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Animation & visual effects: videos Hacker News recommends
Animation and VFX: 3D animation, Blender, Pixar, motion tracking, compositing, CGI breakdowns, practical effects, virtual production, motion graphics, after effects. Below: every video in this topic that at least three HN users linked with real commentary, in at least three different months (16 explainers, 14 videos, 13 demos), best-scored first, with the comments on each video page.
- 16 HN recommenders 13 months 2021–2026HN repeatedly calls it one of the best math and graphics explainers on YouTube, praised for bridging game dev and math.
- 9 HN recommenders 10 months 2010–2017Repeatedly called one of the most useful talks on building organizations and managing creative teams.
- 7 HN recommenders 8 months 2018–2025Recommended as the best account of Blender's history and its user-focused approach as a free software success story.
- 9 HN recommenders 8 months 2020–2026W WEHImovies · videoRecommended whenever people want to see the mechanical, jostling reality of molecular biology, which many find awe-inspiring.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2024–2026T The Movie Rabbit Hole · explainerStrongly recommended whenever HN discusses CGI, practical effects, or trusting behind-the-scenes footage.
- 4 HN recommenders 5 months 2019–2022HN recommends it as an entertaining and inspiring Blender talk, and often links it in threads about learning Blender.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2017–2024X XVIVO Scientific Animation · demoRecommended as a jaw-dropping view of the complexity and machine-like nature of cells.
- 4 HN recommenders 5 months 2019–2026HN considers it a fantastic, mind-blowing talk that shows how a single skilled artist can build detailed VFX scenes quickly.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2025I Imphenzia · tutorialIt is the most-recommended beginner Blender tutorial on HN, with several people saying it made them comfortable in a couple of hours.
- 5 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2026Repeatedly called essential viewing for game development history and clever work under memory constraints.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2025HN recommends it as an entertaining explanation of chroma keying, green screens and how cameras process color.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2021Commenters recommend it as a dense but entertaining primer on color theory and color in video systems.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2026Recommended as a favorite among practical Blender guides from a hugely productive solo artist.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2023Cited in threads on cars, streets and urbanism as evidence of how mixed traffic worked before cars took over.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2022Recommended as an eye-opening, fast introduction to what Blender can do and a model of a productive workflow.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2023Called a rite of passage for new Blender users and the standard first recommendation for learning the program.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2025Strongly recommended as a detailed, entertaining history of 1980s CGI and film techniques, including the role of the Foonly F1.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2024N Niels Blaauw · explainerHN recommends it as the clearest visual explanation of how the Prius power-split hybrid actually works.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2023–2026HN commenters point to it as an impressive example of what AI animation could do and of VFX artists adopting AI in their workflows.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2023–2026J Jared Owen · explainerHN recommends it as an exceptionally well-made explainer of complex mechanical machinery.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2023W Warner Bros. · documentaryHN points to it as a way to see WWI footage restored so the war feels modern and real.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2013–2024S Stargate Studios · demoHN points to it as a demo of how routinely mundane TV scenes use green screen set replacement, even on TV budgets.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2024–2026Recommended as a rare detailed look at how 3b1b videos are made, including live debugging of his rendering engine.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2023HN points to it whenever Another World comes up, as one of the better GDC talks by the game's creator.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2026HN points to it as a concrete case of procedural animation that keeps characters responsive, often in threads about Overgrowth and game feel.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2023HN holds it up as an impressive example of what a tiny team can achieve with Blender.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2023HN commenters cite it in debates about practical effects versus CGI, as a fun comparison of old and new Dune.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2024N Noodle · explainerHN commenters recommend it in motion-smoothing and interpolation threads as an overview of why interpolation hurts animation.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2025A archivefilms · documentaryHN recommends it as a look at pre-CGI effects work that looks like CGI but was entirely physical.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2023R RocketJump Film School · commentaryUsed as a counterpoint whenever commenters claim CGI always looks fake.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2021W Walt Disney Animation Studios · explainerRecommended as an approachable intro to path tracing in ray tracing and rendering threads.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2016–2022HN recommends it as the best short introduction to Kon's editing before watching his films.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2024A AlanBeckerTutorials · tutorialRecommended as a compact starting point for making animations feel more compelling, including for UI and app developers.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2023S SamCam2011 · music videoMentioned as an example of Sesame Street respecting children's intelligence and as an early gateway to modern classical music.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2026H @HOLLYWOOD · interviewHN shares it as a classic backup and operations cautionary tale.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2024Recommended as a succinct documentary on motion control and practical-effects ingenuity.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021T This Place · explainerRecommended as a convincing counterargument to the widely repeated idea of the uncanny valley.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2025–2026Recommended as a fun, informative rediscovery of a lost film-effects technique.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2021HN points to it as an impressive demo of Blender's open-source 2D/3D hybrid animation and as a comparison for other 2D animation tools.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2025K Kylie Minogue · music videoCited as a landmark looping music video, a reference point for creative video and editing tricks.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2024Y YMS · commentaryHN recommends it as the thorough investigation of the Kimba and Lion King controversy, and as a quality benchmark for the reviewer.
- 1 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2023T TheCGBros · videoHN cites it in threads on military AI as a vivid depiction of where autonomous warfare could lead.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2024F fireurgunz · documentaryRecommended as a charming primary source on animation technique and for Walt Disney's warm on-camera presence.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2022C Ctrl Shift Face · comedy videoPointed to as one of the most impressive early deepfakes, where a good impersonation makes the effect convincing and funny.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2023I Industrial Light & Magic · documentaryCited as the canonical look at LED-wall virtual production, referenced in threads on game engines in film and CGI.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2011–2023J jmheather · music videoPraised as a standout example of kinetic typography that holds attention, and known as the earlier work that led to the animator's Weird Al 'Word Crimes' video.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2026F Filmbilder & Friends · videoHN commenters use it as a wordless illustration of addiction, shared in threads about children and screens, drugs and habit-forming products.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2022Recommended in threads about practical versus CGI effects as a fun, instructive attempt to match a classic effect on a small budget.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2023T TheCGBros · videoCited as a vivid illustration of autonomous weapons and machines that keep running after their creators are gone.
- 2 HN recommenders 1 months 2013–2017Cited as an example of how hard it is to reconcile UX views in open source communities, and as the start of a redesign discussion.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2021Seen as an inflection point in how Blender's UI was perceived, and as helping kick off the 2.8 redesign.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2023I Insider · explainerCited as an explanation of LED virtual production and how it solves green-screen lighting problems.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2026D Danil Krivoruchko · videoShared as a fan-made teaser for Blindsight in threads about the novel or alien intelligence.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2023Cited as an easy-to-digest look at the awe-inspiring animations of cellular machinery.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2023–2024HN cites it as an example of temporally stable AI video stylization built from ordinary production gear.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2015–2018H HappyProductCorp · videoBrought up in threads about isolation, dystopia and busyness as a moving, relevant short film.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2026D Daft Punk · music videoMostly used as a joke reference to the song's lyrics in AI threads, and cited for its robot-band theme in a thread about the song's tempo.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2024A AnimusicLLC · music videoHN people bring it up whenever music-playing machines or robot bands come up, as the classic CG precursor.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2024Cited as evidence that Blender can power feature animation and for its look at a real production process.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2021S SPELLBREAKER Studio · videoCited as a visual illustration of the Jungian shadow, including in arguments about national or collective shadows and conformity.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2022G Goatstream · demoHN cites it as an earlier, smoother precedent whenever new learned-locomotion or simulated-walking work appears.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2023–2024HN cites it as an example of what a very small crew can make with generative AI tools, while noting how much manual work it still takes.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2023N NFB · music videoIt comes up as a beloved example of NFB animation and state-funded Canadian cultural work.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2024S Shamook · demoHN cites it as an example of deepfakes producing a more convincing CGI human than the studio's own effort.
- cited 5× 0 months 2013–2025C ChemicalBrothersVEVO · music videoBrought up as the reference point whenever something shows visuals tightly synced to music or train-ride scenery.
- cited 4× 0 months 2020–2023A Art Of Noise · music videoHN mentions it mostly as a reference point in Max Headroom threads, as the essential Art of Noise tie-in to that 80s character.
- cited 4× 0 months 2016–2026W Weebl's Stuff · music videoHN invokes it purely as a joke or nostalgic meme reference.
- cited 3× 0 months 2014–2016B BranitFX · videoCited as a sci-fi vision of editing a world in VR, and a reference point for how VR and world-building tools have caught up.
- cited 3× 0 months 2025–2026S sirrandalot · demoCited as an example of simulating the full optical chain of a camera in physically based rendering.
- cited 4× 0 months 2013–2022P PapaG · videoUsed as an example of going the extra mile on small details in animation and design.
- cited 6× 0 months 2020–2026Used as a freely licensed sample video for demoing multimedia tools, and as a test file in discussions of video downloading and playback.
- cited 5× 0 months 2022Cited as an example of LED volume virtual production, as used for Star Wars shows, in threads about VFX.
- cited 3× 0 months 2023–2025A Animagraffs · explainerCited in threads about physical controls and how diesel-electric locomotives actually work.
- cited 5× 0 months 2014–2021A a-ha · music videoIt is mostly a cultural touchstone on HN, cited for its sketch animation style or the song itself rather than recommended as something to learn from.
- cited 3× 0 months 2011–2020HN cites it as an example of what open-source tools can produce and as freely licensed footage for demoing multimedia software.
- cited 3× 0 months 2022U Unity · demoCited as an impressive example of real-time digital humans, especially the facial and mouth animation.
- cited 7× 0 months 2023–2026S savannahXYZ · comedy videoPosted as a light, funny aside in threads about declining search quality and the habit of appending 'reddit' to queries.
- cited 3× 0 months 2020–20253 3GI · comedy videoMentioned as an example of a crowd-made reproduction of a film whose quality varies wildly.
- cited 5× 0 months 2022–2025J Joel Haver · tutorialCited in AI-art and video-stylization threads as an example of a manual, artist-driven alternative to AI tools, and as a demo of EbSynth.
- cited 3× 0 months 2019–2024D Denkoboy2 · videoCited in Max Headroom threads as an example of the show's visual style being copied in film.
- cited 3× 0 months 2020–2023H Hacene Benmamar · videoHN uses it to illustrate how the film's wireframe skyline effect was made with practical miniatures and as an example of retro computer-display aesthetics.
- cited 5× 0 months 2020–2024Used as a Skynet joke and cited as a parody that fooled some viewers into thinking it was real.
Questions
What is the most recommended animation & visual effects video on Hacker News?
The Beauty of Bézier Curves by Freya Holmér: HN repeatedly calls it one of the best math and graphics explainers on YouTube, praised for bridging game dev and math.
How is this animation & visual effects list ranked?
By HackerTube's score: the number of distinct months in which an HN comment recommended the video, plus half a point for every month with a strong recommendation. One viral thread counts less than steady recommendations over years.
Where do the videos come from?
From every Hacker News comment between 2007 and 2026 that linked a YouTube video, labeled by an AI model as a recommendation, a citation, a joke or a criticism. The list is published by HackerTube under ODC-By 1.0; this edition adds indexable pages and the comment context.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.