Learning motion graphics requires a certain amount of patience and practice. Here are 10 effective tips to get better at motion graphics.

Motion Graphics has been doing the rounds in the artistic and multimedia circles for quite some time now. Today, we see several people taking Motion Graphics up to master and understand the nuances of it better. 

To grasp what motion graphics entails, we need to understand what the term means in actuality. Motion graphics is a way to communicate with the viewer and add depth to your story.

Together with music and effective visual copy, We use them to create ads, title sequences for movies, and videos and to share information.

Motion Graphics GIF by designproficient.com

The term in itself might put many off with its pre-existing sense of technicality but this need not be the case.

While motion graphics require a certain amount of patience and practice. Mastering or getting better at it is not something that you should get anxious about. With the right mix of skills, you can produce the next best thing in motion graphics too. 

Tips To Get Better At Motion Graphics

To make this easier for you, we have come up with a list of 10 tips to get better at motion graphics.  

1. Start With The Basics

It is no secret that to learn, let alone be good at, any sort of skill set in life, one has to start with the basics. Doing this will help you put down a strong foundation.

Whatever you build upon thereafter will escape the threat of toppling over due to the fatal mistake of ignoring the basics. You must learn and understand the basic rules of motion graphics before you get set to pull out the big guns.

Once you master the basics, it is only a smooth upward slope from thereon. To get better at motion graphics, I will say with conviction that you have to know just where, how, and when to begin. 

2. Learn From What Is Already Available 

Whatever you do or even plan on doing today, somebody has already done it before. There are a number of tutorials on the internet that teach motion graphics from the beginning to the very end.

Make use of them:

These tutorials talk about everything you need to know, learn, and get better at Motion Graphics.

Almost everything you need to know in order to get better at motion graphics is available in the open today. Knowledge is out there and all you have to do is seek it!

3. Find The Software That Works For You

The software you use to produce motion graphics plays an important role in the quality of your output. Hence, it is very important to find software that caters to your needs.

You might come across many people, both amateurs and professionals, who swear by one software or another. You might also be bombarded with many solicited and unsolicited suggestions on which software to use and which not.

What might have worked for one person might have been an epic pain to the other. This might and will put you in a state of utter confusion.

And this dilemma is a very normal and common thing to face. That being said…

You can only truly know which tool is best for you by first-hand experience.

To get better at motion graphics, you need to work with something that you are extremely comfortable with. If you do not like the software you use, it is inevitable that you meet with a number of roadblocks.

The only thing to do here is to get acquainted with any motion graphics software you can get your hands on. Try and understand what you are looking for in one.

It might feel like an eternal search that is leading to absolutely no endpoint but once you find the right tool, you will have to agree that it was worth looking at. 

4. Plan in advance

Veterans in the field lay emphasis on the importance of planning your project and workflow time and again only with good reason. If you want to get better at motion graphics, you must know what you want from your project.

Have a very clear idea of your final outcome. Know what message or story you want to communicate to the audience.

Since the entirety of your project’s success depends on this, it is crucial that this planning is done carefully and well in advance. Along with this, it also comes in handy if you organize your files and folders around and according to your blueprint.

Clutter will only cause chaos and this applies to motion graphics too. Ensuring a smooth workflow helps you identify your priorities better.

You can focus on your vision without the burden of disorganization weighing you down. The clearer you see the final picture, the easier the path leading to it.

This is one important tip to keep in mind when you aim to get better at motion graphics. Avoid clutter, Avoid Chaos. 

5. Know your End Goal

While working on a project, it is very easy to get carried away by the million possibilities that tempt you to over-apply your creative abilities. But when it comes to reaching your end goal here, remember that sometimes less is more.

As mentioned earlier, it is very important to plan your work in advance if you want to get better at motion graphics. Part of this planning is having a very clear-cut end goal.

It is almost impossible to stray away from what you are aiming at if you have a very precise mental portrait of the kind of output you want. This, along with your already laid out plan of the workflow will ensure that the process is as hassle-free as possible.

It is much better to work at a pre-set goal than randomly straggling towards something that you are unsure about. This will only confuse and disrupt everything that you have worked on.

Having a vision is as important as working towards it.

6. Pick Up New Trends

As an industry, motion graphics is always growing and expanding by the minute. There are new trends in motion graphics popping up even as you read this.

A great way to improve your skills and broaden your knowledge is by keeping track of new trends in the industry. It is true that keeping up with all of the trends that keep appearing on a day-to-day basis is quite difficult.

The least you can do is try to understand the growing market. Know what is expected of you in the long run.

Your style and technique are yours alone but inspiration can come from anywhere when you are least expecting it. It is important to stay connected with the various elements that make up what motion graphics is today.

This will not only allow you to understand its evolution as a craft but will also let you evolve as the craftsperson that you are.

Always stay in the loop. It is one tried and tested way to make sure that you never fall out of touch with whatever inspiration is to you. 

7. Avoid Friction 

Always look to avoid friction. Aim at being as flexible as possible at carrying out ideas and creating your final content.

If something isn’t working for you or the project, do not hesitate to start over. Your mental picture requires you to do anything and everything in your power to get to it.

And by that, I mean scrapping ideas that just don’t work out. Go back to the beginning of your project and look at it from the perspective of your audience.

Doing this will make you grasp the full effect of your creative choices. In order to get better at motion graphics and creating good content, one should understand that not everything you think will materialize the way you want it to.

This is a normal and important part of the journey.

It is vital to remember that not every idea needs to be reflected in your project. It is okay to let some die. 

8. Take A Break From Your Work

Another useful tip that a number of motion designers swear by is taking time off from your current project and looking at it from a new perspective when you are ready.

Taking a break to refresh your memory and return to your project will give you ample time to settle your mind on what is truly important to the project and what is not.

Looking at your project after a short time off lets your brain take the much-needed creative break and restore some of the luster that it might have lost along the way. 

9. Edit With A Good Eye

Editing is one of the most important parts of the creative process and that holds true for motion graphics too. Whatever content you have created, it is only as good as your editing skills make it to be.

Cut, mend, and scrap with a very, very good eye. This is one task that will make or break your project.

Pay very close attention to details and make sure that you don’t miss anything along the way. Getting better at motion graphics means getting better at editing.

Smoothing the edges out and tweaking your work might seem like something that could be done with one eye closed. But any good creator will tell you that it is much more important than what it is pegged to be.

Don’t be afraid to trust your creative voice and edit your project the way it tells you to.

10. Keep Experimenting

The final yet most important tip that I will give you is to keep experimenting. Evolution as a creator is something that everyone looks towards.

This is possible only if you keep experimenting. Experimenting in terms of style, technique, and tools helps you not only get better at motion graphics but also improve your creative skills as a whole.

Don’t be afraid to try the next new thing that catches your attention. You only grow in your creative abilities if you take up things that you haven’t tried before.

If they do not work out for you, you now know what NOT to do.

Conclusion

Everything said and done, there is only so much one can do without putting any kind of tips to use.

With consistent learning, you can get better and earn money as well with your motion graphic skills by creating promotional/explainer videos for other businesses.

The road to perfection is long and hard and the journey to it is what counts!

Getting better at motion graphics comes with its own set of hardships. But the main goal here is to have as much fun as you can. All while learning and gaining the knowledge that is made available to you.

At the end of the day, this is no race and what is most important is all the new things you learn every day.

Here’s hoping that you start putting these tips to use today!