty much has an interesting plot that is only made better because of the 2D animation and the art style used by the animators themselves. You have to watch the film to completely understand and appreciate what it is all about. And if you want to catch it now, go here to see it on YouTube, which released the movie in April of 2018.
Alike is an eight-minute long animated short film that was produced using only Blender. While it was not funded and released by Blender, it still is pretty much a quality short film that will make you love it. And you have to really appreciate this film because it took five years for it to be completed by an ex-animation student who did not have the funding or the backing of a well-known company.
What makes Alike an amazing animated short film is its story as it follows the relationship between a father and son in a world where people are not allowed to be creative. In a sense, the world they live in is literally and figuratively colorless because of how society demands people to be similar and alike without giving any room for individuals to be unique and colorful in their own way.
So, if you happen to like our quick gist of Alike, go here to watch it on YouTube, where it was made available in January 2017.
While it doesn’t have the catchiest name for a short film, The Daily Dweebs is still one of the Blender movies you should probably put on your list because of how unique and interesting it is. Like some of the other best Blender movies we have on this list, this was also funded and released by Blender. That only means that it was made using Blender, of course.
The Daily Dweebs is only a minute long but it actually is just the pilot episode of an animated series. It was created in Blender Studios in The Netherlands but actually follows a typical American suburbia plot that is still unique on its own.
If you are interested in this short film, you can go here to catch it on YouTube.
Unlike a lot of the other names on this list, Darrel is a great Blender short film that was made by independent animators who aren’t backed by big names and production studios. Nevertheless, it has proven itself as a winner in our books because of how it was able to garner multiple awards in several international film festivals.
This three-minute animated short film that was made and developed using Blender is actually a comedy that was born out of the usual funny daily habits of the animators themselves. That means that it is a project that is close to the heart of the people behind it.
Darrel has been available on YouTube since May of 2018. You can go here to catch the film there.
As one of the longer (at more than 14 minutes long) animated short films on this list, Sintel is also one of the older Blender movies compared to the others that have been mentioned. Nevertheless, even though it was released in 2010, it still is made using high-quality 3D animation that Blender itself funded.
Sintel will appeal to those who love fantasy action and adventure films because of how it is a good blend of all of those aspects. Of course, who wouldn’t love a movie that has dragons in it? Well, you have to see Sintel to truly appreciate its storyline, animation, and characters even though you might feel like it deserves to be more than only 14 minutes short.
If you want to watch Sintel, you can go here on YouTube as it has been available there since September of 2010.
If you happen to be a fan of the older Star Trek movies, you would instantly recognize that George Takei is the voice behind the narration of The Missing Scarf. This animated short is made using Blender’s 3D tools and gives a unique graphics style film that focuses more on narration as if you are watching a storybook getting told in front of you.
Because of how uniquely amazing The Missing Scarf is, it was actually shortlisted for the Best Animated Short Film for the Academy Awards back in 2014. That alone will tell you that it is one of the best movies made using Blender.
If you want to watch The Missing Scarf, go here to catch in on YouTube.
