Motion Graphics Principles and Practices from the Ground Up

Song lyrics fly across the screen in time to music. A globe spins and zooms into a war-torn country. Money rises from a screen to explain an economic situation. Now, more than ever, we are surrounded by these motion graphics on our TV and cinema screens, on our smartphones, computers, and tablets, on Main Street and in our galleries.

Motion Graphics: Principles and Processes from the Ground Up is your introduction to the core principles of the discipline, whether your background or ambitions lie in animation, graphic design, film production, or visual effects. Ian Crook and Peter Beare provide you with a wide understanding of the key concepts and techniques that will help you plan, develop and produce your own creative projects.

Ian Crook is a senior lecturer on the Media Technology BSc (Hons) programmes at the University of Central Lancashire, UK.

Peter Beare is course leader for BSc (Hons) Media Production & Technology at the University of Central Lancashire, UK. He is the co-author of User Experience Design (Bloomsbury 2014).

INTRODUCTION:
What do we mean by motion graphics?
The difference between motion graphics and animation
The difference between motion graphics and VFX

PART 1: CONCEPTS

Chapter 1: Tools
The 'video' camera, The 'stills' camera, Video formats, Still image formats, Computer software-commercial, Computer software- free, Traditional art/ design materials, The low tech approach: Lego, Google Street View, phones, Case study 1: The title sequence

Chapter 2: The image
The pixel, Design elements- text, shape, line, texture, Tone (monochrome), Colour (human), Colour (RGB), Raster/ vector, Type, Design principles- alignment, contrast, repetition, proximity, Case study 2: Infographic

Chapter 3: Space
Describing objects in space, 2D motion, 2.5 dimensions, 3D modelling, Stereoscopic 3D, Immersive environments (VR), Aspect ratio, Case study 3: Advertising/ brand awareness

Chapter 4: Time
Frames/ keyframes, Frame rate, Time lapse and high speed (slow motion), Animation-frame by frame, Animation-tweening, Stop motion, Timeslice, Motion in time and space, Case study 4: Kinetic typography, Exercise 2: Planning an animation


PART 2: PROCESS

Chapter 5: Putting the pieces together
Compositing, Blending modes, Keying, Matting, Masking, Opacity, Colour Adjustment, Sound, Case study 5: Music video

Chapter 6: Recording and recreating motion
The virtual camera, Rotoscoping, Motion Tracking – capturing the camera move in 2D, Match Moving – recreating the camera move in 3D, Motion Capture – capturing performance data in 3D, Case study 6: Motion capture, Exercise 3: Rotoscoping

Chapter 7: Process – Planning
Ideas – audience, Ideas – sketchbooks, Ideas – collecting inspiration, The design process, The workflow pipeline, Content acquisition – resourcefulness

Chapter 8: Process- Production
Shooting Video , Media management, Prototyping, Output – codecs & video standards, Working with others, Copyright, Case study 7: Agency profile

Glossary
Acknowledgements