What do Motion Graphics Add to Video?

The current impact of video on users wouldn’t be possible without the use and inclusion of motion design. Motion video or animation design can be defined as “the art of giving life to graphics in a clip,” i.e. putting graphics in motion. In other words, motion design is used to extend the use of graphics to the audiovisual sphere.
Creative work is currently done in all industries, for many purposes and with many parameters.

Motion design is used in typography animation, the animation of visual identities and objects, and 3D graphics, graphic interfaces, web sites, smartphones and the animation of pictures or videos (transitions, intro, outro, etc.). Motion design is a discipline that has become widespread over the last 15 years with the advent of digital technology and slow motion video, but has existed since the beginnings of animation. Today, the discipline has become essential, including in BtoB communication.

And remember that you can create your own videomotion in 6 steps.

I. WHAT IS MOTION DESIGN?

Motion design literally means the discipline that designs movement. In other words, motion design can also be defined as the art of giving life to images to convey a message in a dynamic way. It’s found everywhere in the media in 2019, including in television advertisements, music videos, film credits and advertising displays. It’s also used on the Internet to produce banners, promotional or institutional videos, tutorials, etc.

From a technical point of view, motion design combines video, 2D graphics, sound, special effects, text and 3D animation. In companies, motion design is used to animate the elements of graphic charters (logos, images, photos, illustrations, infographics, presentations, video recordings, etc.) and to reflect their brand image beyond the graphic charter and traditional means of communication. Movement and sound can be used as part of a company’s style and culture so it stands out from the competition using new forms of expression.

II. THE STRENGTHS OF MOTION DESIGN

How to enhance your communication using motion design

Many formats can be given a makeover using motion design. Among others, infographics and data visualisation are particularly suitable formats with which to use motion design to highlight certain figures or trends or to simply add motion to a drop or rise on a chart or histogram.

Motion design can be used to expand the reach of your messages, since it’s an educational and visual technique that allows you to express many ideas in just a few words and in a short time span.

How companies can use motion design to explain all kinds of content

In other cases, motion design can be used to animate text or play with typography and shapes. In short, the discipline can be used in training, to explain complex ideas or illustrate processes or concepts.

The virtue of motion design lies in its ability to communicate content in an educational way. Animating illustrations helps to clarify a message and makes communication much more accessible to target audiences.

In addition, motion design has become an essential complement to video recordings. Adding animation to an interview makes the message more understandable. This can be done in different ways, like adding keywords, a logo or an important message.

The use of motion design makes your communication medium more captivating for your audiences.

Content that can be produced quickly

Motion design is a demanding discipline that incorporates several fields of expertise. People who work with motion design need to know how to:

• translate a briefing into a storyline or storyboard, then into an animation (in particular to determine the pace of the project and its duration, and to anticipate transitions);
• design the graphics, animation and model, and complete 2D or 3D modelling if necessary.

So the job requires artistic, graphic and technical skills. There are several options for creating motion design videos: custom creative agencies, in-house graphic design, or automated SaaS platforms.

A way to stand out with your videos

Motion design can provide an extra dimension to the authenticity of a video interview. Take, for example, a Konbini or Brut interview. The design, introduction and keywords can be used to correlate the content to a brand.

But the animations and graphics should still be aimed at meeting a communications goal and conveying a message. The substance of the message shouldn’t be obscured by its form. And the key message shouldn’t get lost in the animations. Motion design should be used to highlight the message and make it easier to read the text that appears in a video.

III. OPTIONS FOR USING MOTION DESIGN

There are three choices available to you: agencies, in-house motion designers and a SaaS tool.

Agencies

The use of agencies isn’t necessarily the best choice for all strategies. Because of the many skills used to create the products, but also to follow up on the project, their services are expensive, require time and the follow-up isn’t always transparent for clients who struggle to understand the role of each person involved. In addition, a well-known potential pitfall when outsourcing work is the artistic interpretation. Despite rigorous briefings and the definition of objectives, the project is often accepted by the client on the basis of a proposal or a brief overview. As a client, you’ll have certain expectations. And these expectations are never consistent with the first version received. An expensive and time-consuming back-and-forth is necessary to achieve the final result.

Using an in-house motion designer

This choice requires having the necessary skills inside the company, which involves significant recruitment costs. Having one or more motion designers among your staff means you’ll need to develop a creative department that operates similarly to an agency. The implementation of this solution is rather complex. You’ll first need to identify all of your company’s video needs to justify the implementation of this area in your marketing or communication department and then recruit and train staff so that your internal agency can start operating.

From the process point of view, the back and forth will be simpler and your motion designer, as an employee of your organisation, will be more aware of your graphic goals and the company’s graphic charter. But this method, which may be less expensive than using an agency, won’t shorten production times.

SaaS platforms

These platforms were developed to meet the video creation needs of businesses. On the one hand, they’re used to internalise production and, on the other, to customise video models on which employees will work. In addition, they’re designed so that each employee is autonomous. The videos don’t include video recordings and are completely made with motion design, allowing each employee to express themselves with optimal results on this kind of platform.

It’s a way to easily create motion design videos by bringing the best of both worlds together. On the one hand, it provides video templates that companies can customise. On the other, the tool can be freely used by employees to maximise video production.

Do you want to make your own motion video? Ask for a demo of our Pitchy platform, the best software, easy to use, with templates, interface, backgrounds, motion graphics and other features and parameters!