I love getting questions! Some questions occur more frequently than others which is why I created a FAQ for people to pull from.
What software do you use for motion design?
After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Audition and Blender.
How long have you been a Motion Designer?
Professionally since 2016.
Did you go to school for motion design?
Not exactly.
I went to Emerson College which is a small film school in Boston, Massachusetts. I was a film major with a specialization in animation. That meant I primarily took film classes while also supplementing them with animation courses. My animation classes focused on 3d with us learning Autodesk Maya. In my spare time, I picked up After Effects and discovered I liked that a lot more than using Maya!
While I was in college, I had a variety of internships which helped me narrow down my interest. I discovered that I loved the internships that allowed me to animate in After Effects. So I’m pretty much a self-taught Motion Designer in that regards.
What exactly is motion design, and how does it differ from other forms of design?
Motion Design as the name hints at is graphic design in motion. I like to refer to it as a commercialized form of animation but of course there are many, many uses for it! Examples include: explainer videos, augmented reality filters, animated GIFs, data visualizations, trailers, commercials, moving posters, documentary graphics, cell animation, stop motion, medical animations, VFX and so much more!
Motion Design differs from other types of disciplines as it combines them all into one package! There is no “one” way to be a Motion Designer. Some Motion Designers spend all day creating 3d animations in Cinema 4d while others spend all day drawing things frame by frame.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I’m a huge movie fan and you can find me at the movie theater at least once or twice a week. I love title sequences and Art of the Title is one of my most frequently visited sites. I was inspired to get into animation by watching Aardman’s movies as a child such as Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit. I also loved The Emperor’s New Groove, Spirited Away, Shrek, and more. Anime also played a huge role in my childhood and I was obsessed with Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh!
I’m also inspired by life! I love to travel and love incorporating the amazing sights I’ve seen into my own work.
What’s your advice for students who are wanting to get into motion graphics?
Draw your inspiration from things outside of motion graphics! Motion graphics is a field that can sometimes be too self-referential with people being inspired by each other’s work, which can lead to videos looking a bit same-y. Go to museums, take a walk around your neighborhood, watch documentaries, read magazines, go bird watching, anything! You’ll be surprised when inspiration strikes.
Secondly, motion graphics can be a competitive field to enter. Your first steps should be focusing on creating a curated portfolio which means establishing a website and creating a showreel. Thirdly would be to attend networking and professional events in your local area. Tell everyone you’re a motion designer and you’ll never know if someone you meet happens to need one by chance!
Fourthly (is this a word?), don’t give up! It took me a solid year after I graduated college to find a full time job in this industry.
What software do you use for motion design?
After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Audition and Blender.
How long have you been a Motion Designer?
Professionally since 2016.
Did you go to school for motion design?
Not exactly.
I went to Emerson College which is a small film school in Boston, Massachusetts. I was a film major with a specialization in animation. That meant I primarily took film classes while also supplementing them with animation courses. My animation classes focused on 3d with us learning Autodesk Maya. In my spare time, I picked up After Effects and discovered I liked that a lot more than using Maya!
While I was in college, I had a variety of internships which helped me narrow down my interest. I discovered that I loved the internships that allowed me to animate in After Effects. So I’m pretty much a self-taught Motion Designer in that regards.
What exactly is motion design, and how does it differ from other forms of design?
Motion Design as the name hints at is graphic design in motion. I like to refer to it as a commercialized form of animation but of course there are many, many uses for it! Examples include: explainer videos, augmented reality filters, animated GIFs, data visualizations, trailers, commercials, moving posters, documentary graphics, cell animation, stop motion, medical animations, VFX and so much more!
Motion Design differs from other types of disciplines as it combines them all into one package! There is no “one” way to be a Motion Designer. Some Motion Designers spend all day creating 3d animations in Cinema 4d while others spend all day drawing things frame by frame.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I’m a huge movie fan and you can find me at the movie theater at least once or twice a week. I love title sequences and Art of the Title is one of my most frequently visited sites. I was inspired to get into animation by watching Aardman’s movies as a child such as Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit. I also loved The Emperor’s New Groove, Spirited Away, Shrek, and more. Anime also played a huge role in my childhood and I was obsessed with Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh!
I’m also inspired by life! I love to travel and love incorporating the amazing sights I’ve seen into my own work.
What’s your advice for students who are wanting to get into motion graphics?
Draw your inspiration from things outside of motion graphics! Motion graphics is a field that can sometimes be too self-referential with people being inspired by each other’s work, which can lead to videos looking a bit same-y. Go to museums, take a walk around your neighborhood, watch documentaries, read magazines, go bird watching, anything! You’ll be surprised when inspiration strikes.
Secondly, motion graphics can be a competitive field to enter. Your first steps should be focusing on creating a curated portfolio which means establishing a website and creating a showreel. Thirdly would be to attend networking and professional events in your local area. Tell everyone you’re a motion designer and you’ll never know if someone you meet happens to need one by chance!
Fourthly (is this a word?), don’t give up! It took me a solid year after I graduated college to find a full time job in this industry.