Top Cities for Motion Graphics Classes & Training

Students interested in learning motion graphics at a dedicated training facility will find that almost all of their options are located in major metropolitan areas. Since this is also where many of the highest-paying jobs are located, it makes sense that students looking for a career change may want to consider looking at the kinds of cities that offer the most robust training options for aspiring Motion Graphics Designers.

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.

Los Angeles

People who live in Los Angeles can easily access mountains, beaches, and deserts and enjoy a mild climate year-round. The city also has endless things to do, including shopping, theme parks, museums, sports, concerts, and restaurants. Glassdoor reports that Motion Graphics Designers in Los Angeles earn approximately $78,000 annually. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Los Angeles metropolitan area has the highest employment level for Special Effects Artists and Animators in the United States. It also reports that Los Angeles ranks sixth among the top-paying metropolitan areas in the United States. 

There are many different motion graphics schools in Los Angeles to choose from. UCLA Extension has been training students for over a hundred years and offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes in motion graphics. Ledet Training, Lumenbrite, and headTrix run classes in After Effects and some of the other programs commonly used by Motion Graphics Designers.

New York City

New York City is a diverse city that attracts thousands of new residents every year. People love its history, culture, nightlife, and walkability. The city also has a wealth of opportunities for Motion Graphics Designers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that New York City ranks fifth among the top-paying metropolitan areas in the United States. According to Glassdoor, Motion Graphics Designers earn about $79,000 annually.

Designers looking for motion graphics classes in New York City will find a number of in-person options at Noble Desktop. Centrally located in midtown Manhattan, Noble teaches small-group motion graphics classes in its spacious, modern classrooms. Options include certificate programs and bootcamps. Motion graphics classes can also be found through Certstaffix Training and Future Media Concepts.

Dallas

With no state income tax and a relatively low cost of living, Dallas is a popular and rapidly-growing city with many job opportunities. U.S. News & World Report calls it the second-best place to live in Texas. Motion Graphics Designers there earn approximately $76,000 per year, according to Glassdoor.

There are a variety of motion graphics class options in Dallas. For instance, Lumenbrite and Digital Training & Designs both offer a range of beginner and intermediate courses in After Effects and Premiere Pro. Both of these Adobe programs are frequently used by Motion Graphics Designers.

Chicago

Unique among large cities, Chicago is relatively inexpensive to live in and is also known for its Midwestern friendliness. In addition, the city has many award-winning restaurants and a unique food scene. With a busy economy and a long list of large companies, it can also be a great place to work. According to Glassdoor, Motion Graphics Designers in Chicago earn about $73,000 annually.

A number of schools in Chicago offer training in motion graphics. The Training Connection has beginner and intermediate classes in Adobe Premiere Pro, which Motion Graphics Designers often use. Ledet Training also offers Adobe classes, in addition to bootcamps that cover motion graphics and video production skills.

Houston

U.S. News & World report ranks Houston at number two on its list of Ten Most Desirable U.S. Cities for Millennials. The ranking is based on the quality of life, cost of living, and overall employment. In recent years, it has become one of the top destinations for people who are relocating to another city. Glassdoor reports that Motion Graphics Designers in Houston earn approximately $74,000 per year.

A number of schools offer motion graphics training in Houston. Both Lumenbrite and Ledet Training run courses in some of the Adobe applications commonly used by Motion Graphics Designers, such as After Effects. There are both beginner and intermediate options.

Seattle

Motion Graphics Designers are likely to find many job opportunities in Seattle. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington is the state with the second-highest employment level for Special Effects Artists and Animators, a category that includes Motion Graphics Artists. The agency also reports that Seattle ranks fourth among the top-paying metropolitan areas in the United States. Motion Graphics Designers there can expect to earn an average of $84,000 per year, according to Glassdoor. Seattle is also a desirable place to live. According to CNN Money, Seattle ranks number two in a list of the best big U.S. cities to live in.

Seattle also has many class options for students who want to learn more about motion graphics. For instance, the School of Visual Concepts runs an Animation and Motion Graphics Workshop. It also offers a course on using Adobe After Effects for motion graphics.

Miami

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Florida is the state with the fifth-highest employment level for Special Effects Artists and Animators, making it an attractive place to live for Motion Graphics Designers who are included in this category. They can expect to earn about $67,000 in Miami, according to Glassdoor. People also love this city for its year-round sunshine and its beautiful beaches.

Students will find a variety of motion graphics classes in Miami. Ledet Training offers a variety of Adobe classes that cover many of the popular applications used by Motion Graphics Designers. There are both beginner and intermediate options.

Atlanta

Niche includes Atlanta on its list of Best Cities for Young Professionals in America, explaining that the city is liked for its urban feel and its wealth of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and parks. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Georgia is the state with the third-highest employment level for Special Effects Artists and Animators, a category that includes Motion Graphics Designers. In Atlanta, Motion Graphics Designers earn an average of $76,000 per year, according to Glassdoor.

Designers looking to learn motion graphics skills will find multiple motion graphics class options in Atlanta. Lumenbrite runs many different classes, including bootcamps, that cover a variety of Adobe apps and other skills that are likely to be useful to aspiring Motion Graphics Designers. Emory Continuing Education also offers Adobe classes.

Tampa

Tampa is a popular city to live in because of its climate and scenery. Residents say that they enjoy the combination of large-city amenities such as entertainment, dining, sports, and museums and a laid-back beach lifestyle. U.S. News & World Report ranked Tampa at number six on its list of Safest Places to Live. Motion Graphics Designers living in Tampa earn about $74,000 per year, according to Glassdoor.

There are also many options for students who want to study motion graphics in Tampa. A number of schools–including Noble Desktop and Certstaffix Training–run live online motion graphics classes that can be taken from any location with an internet connection.

San Diego

While San Diego can be an expensive place to live, it is also a beautiful city with mild weather and many different recreation and entertainment options, and it ranks high for its quality of life. According to CNN Money, San Diego ranks number three of the best big U.S. cities to live in. Glassdoor reports that Motion Graphics Designers there earn about $70,000 per year.

Students who want to learn motion graphics will find many different motion graphics classes in San Diego. Ledet Training is a centrally located school that runs courses in After Effects and video editing and production. It caters to both beginner and more advanced students.

Learn Motion Graphics Skills Online

Students who don’t live in any of these major metropolitan areas can learn motion graphics by enrolling in an online course. Many schools offer both live online and on-demand options. These types of classes have become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly the live online option. With the live online format, students can still receive live instruction. However, they can log on from any location that has internet service.

To learn more about live online motion graphics courses, consider exploring your options with Noble’s Classes Near Me Tool.

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.