Where to Find Motion Graphics Classes

Once people have decided on a career in motion graphics, their next step is typically figuring out where they can best learn the skills. Skill with motion graphics include working with text, audio, motion, animation, and visual effects. Students who are eager about learning motion graphics have a variety of options available for training in that area of graphic design. Training methods range from free classes that can provide new learners with rudimentary knowledge in motion graphics to certificate programs for gaining expert-level skills. Deciding on which direction to head with learning motion graphics will depend on the amount of time and money individuals plan on devoting to training and what they plan on doing with their newly acquired skills.

Noble Desktop and other Professional Education Providers

Motion graphics facilitates producing animated graphic designs that combine typography, sound, animation, and special effects that can be used in social media, YouTube videos, commercials, TV shows, and movies. Noble Desktop and other education providers offer training in motion graphics for work in developing content used in film, television, and video games. Learning motion graphics can lead to working in any number of industries, including marketing agencies, tech companies, film studios, and television stations.

Noble Desktop offers several courses such as the Motion Graphics Certificate program, which focus on teaching students about motion graphics, animation, and video editing for creating visual effects with software like Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Maxon Cinema 4D Lite. This certificate program trains participants with hands-on lessons from working on projects using motion graphics related applications. While certificate programs and gaining certification are not the same, certificate training can help with preparing for a certification exam.

Future Media Concepts offers the FCP 101 - Introduction to Final Cut Pro course that trains participants for using Apple Final Cut Pro to edit videos and digital content professionally. Lesson will focus on Final Cut’s user interface and editing functions for working with the visual design tool on real-world digital media projects. 

Colleges and Universities

Individuals considering a career in motion graphics have plenty of options with training that includes earning a college degree in graphic design. A BFA or MFA in graphic design with an emphasis on motion graphics can lead to careers as Motion Graphics Designers, Graphics Designers, Animators, and 3D Animators. A college degree involving motion graphics may take around four years and includes taking other courses in graphic design, design-related software, history and theory related to design, and general education classes required for eventually graduating from a university.

College students can learn motion graphics through majoring in graphic design or digital animation for learning various animation and animation-related concepts along with fundamental principles and techniques in visual arts. A degree related to motion graphics requires taking courses in animation, 2D animation, 3D animation, and stop motion animation along with motion graphics classes. Majoring in graphic design or digital animation will typically take four years for earning an undergraduate degree and a total of six if a student continues on to graduate school.

Coursera, Skillshare, and other On-Demand Education Providers

Graphic Designers hoping to enhance their skills in motion graphics can enroll in on-demand courses that offer flexibility that should fit into anyone’s work schedule. Unlike live online courses, on-demand classes allow students to learn at their own pace and on their own time to avoid the stress of conflicts with work and other obligations.

For example, Coursera offers several self-paced courses from a variety of education facilitators, including universities and online providers. Coursera has options for training in various areas of design and technology that can help people with advancing their careers through training available from introductory courses to professional certificate programs. This includes on-demand classes in motion graphics for learning software and techniques for design concepts and applications like the VFX Adobe After Effects from Novice to Expert course, which trains participants in fundamentals through advanced skills for working with Adobe After Effects by learning motion graphics in a nine-module on-demand format that explores interfacing, creating compositions, and mastering timeline dynamics through hands-on training in animation.

Skillshare--a online learning community that provides non-accredited educational courses through videos--offers a variety of free on-demand motion graphics classes for self-paced training in motion techniques, subjects, applications, and software, including After Effects, Cinema 4D, and Looom. These motion graphics and animation courses are designed for beginners as well as professional Designers who would like to expand their skill set by learning techniques in 2D and 3D animation, basic animation, looping animated GIFs, and animated logos in addition to motion graphics. Students can learn how to create animated illustrations, animated logos, and 3D animations at a pace convenient for them within the timeframe of these on-demand courses. Skillshare courses provide training through short lessons presented in video modules with lessons for hands-on projects.

Udemy also offers on-demand training in motion graphics through classes like the Complete Adobe After Effects Bootcamp: Basic to Advanced course. This 35-hour on-demand program gives students comprehensive training in After Effects, including working with motion graphics for enhancing videos, applying visual effects techniques, and designing 2D and 3D animation.

Noble Desktop offers free on-demand video tutorials related to learning about motion graphics with the Get Started in Motion Graphics seminar, which can provide anyone interested with insights related to creating animated graphics as well as getting familiar with software related to motion graphics for working in web design, digital media, film, and television. Other on-demand motion graphics-related tutorials available through Noble Desktop include the Intro to Adobe After Effects seminar, the Intro to Premiere Pro seminar, the Intro to Adobe Illustrator seminar, the Intro to Cinema 4D Lite seminar, and the Get Started in Video Editing seminar. 

Apprenticeships and Internships

An internship or apprenticeship related to motion graphics can help students gain knowledge through hands-on experience from immersion in a working environment with an opportunity to observe and work alongside professional Designers.

Interning offers an effective way of getting a foot in the door of an industry or profession. An internship can usually be arranged for students by going through educational counselors at a school or university to find organizations that are willing to bring in young talent for training or eventual employment that fit a student’s career goals. This benefits interns for not only being able to get boots-on-the-ground experience in design categories like motion graphics but for also getting a taste for whether or not a particular occupation fits their expectations.

Similar to an internship, an apprenticeship can benefit people newly trained in a discipline like motion graphics to enhance their training through hands-on practice by working in a real-life setting along with professionals.

There are differences between an internship and an apprenticeship. An intern is generally an unpaid, part-time position that requires a commitment to work from 20 to 30 hours a week with the possibility of leading to full-time employment. An apprentice typically gets paid with an understanding of employment at the end of an observation period. 

YouTube and Other Free Resources

People hoping to become familiar with motion graphics can also find videos on YouTube for learning the fundamentals associated with that area of graphic design with visual explanations and demonstrations of techniques and procedures. And while free online tutorials and videos are a good way for getting familiar with concepts related to motion graphics, these tutorials usually provide only a skin-deep immersion into any subject. However, these free seminars can be beneficial for amateurs and hobbyists looking for just enough knowledge for making whatever presentation or media they are working on look more engaging and professional.

Learn UX Design Skills with Noble Desktop

Design and coding school Noble Desktop provides UX design classes of various lengths and scopes to help you meet your learning goals as efficiently as possible. Noble offers a comprehensive UX & UI Design Certificate program ideal for beginners who want to launch a UX design career. Whether you choose the full-time or part-time track, you will receive 132 hours of hands-on training, a free retake option, one-on-one mentorship, and a verified certificate of completion as a student in this UX design class. You can attend this class live online from anywhere, or if you’re in the NYC area, you can enjoy this UX design certificate program in-person. In addition to the UX design skills in prototyping, user testing, and Figma you gain in the class, you’ll also have completed a professional portfolio to showcase those skills to potential employers by the end of the program.

Noble Desktop’s UX Design Foundations is an introductory class available in-person in NYC and live online for those wishing to learn the basics of the field. No experience is necessary to enroll in this 12-hour short course. Featuring lectures, discussions, and hands-on exercises, UX Design Foundations is an ideal first step in your UX design learning journey. Whether you’re simply needing familiarity with the basics or looking for a low-commitment taste of the topic before committing to pursuing a career as a UX Designer, you’ll learn the foundational concepts and tools of UX design in this course and earn a verified digital certificate when you complete the course.

For those whose UX design educational needs include or are limited to mastering Figma, Noble Desktop offers a 12-hour Figma Bootcamp. With the guidance of an expert instructor, you’ll learn how to use the industry-standard application to create intuitive layouts and interactive prototypes using the software’s robust menu of tools. By the end of the bootcamp, you’ll be making impressive animations, using the Team library, designing with grids, and able to share your designs with both clients and designers with ease. In addition to your hands-on digital or in-person classroom experience, you’ll have the option to retake the course for free within a year should you ever need a refresher.