How to make a great motion design portfolio

Where to start in motion, why YouTube tutorials don't always work, and where to look for normal first orders - Kirill Troshin tells how beautiful and almost painless it is to break into motion design.

Motion design is developing rapidly and acquiring new specialties. But generally speaking, motion is when a static design starts to move. Time and sound are added to the space, which means you have more ways to interpret the idea and captivate the viewer.

Why Motion Design is Relevant

This is not to say that motion will kill static - a good picture or a photo in Instagram still collects more coverage than a video. The question is about goals and objectives.

Another thing is that technologies are developing: we no longer worry that animated content eats up traffic or does not load - but it instantly catches the eye and can accommodate several times more information in one area, which is not always possible for an article, infographic or landing page.

The education market has also grown to gigantic proportions, and programs are becoming more intuitive, automated and user-friendly.

Where to start and what tools to master1. Decide on the direction to start

There is no need to demand from yourself that at the very beginning you will decide once and for all what to specialize in and what style to choose. Try different directions, master the base and in the process you will find what you like the most.

2. Upgrade your base

It is better if you have a systematic approach: a sensible course in the program you have chosen and a lot of practice. At the start, you need voluminous and structured information, which will contain everything you need.

3. Why YouTube tutorials are not a great start

The classic tutorial does not teach you how to solve problems - most often it is an analysis of a specific technique or a sequence of actions. The functionality is explained in a ragged way and it is difficult for you to figure out how the program works as a whole.

If you do not have a basic understanding of how keys, masks, timing, movement paths work, then tutorials can become just a one-time tutorial.

4. Get busy with a design and art base

In the word "motion design", the main part is the second. If you don't have a design background, it will be difficult for you to break into motion at full speed. Because besides the difficulties with animation, you will have problems with composition, contrast, harmony, color, typography.

What else is useful to pump: editing skills, screenwriting, music theory, drama and other skills, mainly from cinema. This is necessary so that the picture you create does not just move, but also tells a story. More info on https://fireart.studio/services/motion-design/

What to do in Motion if You're Just Starting Out

They are:

Animation for social networks

This is an easy start because you start to make money and be a specialist already with Jun's knowledge. Here you can simply animate the elements of a static layout, or you can make a promo more complicated, with a well-developed script and visual images.

Social networks are good for those who do not plan to immerse themselves in the profession, but just want to expand their functionality. For example, you are a human orchestra: an SMM manager who knows how to copywriting, design, and generate ideas. Basic knowledge in animation vs motion graphics will pump you even more as a specialist.

Explainers

Explainer is a larger form, usually from a minute to two. This is a video explaining something: how the app works, why living well in Canada, than the water of this brand is cleaner compared to the rest.

Clients love this format, because in a minute you can tell what is usually painted on several pages of the site with a clear script and vivid images.

But a little blood, as in animation for social networks, is not enough. You need script, storyboard, voiceover, design, and often character animation.

Promo, presentations and infographics

A motion movie can be placed anywhere, so it has become an almost universal format. Now you have made a case presentation, and now you need to adapt it for the website, instagram and bihans. You will have to tinker with static graphics, but there may be one video for all sites.