Leveraging Motion Graphics in Video 01.05.18

Motion graphics dates back to the 1800’s and, although the exact details are not known, it is believed that the earliest form of motion graphics was the presentation of flip books. It wasn’t until the introduction of motion pictures that animation took hold.

In 1960, animator John Whitney co-founded Motion Graphics, Inc. Whitney used mechanical animation techniques to create commercials and TV title sequences and is considered one of the fathers of computer animation. One of Whitney’s most famous works is the animated title sequence of spinning circles he completed with Saul Bass for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 film “Vertigo”.

Since the introduction, this style of animation has grown exponentially and, with the advancements of technology, it has become more common in online videos, commercials and business videos. Motion graphics are video animations of illustrations and text, fusing art, design and imagination to bring an idea to life. Most motion graphics videos include voice over, music, vector graphics, text, 3D graphics and sound effects. In a nutshell, it’s bringing graphics to life through animation.

Software to create this type of video has become more common; some of the most popular are After Effects, Apple Motion, Nuke, Flash, Cinema 4D, Maya, 3D Studio Max, and Blender, among others. Some artists work with these programs simultaneously when creating a single video. Agencies today offer motion graphics services as an alternative to live video production and as a new form of communication.

In marketing, motion graphics are a powerful way to showcase a new product. For example, if you are showcasing a solar panel, you can create a 3D of the panel and highlight key features with text. Educational videos and company introduction videos can also benefit from the use of motion graphics because the advantages of this style of video production are infinite.

What Benefits does Motion Graphics Offer?

Motion graphics offer many benefits over other types of video production. The biggest benefit of motion graphics is the flexibility it offers, allowing the style to fit any idea. Since you don’t need actors and a lot of camera equipment, you eliminate the cost of video production along with crew and equipment cost. And although live video production is impactful, it typically is a longer process and will cost more than a motion graphics video.

Motion graphics allows a business to showcase their company in a unique way. For example, if you are travel agency wanting to showcase your services, chances are you can’t hire a crew and fly them around the world to gather video footage. Motion graphics can help highlight your services and share what makes your agency unique.

You can also showcase a product or service you offer, like in this data storage solution video. The client sent photos of the product, key features they wanted to highlight and some general design ideas which we used to create the motion graphics concept – our team never saw the product in person!

The Evolution of Motion Graphics

Today, vector graphics like character rigging and 3D animation are more prominent; textual elements have taken a back seat. Character rigging has become very popular the last couple of years and with more tools and plugins, this type of motion graphic animation has become easier to implement.

Another trend among designers is hand-drawn animation, or cel animation. This trend is more time consuming since it requires drawing every frame by hand. The cel animation trend has been around for years, but it’s being implemented on more commercial and marketing videos as of late.

There is no telling what the future of motion graphics holds, but we can say that with more advancements in technology and exploration into new techniques, motion graphics will continue to evolve.

New Angle Media’s studio team is well-versed in motion graphics and completes several motion graphic video projects each year for clients. Check out one of our most recent motion graphics video we did for LifeLock.

Contact New Angle today to get a tour of our studio and to tell us more about your motion graphics project ideas!