The Truth Behind Motion Graphics
Posted Friday June 06th, 2014 in Trends + Technology.With the advent of special effects and the digital age, we have become accustomed to the high quality visuals of the stories unfolding before us. What we sometimes fail to take into account is all the behind the scenes work that goes into making those illusions. We take for granted the superimposed backgrounds, the spaceships flying through space, or something as simple as a lens flare or text appearing on screen. All these aspects play an important role in telling a story properly. These graphics allow us to be fully immersed in the viewing experience, and enjoy what is being presented to us.
When it comes to creating an on screen graphic or visual, there is a great deal of work that is required. A graphic that only sees 3-5 seconds of screen time can take weeks or even months to create, all dependent on what the project is. There are many steps to achieving that desired level of near perfection. Why near perfection? Because true perfection is unknowable due to the constantly changing world around us.
The design stage is the largest stepping stone. What needs to be created? How is this going to be presented? Who will the audience be? What should the color scheme be? So on and so forth. Even after all of this is agreed upon and executed, the designers still need to go and produce the product. In other words, they need to animate it. This includes (but is not limited to) motion, transitions, special effects (such as glows) and swipes… every little detail that can make the animation truly come to life; all of which is a very time consuming process. After all of this has been completed, the designer then needs to send the project off for review and re-alter based on critiques and suggestions before finally integrating it into the larger production that will house it.
As designers, editors, producers, and storytellers, we take great pride in everything we set out to accomplish. Even if our work only sees seconds of screen time, we are filled with a sense of achievement in the fact that we gave it our all; that we have ensured a flawless presentation that the audience will be fully engrossed in when viewing. It is important that we never become disillusioned due to the time constraints we are working with either, because this ultimately will show in the quality of our work. The more time and effort we put in, the better the product will be.
We strive everyday to be as unique as possible; it can be very easy to fall into a rut. In this industry, you must be willing to not only reinvent yourself, but to constantly think outside of the box and experiment with new ideas and techniques. It is only through experimentation and occasional failure that improvement can occur, allowing for a truly unique and eye catching motion graphic to be be created. Many times, something that started out as a simple project can evolve into something much grander, consuming more time than originally assumed.
The next time you’re at the movies, or home watching TV and a commercial comes on, stop and look at it a little longer than usual. Analyze it; try to visualize all the work that went into creating those graphics. See if you’re able to pick up on anything that might be improved, or an element of the graphic that truly stands out as unique.
Creating graphics, on any level, is an ever-evolving process. Big budget movies and small regional commercials, regardless of the project’s scope, always follows the same principles. The technology we have at our disposal is constantly improving.
Therefore, it is our responsibility to keep up with these advances, so as to improve our own talents at storytellers. This is why we are in this industry – to tell stories, to inform, and to inspire.
If your brand has a story to tell, let us inform and inspire your consumers. To begin telling your story, contact us at: 1-844-GEM-TEAM.
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