Motion graphics artists take static design elements and give them animation and movement. They work in a wide range of industries. Researching complementary and related skills is essential in deciding to learn a new skill. Doing so will help you make more informed decisions about what you want to learn, and it will help you decide whether or not learning a specific skill is the right decision for you. You will also learn what kind of skills you want to learn to complement your training later. Read on to learn more about related motion graphics training options such as animation, web design, or video editing.

What is Motion Graphics?

Motion graphics refers to the field of visual design concerned with digital animation and film editing. In motion graphics, students learn the tools that will allow them to create animated images that can be layered onto designs in applications like Photoshop and Illustrator, giving motion to otherwise static images. Motion graphics training also serves as an entry into the world of film editing, as motion graphics classes teach students how to use the tools that are used in the film and television industry to create special effects and post-production edits. Motion graphics tools create animated web assets, digital logos, responsive and interactive infographics, and other animated visual content.

Motion graphic artists use Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Cinema 4D to build animated designs and assets. Using these tools, motion design artists can produce vibrant animations that fully utilize the digital canvas. Motion design also relates closely to video editing, so motion graphics training covers how creatives use digital tools to both cut and mix film clips. Additionally, the training covers how to edit those clips using tools to correct colors, how to use green screens, and how to replace cell phone displays. These skills will allow creatives to take static designs and enhance them with dynamic motion animations that give life to their visions.

While some people think that motion graphics and animation are the same things, the two are quite distinct. Animation is a term that covers all types of moving images, from cartoons to clay animation. In contrast, motion graphics is a type of animation that is focused on giving movement to static graphic design elements. Another major difference between the two is that animation typically tells a story, while motion graphics is more focused on communicating a specific message to the audience.

Read more about what motion graphics is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Motion Graphics Skills?

With motion graphics training, students will learn how to build dazzling graphic animations that add life to their creative projects. Using After Effects and Premiere Pro will train students to start working with complex, animated graphic designs, ranging from digital animations to animated logos and infographics. Using these tools will allow students to create elaborate animations that will take their graphic design projects to the next level. By learning how to render animations in Cinema 4D, creatives will be able to develop the skills necessary for entering into an in-demand career field.

Motion graphics is closely related to film editing, and learning these tools is ideal for anyone hoping to work on the digital side of the film and television industry. Special Effects Artists and Film Editors use motion graphics animation skills, particularly those working on effects-heavy content. Motion Graphics Designers in the film industry can be found doing a wide variety of different things, such as working on the typography and graphics for a movie title or credits, designing visual effects for a music video, creating graphics for a news show, or making an infographic for a documentary.

There is also a high level of demand for Motion Graphics Designers in the field of web design. Websites have become an important part of daily life worldwide, and most consumers spend hours a day online. Motion Graphics Designers create graphics that help ensure that the websites these consumers visit are interesting, balanced, and easy to understand. Research shows that motion graphics boost traffic and help sites retain customers. In fact, websites that don’t contain motion graphics are often seen as outdated.

Whether students hope to be part of a professional design team that brings fantastic scenarios and characters to life or just want to enhance their creative projects by adding animated assets and elements, learning motion graphics skills will help them achieve those goals. In addition, learning motion graphics skills will help students expand their creative toolkits and begin working on even more exciting projects.

Skills Related to Motion Graphics

Motion Graphics Designers give movement to static design elements. Designers who want to work in this field will find that there are a number of other skills that both relate to and complement motion graphics. For example, Motion Graphics Designers often find themselves working in a specific design field, such as web design or graphic design, so it can be beneficial to learn more about these fields. Designers might also find that they have an easier time learning specific other skills because they overlap with the motion graphics field. For instance, Motion Graphics Designers and Animators often use the same software applications.

Web Design

Motion graphics have become an essential part of web design, so taking a web design class can benefit a Motion Graphics Designer. Users would likely be overwhelmed if a website only contained text and would quickly lose interest. For that reason, most webpages include motion graphics as well. Motion graphics help break up text, making a page more aesthetically balanced. Presenting information through motion graphics is also a good way to help users process that information. Finally, motion graphics tend to grab the user's attention and are likely to stick in their memory.

There are a number of common ways that motion graphics are used in web design. Many designers use them to get users to do certain things. For example, motion graphics can draw attention to a button the designer is trying to get the user to click on. Another common use of motion graphics in web design is emphasizing a particular page part. Motion graphics can also hold the user’s attention, so they are often used to keep the user on the site longer.

Animation

Some Motion Graphics Designers choose to learn animation because the two fields are closely related. In fact, motion graphics are a type of animation. Additional animation skills can be helpful for anyone who works in motion graphics.

A Motion Graphic Designer will likely have some skills needed to work in animation. For instance, Animators and Motion Graphics designers use many of the same software programs, such as After Effects. Artists in both of these fields also utilize similar design principles. For example, they both understand physics and how it affects how objects and characters move and interact in an animated world. This knowledge helps them create more believable animations.

Graphic Design

Every choice a Designer makes has a specific effect on the audience. For example, a designer can use contrast to get the viewer to focus on a particular part of a design or color to evoke a certain mood. Learning graphic design can be a way to understand better how contrast, color, and all of the other elements of design work and why they work that way. Designers who understand design can produce better designs.

Designers who understand the theories behind design can also talk about their own designs more confidently and knowledgeably. This can make them more attractive to both employers and clients. Noble Desktop runs numerous classes in design, including a Graphic Design Certificate.

Video Editing

It can be beneficial for a Motion Graphics Designer to take a video editing class because video editing and motion graphics share many of the same tools and techniques. These two fields have so many similarities that people often mistake them for the same thing. However, the two are different. Motion graphics involves adding movement to static layouts and creating content. In contrast, video editing is focused on assembling content into a finished video.

While their jobs are distinct, Motion Graphics Designers and Video Editors need to understand many of the same concepts, such as design principles and movement principles, like perspective and lighting. They also use some of the same design programs, like Adobe After Effects. Finally, some projects require both motion graphics and video editing skills, so understanding both can be helpful.

Soft Skills

Soft skills like communication and teamwork are vital to success in almost every job, and motion design is no exception. Having strong soft skills can improve interactions with employers or clients and are thus helpful in getting a new job or project. These skills can also make that job run more smoothly by helping a designer work effectively with clients or other team members.

Motion graphics projects often involve a high level of interpersonal communication and collaboration. While Motion Designers often spend a lot of time working alone, they also need to communicate to understand the director's or client's vision. After that, there is constant communication in order to make sure that this vision is realized.

Learn Motion Graphics Skills with Noble Desktop

Students looking to learn motion design skills should consider the hands-on training options available through Noble Desktop. Noble offers courses for experienced and novice designers covering specific skills like After Effects alongside more career-focused bootcamps like the Motion Graphics Certificate program. Available both in-person at Noble’s Manhattan campus and online, these courses are taught by experienced instructors who are there to help provide students with feedback and assistance on their designs. Even online, class sizes are small, ensuring that students won’t have to fight for their instructors' attention. Plus, all these courses offer a free retake option for students, letting them retake the course within one year. This gives students a chance to go back over skills they had difficulty with, attend missed lessons, or get more hands-on experience with motion graphics tools.

For students who have some design experience or who just want to learn a new tool to add to their creative toolkit, Noble offers several skills bootcamps designed to teach students how to use Adobe After Effects and Cinema 4D. These courses are designed to introduce novice users to the basic functions of these essential design tools. Students will learn how to build simple animated images and layer them onto Photoshop and Illustrator designs. Then, students seeking more training can take Noble’s After Effects Advanced course to learn how to composite video footage, animate shape and text layers, and learn practical chroma key skills. These courses don’t require knowledge of Illustrator and Photoshop, but some proficiency is very helpful. Students interested in receiving this background training should look at the graphic design courses offered through Noble.

Students seeking a more career-focused training course may wish to consider Noble’s Motion Graphics Certificate program. In this course, students will learn how to use Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Cinema 4D to create motion graphic designs and edit video clips. Students will get hands-on experience working on the kinds of creative projects they will work on when they enter the workforce. A part of their training will be a professionalization seminar designed to teach them how to get involved in the motion graphics and video editing industry. In addition, students will receive one-on-one career mentorship from Noble’s career professionals and dedicate substantial time to building a practical demo reel that students can bring onto the job market.

Students interested in learning more about these courses or looking into their other training opportunities should consider Noble's motion graphics design courses.

Key Takeaways

• There are a number of skills closely related to motion graphics. Motion Graphics Designers will likely have an easier time learning related skills and may also find these skills beneficial to a motion graphics career.
• Most websites incorporate motion graphics to attract and hold users’ attention.
• Animators and Motion Graphics Designers share many of the same skills.
• Motion Graphics Designers will be able to produce better designs and talk about those designs more confidently if they understand some of the principles of design.
• Some projects involve motion graphics and video editing, so it can be helpful to understand both.
• Soft skills are an essential complementary skill in every field.
• One way to learn complementary skills is to take a class. Noble Desktop offers both in-person and live online training options.