Best Motion Graphics Classes Near Me: Find In-Person & Virtual Training

Learn More About Motion Graphics Courses

Motion Graphics is the general term used to describe any animation project that uses digital tools to create the illusion of motion in a set of static images. Motion graphics is an incredibly diverse, creative field since it encompasses everything from creating simple 2D animated logos to massive 3D digital replacement projects in major Hollywood films. More and more elements of the film are being replaced by digital recreations and as the technology to do so becomes more powerful and more accessible, more and more people are entering this in-demand creative field.

Motion graphics are near ubiquitous in video projects of all sizes. It is very common to see motion graphics in social media, YouTube, commercials, the credits of a movie or television show, title sequences, adverts, websites, video games, music videos, instructional videos, cartoons, and movies themselves.

Motion graphics owe their popularity in use due to how effective it is at imprinting their message upon the viewer. Static images come and go, but motion graphics leave an impact stemming from their narrative power. Humans are drawn to movement and stories, and motion graphics techniques are founded on both principles.

What Do Motion Graphics Designers Do?

Motion graphics designers use their expertise in graphic design, animation, storyboarding, typography, visual design and more to create compelling motion graphics pieces. These artists work in various settings such as ad agencies, social media, marketing, game developers, TV stations, film studios, and software firms. Many Motion Graphics Designers can also work remotely, making this position incredibly flexible.

A good Motion Graphics Designer will have a working knowledge of several software applications, including but not limited to Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Final Cut Pro, and some coding and 3D familiarity. The most commonly used tool is Adobe After Effects, which allows users to create baseline models, both 2D and 3D, that are given weight and motion through animation. Premiere Pro is commonly used to edit those animated assets into a completed video file. However, on larger projects, there is likely to be a different team handling the video editing portion of the project.

They will also have a strong sense of design, being able to marry their knowledge of graphic design with animation principles. Animation is a vibrant artform with more than a century’s history and techniques, so students wanting to work as Motion Graphic Designers will need a knowledge of how and why animators make the decisions they make. Last but certainly not least is the ability to tell a story. Motion graphics designers are storytellers at heart, and having a narrative sense is paramount to the position. Every choice an Animator makes will impact how audiences perceive the narrative, so a good Motion Graphics Designer needs to be attentive to how these minor decisions affect their narrative.

Why Learn Motion Graphics

But How Do I Learn All of This?

If this all sounds like a lot, don’t be daunted. These are all skills that can be learned and practiced. Especially important to note is that with the Adobe programs, learning one makes learning the next infinitely easier, and the next henceforth after that. Once you know how to edit footage, say, within Premiere Pro, then it’s an easier jump to learning Final Cut Pro. Oftentimes once the initial learning curve is surmounted, expanding your knowledge of related programs is much easier.

As for having a sense of story, a good Motion Graphics Designer will continuously engage and enjoy media from the world around them, viewing what they see with a critical artist’s eye and taking in what they themselves wish to include in their own works. Being an active consumer of media is invaluable to anyone wishing to improve their storytelling abilities, so once you’ve found the niche you want to occupy, it is valuable to watch as much as possible to learn from the experts already producing content.

Blending Technical and Creative Skills

The significant advancement in computer-aided animation software over the last few decades has had a tremendous impact on the motion graphics industry. Computer processing power has exploded in recent years, so the infrastructure necessary to render quality looking 3D animated models has become much easier for studios and even individuals to acquire and experiment with. Thus, traditional hand-drawn animation techniques (and associated techniques like stop-motion and live-action hybrid animation) have significantly waned in popularity. This means that if you want to find a career in motion graphics, you are likely to need to learn how to use software applications like Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro. However, simply learning how to use the tools won’t be sufficient, since animation is still a creative process that requires students to be well versed in narrative storytelling techniques and other theories of visual communication. Thus, motion graphics is a great field to enter if you are a creatively-minded individual who enjoys the technical aspects of working with computer-aided design programs.

2D or 3D?

An important first consideration when learning motion graphics is whether you want to specialize in 2D or 3D animation. While most training programs will cover the skills necessary to do both, it is still important to consider that the two fields are different enough that most Motion Graphics Designers will eventually end up specializing in one or the other.

2D animation is what most people tend to think of when they hear someone talking about animation. However, 2D animation involves more than just traditional digital animation for cartoons and other features. 2D Animators will work in the film industry on non-2D animated projects building things like title cards and logos. They may find work in the advertising industry creating animated assets to insert into commercials (such as moving text graphics). 2D animation isn’t in as high of a demand as 3D animation, but this is more a result of improvements in 3D animation technology, making it more accessible and easy to use.

3D animation encompasses two major kings of motion graphics design. The first is traditional 3D animation, computer-aided animation for fully animated features, shorts, commercials, digital games, or other video projects. These projects are the 3D equivalent of 2D animation features and are undertaken by professional animators who use computer-aided design tools to create complex and life-life 3D models. Beyond this, there are 3D Effect Animators who design digital models, props, backgrounds, and characters that are later edited into a traditional video project. This is most commonly associated with special effects animators building costumes and sets for elaborate fantasy and science-fiction films but can be as subtle as digitally altering the display of a television or digitally removing the logo from a branded t-shirt. Effects Artists provide an invaluable service to virtually every large-scale film or television project and are in high demand in the entertainment industry.

Jobs or a Career in Motion Graphics

The median salary for motion designers is over $75,000. Taking advantage of every opportunity to learn more about the field and working to create a portfolio of work will give you a competitive edge. Network with other students or professionals to expand your connections within the industry. A good motion graphics artist is always ready to learn more and will continue to keep up with the most recent technological updates. More than anything else, however, an effective Motion Graphics Designer will constantly take in media from their environment, staying current with visual trends and keeping their narrative skills sharp and fresh.

2D Animators and 3D Animators are the jobs most traditionally associated with motion graphics design. These animators will work on elaborate motion graphics projects for film, television, advertising, and digital games and content creation. Their degree of involvement will vary from project to project, with some animators working as freelancers or for an animation studio and others working in-house at project studios that regularly produce animated projects. Entry-level animators will tend to work as part of a large team of animators attempting to complete a project. As animation technology becomes increasingly elaborate, the work done by animators will become more and more specialized. For example, a huge amount of time and effort is put into realistically making hair move in a 3D film, meaning that one or more animators spent potentially hundreds of man-hours working in a computer program to ensure that a character’s hair movement looked real.

Many animators can also find work as Effects Animators or Motion Graphics Designers. These animators work on creating digital special effects that make elaborate film and television projects possible. While traditionally thought of as the purview of science fiction and fantasy, 3D digital effects have become essential to virtually every large-scale video project released in the last few decades. These effects can range from minor edits to a video file (like adding a digitally animated overlay to a blank screen or adding the muzzle flash to prop gunshot) to massive, multi-team undertakings like digitally animating a superhero costume or a dragon into a scene alongside real-life actors.

Learning Motion Graphics

Students interested in learning motion graphics have an array of different training options available to them. Since the field is so diverse and there are so many different niches that you can fill, you’ll want to consider whether you are looking for a specialist education to complement your existing skills or if you are looking for a comprehensive training program to bring you up to speed on important motion graphics concepts.

Students looking for a comprehensive training program may consider enrolling in Noble Desktop’s Video Editing and Motion Graphics Certificate program. This career-focused training program will give students an overview of the three most important Adobe applications for motion graphics design: After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Cinema 4D. Students will learn to use After Effects and Cinema 4D to render 3D models, tweak them to add the illusion of depth and weight, then animate those models to create 3D animated assets. Then, students will learn how to use Adobe Premiere Pro to transfer those assets and edit them into raw video footage. This course will cover the basics of cinematic editing and provide students with comprehensive lessons in using After Effects to create 2D and 3D animated assets. As a career-focused program, students will also receive career support in the form of one-on-one mentorship and dedicated professional development training, including a bootcamp in demo reel building that will be an invaluable asset when students enter the job market.

Students looking for other training may consider a more focused bootcamp such as Noble’s Adobe After Effects Bootcamp or their Cinema 4D in After Effects Bootcamp. In these classes, students will learn the important features and functionalities of Adobe’s two major motion graphics design applications. Students will receive instruction on how to design and model 2D and 3D animated assets using After Effects. They will work on practical, hands-on exercises teaching them skills ranging from basic modifications like color correction and speed of movement to more elaborate elements of animation such as how to perform digital object replacement and how to work with Chroma Keys. These courses are ideal places for students with a background in animation or digital art to learn important career skills. Still, anyone hoping to find a new career in motion graphics design will likely need additional skills training.

The UCLA extension school offers two courses, Motion Graphics I and Motion Graphics II, that aim to teach students the fundamental principles of motion graphics animation and design. In these classes, students will begin by learning simple animation techniques and principles such as how to add animated assets to static 2D design presentations, like infographics. Then, they will learn how these skills can be integrated with other creative aspects of filmmaking such as editing and storyboarding. In the advanced course, students will learn advanced After Effects skills, including the use of Cinema 4D, to build professional quality animated assets, and they will build a demo reel to help set them apart from the competition in the eyes of potential employers.

Students looking to master motion graphics tools may also consider enrolling in a course through service providers such as Lumenbrite, which specialize in providing students with certified Adobe Creative Cloud training. For example, students can enroll in their After Effects Bootcamp to learn the basics of animation using After Effects. Students will learn how to integrate multi-file types into a single animated project and composite key footage for use in elaborate animated assets. This course will also give students an understanding of how After Effects can be integrated with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications for maximum efficiency and workflow optimization.

To learn more about the various options available for in-person and live online motion graphics training programs in your area, consider exploring and comparing course offerings using Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool.

In-person or Online Training

Once you’ve decided to enroll in a professional motion graphics skills development program, you will want to consider your learning objectives and what learning style you think is best suited to help you meet those goals. Picking the right training program can be the difference between finding a new career and failing to complete a certificate program. Students must consider the differences between these courses to help ensure their success.

Many students find that they prefer in-person training programs that are taught in a dedicated classroom space. These classes help students focus and let them work directly with their instructors, who are often professional motion graphics experts who can provide students with assistance and feedback. These courses also offer students the chance to work alongside a cohort of like-minded colleagues who can provide feedback and insights on their work. These extra voices are invaluable as iterative, creative processes like animation invariably require students to receive and respond to constructive criticism of their work. The drawback to these classes is that since they are taught in dedicated classroom spaces, students can only attend classes at the training facilities in their area, which can be limiting for students who don’t live near major cities. This also means that students will have to deal with the logistics of a commute to a training center, though they balance this out by being able to take advantage of a training center’s computer technology.

Some students may find online learning preferable to in-person learning, either because they can’t commute or want to learn motion graphics skills from their home office. For these students, live online learning is a solid alternative since live online classes provide many of the same benefits as in-person learning options. Students will learn from live, experienced instructors in private digital classrooms and receive the same focused training that they would at a training center. Since the instruction is live, students can receive feedback and assistance from their instructors in real-time, so they aren’t losing out on this vital aspect of motion graphics education. The drawback is that students will be responsible for maintaining their own technology, which can be somewhat systems-intensive for programs like After Effects.

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Upskill or reskill your workforce with our industry-leading corporate and onsite Motion Graphics training programs. Conduct the training onsite at your location or live online from anywhere. You can also purchase vouchers for our public enrollment Motion Graphics courses.

Motion Graphics Topics

When searching for a motion graphics course, you want a class that covers motion design comprehensively, including the industry-standard design applications, motion design theory, and portfolio development. You can also choose to focus on a specific application within motion design, such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe After Effects, and maybe Cinema 4D. Premiere Pro is more popular and widely used because of how many people use Adobe's Creative Cloud and it works on Mac and PCs (unlike Final Cut with is Mac only).

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Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate Learn The Skills Guarantee™

Learn More About Motion Graphics Courses

What Do Motion Graphics Designers Do?

Why Learn Motion Graphics

But How Do I Learn All of This?

Blending Technical and Creative Skills

2D or 3D?

Jobs or a Career in Motion Graphics

Learning Motion Graphics

In-person or Online Training

Motion Graphics Corporate & Onsite Training Noble Desktop

Motion Graphics Training Map & Top Locations

119 Courses Available Live Online

26 Courses Available in Los Angeles

21 Courses Available in NYC

14 Courses Available in Chicago

13 Courses Available in Baltimore

12 Courses Available in Washington, D.C.

12 Courses Available in Denver

11 Courses Available in San Diego

10 Courses Available in Atlanta

10 Courses Available in Boston

10 Courses Available in Houston

10 Courses Available in Phoenix

8 Courses Available in Seattle

7 Courses Available in Dallas

6 Courses Available in San Francisco

6 Courses Available in NJ

3 Courses Available in Philadelphia

3 Courses Available in Orlando

3 Courses Available in Minneapolis

3 Courses Available in Detroit

3 Courses Available in St. Louis

3 Courses Available in Tampa

3 Courses Available in Charlotte

3 Courses Available in Austin

3 Courses Available in Virginia

2 Courses Available in Miami

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