Am I Moving?!

In the last few years it has been proven that graphics don’t need to be static and fixed. Designers are making images float, move, dance and jump, amongst other many unusual forms. They’ve given design speed, timing and transformation. This has opened a whole new area for designers to use their creativity.

Motion Graphics are a very big part of the design industry these days. They can range from logo animations to music videos. They are in the advertising market, television, music industry, cinema film credits, and even fashion. They are a part of our graphic culture.

We can observe it has grown a lot from the days of just creating film credits in motion (Saul Bass was a pioneer in this area in the 50s and 60s). Technological innovation is a key aspect in creating motion graphics, and with so much new software available these days, it’s easier to create more advanced and cutting edge animations and moving graphics.

In researching different studios, I found that there are common trends: the use of very bright colours, the fluidity of the motion has improved, 3D graphics are being incorporated more and static flat images are being used less every day and there is much more movement of the camera. Also I’ve noticed that the 80’s graphic style is making a comeback in this area.

There are so many motion graphic studios, and I have to say they are all very good. I picked a few that I liked the best:

- PEPPER MELON is a creative studio based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They are a relatively new company, starting their work in 2007. They are a team that integrates directors, animators, character designers, industrial designers, visual effects artists and writers. To me this is very important because this way you can understand your client’s needs more comprehensively and you may have a better final product because of the collaboration of all these different professionals. You can check out their website and see their work, most of it is designed for MTV or VH1. http://www.peppermelon.tv
This is their Reel for a few of their work:

- BOOLAB is a production company dedicated mostly to motion graphics, animation and other visual techniques. It is based in Barcelona, Spain, but has been represented in USA, and Canada by PSYOP (see description of this studio below), and has created different projects throughout Europe. They use a lot of illustration in their work. You can see the reel below and also their website to view more: http://www.boolab.tv

- PSYOP is very big in the motion graphics world, with studios in Los Angeles and New York. Its name is derived from the US government’s psychological operations, and its slogan is: “Persuade, Change, Influence”. They do projects for some big names like: Coca Cola, Adidas, McDonald’s, Nokia, Starbucks, etc. As well as for some very renown artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Sheryl Crow. They use a lot of hand illustration and photography that is later interpreted as a moving image. Their work is brilliant and their website is definitely worth checking out! http://www.psyop.tv/

This Coca Cola ad is one of the most recent projects:



And this is an animation made for MTV HD:

In this industry, 3D is definitely the future. Although it is already happening, it will increase and will be made better. It is expected that 3D design will be more manageable in post-production software, so that 3D graphics can be easily handled and all using one program,