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WHAT IS MOTION DESIGN ?

My celebrity my way - Motion design from Flow Studio on Vimeo.

Bringing the script/text to life and presenting it to people, By creating a storyboard which is basically a series of thumbnails that show the breakdown of the video, illustrating the key scenes — how the setting will look, who will be present, and what actions will take place. It’s often used as a mock-up for movie scenes, music videos, TV production, and more, and can be created by hand or using a digital medium.

What is motion design ?


If we literally translate this English term, we have the two terms "movement" and "design". Motion design can therefore be defined as the art of putting the design into motion. Thus, it consists in animating different graphic elements such as images, pictograms or typography, all synchronized to sound.

What is the best software for creating motion graphics?

FlowStudio Aftereffects

Today there are several creative software or applications for doing motion design. The best known are the software of the Adobe suite and Cinema 4D. However, we have a penchant for the Adobe suite which is very complete. In the creation of the video, the illustrations are often done in Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator and then animated in Adobe After Effect. The final editing with sound is often done in Adobe Premiere Pro.

What are the steps to create a motion design video ?

FlowStudio Storyboard

In motion design, the concept of video follows a fairly similar approach between different animation agencies, which can be summed up in 6 steps:

1) Implementation of the client brief

It all starts with the creative brief and the specifications, essential prerequisites for a successful achievement. They must contain as much information as possible because they serve to orient and delimit your project. The brief defines your requests and needs, it is the reference document and the working basis of your creative. Be clear about your goals (why are you making this video?), Your target audience (who is it for?) And the message you want to get across. The target is decisive, because it conditions the tone, the form and the communication to be adopted. For example, you won't communicate the same way to employees who know your business as you would to prospects in a commercial. Do not forget to send your graphic charter to your creative, as well as information on your positioning and your values. It is important that your motion design respects your brand identity, for the sake of overall consistency.

2) Writing the script

It is a written version of your video that specifies as much as possible the elements of the production. The idea of ​​a script is to formalize all the narration of your video, and then move on to motion design animations. The script has many advantages, for the client as well as the motion designer. Indeed, it allows you to preview the final rendering of the video, to estimate its duration (and possibly to make the necessary cuts) and to check that a common thread runs through the entire video. It's also a way to make sure, before moving on to the animation, that the animated film conveys the right message, to avoid unpleasant surprises and changes, which can be expensive.

3) Creation of a storyboard

The storyboard is a pictorial version of the script, it briefly illustrates the different animations and gives directions for completion. In short, this is the illustrated shot of your animation video, sequence after sequence. The purpose of the storyboard is to give a fairly precise vision of what your corporate motion design film will be like, from small thumbnails. It is a valuable communication tool between the creative and you. After final validation of the storyboard, the motion designer begins to work on the graphic elements.

4) Recording of the voice-over

This step consists of creating a sound universe by integrating voice-over, music and sound design to energize your video and make it more attractive. Whether you choose royalty free music or a composition created expressly for your video, sound plays a very important role and needs special attention. Sound effects also have their role to play, they give a “clean” side to the video, by associating each animation with the appropriate sound (for example a door slamming, footsteps or a whisper). You may choose to add a voiceover, which tells a story during your video. In this case the text will have been finalized during the script stage and you will need to proceed with the choice of voice and recording before adding it to your corporate motion design film.

5) Animation of the video

Once all the visuals have been finalized and the voice-over recorded, the motion designer will proceed to create the animation. He will use the tempo of the voice to adjust the speed of his animations. Each sequence will then be carefully synchronized with the voice. You should know that the animation of the characters is the one that takes the most time especially if they have to work. On After Effects, there are plugins which make it possible to facilitate the work of the creative as the Duik or PuppetMaster programs which offer typical movements or puppet movements.

6) Sound design and Subtitling

Depending on the circumstances, your video may not necessarily be broadcast with sound, especially on social media. So think of a version with subtitles. Indeed, it is essential that users understand your message without needing a voiceover.

Why use motion design in your corporate communication ?


1) Motion design makes it possible to engage

The main quality of motion design is its effectiveness in promoting products, services, events or broader activities. 96% of consumers believe that video is a real help in the purchasing decision process. Indeed, thanks to the graphic universe of storytelling and video, consumers quickly understood their problems and determined their identities. In this way, brands that show videos can build trust and help take action. If you are a comic, sports design videos are like advertisements on your website and can communicate with the target audience.

2) Motion design makes complex concepts accessible

Motion design actually combines different elements, which will help to understand and absorb. The first is the use of architecture. As Napoleon said, a picture is worth a thousand words. Cognitively, this phrase is certain, as most people have visual memories. In addition, the illustration is easy to express the concept of a big investment in the camera. There is no need for an actor: whether it's Higgs or Jupiter, you can represent anything. Second, we have voiceovers, which can enhance understanding by activating other meanings. The sounds related to music generate emotions, which further fix the information in the mind of the viewer. Finally, animation techniques: zooming, moving and deforming allow connections to be established between different concepts which always have educational objectives.

3) The motion design allows to be better referenced on Google

Everyone strives to be number one on the Google search network. However, there is another channel that allows you to get the top spot: Youtube. Youtube is the second largest search engine after Google, and it ranks very high on Google. This is because the video provided by Google now sits right below the first search result, and it's much easier to be cited here than a text query.

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