Motion Graphics Designers and Animators use digital tools to create text and other elements that move on computer, television, and movie screens. If you are creative and love technology, you would probably love this job, but is it a stable career? You may be wondering if you can learn motion graphics and have a good, long-term career. There are several career paths for Motion Graphics Designers and Animators to follow, and one of them will probably fit you well.
What Do Motion Graphics Designers Do?
Motion Graphics Designers create digital animations that bring text and graphics to life on the screen. They often work as part of a video editing team to produce a video, film, television show, documentary, or advertisement. Motion Graphics Designers work in the movie and TV industry, the music business, advertising, and create infographics for companies, large and small. Motion graphics, or mograph, are most often used in titles, credit sequences, and sections of videos that explain concepts.
Where Do Motion Graphics Designers Work?
Most Motion Graphics Designers work in the film and television industry, but they can work for anyone that needs to add animation to videos. You can study motion graphics in a college or art school or take a bootcamp or certificate course from a technical or career center. You need to put together an impressive portfolio of work to get a job. Although many people who work in the field get bachelor's degrees in computer animation and art, a college degree is not necessary to get a job as a Motion Graphics Designer. You can find training programs that offer in-person or online courses covering aspects of motion graphics.
The US Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects that motion graphics and other tech fields will grow by 16% through 2030. The median yearly salary for Special Effects Artists and Animators is $77,700. The chance of finding a job in motion graphics is very good. Some people start as Video Editors and then specialize later in their careers. It is also possible to progress to jobs as Art Directors or Creative Directors.
Qualifications for a Job in Motion Graphics
People who create motion graphics for videos and films need to be creative, able to tell a good story, and have an eye for details. They work as part of a team, so Motion Graphics Designers need to be abler to work well with others and be effective communicators.
Motion Graphics Designers need to know how to use complicated digital tools to create the motion effects. Products like Adobe After Effects and Cinema 4D are used to create animated text and graphics and composite images. An understanding of the basic principles of typography, as well as color theory, textures, light effects, and graphic design is also important.
Career Paths for Motion Graphics/Animation
Many Motion Graphics Designers and Animators start out working as freelancers and work into positions as they gain experience. Here are some of the career paths for Motion Graphics and Animation.
Motion Graphics Designer
Motion Graphics Designers often work in film and television studios. They create opening and ending title sequences and credits for movies and TV shows. They also add banners and other texts for newscasts and sporting events and create the screens that appear on phones, TVs, and computers in movies and television shows.
Many Motion Graphics Designers begin as Graphic Artists and move into motion graphics through a training program. A new Motion Graphics Designer often starts with an internship or apprenticeship and moves into a job as an assistant or senior designer. Some Motion Graphics Designers eventually choose to become Art or Creative Directors.
Animator
When people hear the term “Animator,” they often think of children’s cartoons, but character animation is only one of the things Animators can do. Movement can be added to almost anything using digital tools
Colorist
Another career path for someone who studied motion graphics is as a Colorist. This person focuses on fixing the color and other visual settings to aid consistency and give the video the tone the director wants.
UX/UI Design
Another common career path for motion graphics is UX/UI design. Websites and mobile applications often include animated logos and elements. These help signal users that something is happening, show them what to do next, and give visual feedback. UX/UI Designers can move on to careers at Senior Designers and Product Managers.
Special Effects Designer
Special Effects Designers use computer software to create many kinds of animated effects for films, television shows, and games. They use Computer Generated Imagery (CGI), chroma key compositing, rotoscoping, and other techniques to create digitally manipulated images.
Getting a Job in Motion Graphics
When it comes to finding a job in the motion graphics field, the most important steps are learning to use digital animation tools, creating a portfolio, and networking.
Creating a Portfolio
More important than a resume or a business card, your portfolio or demo reel shows potential employers what you can do. Your portfolio should reflect your personality and creativity. If you are new to motion graphics, you can start a portfolio with videos you made in your bootcamp or certificate course. You can also include passion projects, examples of motion graphics and animation that you create for fun.
Place your portfolio on a personal website or platform like Behance or Dribbble. Keep your portfolio up to date with samples of your latest jobs. It helps people find you and builds your reputation.
Do Some Networking
Networking is one of the best ways to connect with other Motion Graphics Designers and Filmmakers and find jobs. Most people have difficulty talking about themselves, particularly creative people who tend to be loners and introverts. It's important to make connections with people so they will check out your work and keep you in mind when jobs become available.
Networking is about building relationships with people. This could be in professional settings like conferences, film festivals, or semi-social gatherings. Tell people what you do. If it is a professional gathering, be specific. If it is more social, describe your work in more general terms. It is important to tell people that you are looking for work, but be sure to do it in a natural, friendly way that is not creepy, annoying, or desperate.
Learning Motion Graphics Design
It is easy to learn motion graphics and start a new career by taking courses. There are schools and training programs available offering intensive classes in software and technique. You can choose sessions that meet in-person or online to learn After Effects, Animate and other relevant software. Some people prefer to attend brick-and-mortar sessions when learning new information, but that isn't always available. Live online classes have a similar set-up with a real-time, remote instructor who can answer questions and take control of your monitor--with permission--to show you how to do things. Training is part or full-time and available weekdays, weeknights, or weekends.
The best way to prepare for a career shift to a technical field like motion graphics is to enroll in a bootcamp or certificate program. These are intensive training courses that run for a few weeks to a few months and will cover motion graphics in much more depth than tutorials can. Another plus of training is that you will leave class with a professional-quality portfolio of sample videos that you can show to prospective employers.
Conclusion
It's easy to learn motion graphics design and start a new career. Check out Noble Desktop's motion graphics courses. Choose between in-person sessions in NYC at Noble's location or sign up for live online motion graphics courses and attend from anywhere. Use Noble Desktop's Classes Near Me to find other courses in motion graphics in your area.