3D Flowing Abstract Animations

If money is tight, I think it's more than possible to achieve using C4D Lite.  Taking a primitive and adding plenty of segments to each side, then adding a Deformer like Twist should start to get you something you can animate

This is stuff you typically do with plug-ins like Trapcode MIR or TAO with their fractal displacements cranked up to extreme values and using other options to bend and twist their geometry in shapes. With a lot of work you could create something similar using the Cinema 4D renderer and deformed layers or you import some stuff created in C4D using Cineware, but it's not very intuitive and you have to animate a lot of parameters by hand. Depending on the complexity of the project and how often you need it, investing in a plug-in may be simpler and less painful.

Mylenium