I have purchased and read through a few chapters of Motion Graphics by Ian Crook and Peter Beare (2016) and have found that they define three key aspects of what makes up motion graphics; image, space, and time. I have noted below the key takeaways I got from each of these chapters.
Image
We call physical aspects of motion graphics ‘design elements’ (p.53) these include:
- Point
- Line
- Shape
- Value (p.54)
- Type
- Negative space (p.55)
- Sound
Another important aspect of image is colour. From my studies last year I know that there are two main colour modes; RGB and CMYK. CMYK is the mode used for print as printer cartridges are cyan, magenta, yellow and black (key). I personally like the look of CYMK colour schemes as I think they can achieve some really vibrant colours, however I am very aware that for rich deeper tones, like deep blues, RGB colour schemes can produce much better hues. This is something I will have to consider when I decide on a colour scheme for the pieces.
On page 66 they discuss the difference between rasters and vectors, and this is something I have learned in my years of study. However they also go into detail on page 69 about anti-aliasing, which I know makes pixelated lines look smoother, but don’t actually understand. They describe that aliasing occurs do to a pixel grid that is too coarse; to solve the problem, anti-aliasing tools fill the gaps with midtones and this gives the effect of a smoother line.
Finally, in this chapter, they list some key design principles (p.74-77), which will be useful for me when I create my pieces. I can either satisfy or challenge these principles to create different effects:
- alignment
- symmetry and balance
- direction
- proportion
- figure/ground
- position
- similarity
- contrast
- rhythm
- discord
- change
Space
Chapter three covers space (p.78-99) and describes it as ‘the virtual and physical placing of objects and how the interact with the screen’ (Crook and Beare, 2016, p.78)
I must consider my aspect ratio and orientation when creating my piece; Landscape used to be the default for video projects, as all screens were landscape. On the flip side, portrait was generally reserved for print work, like books and magazines. Now that we have mobile phones, pieces can be viewed in both portrait and landscape with ease, so this will be something to consider when I choose my aspect ratio and orientation for my pieces.
Animating in 2D is about increasing X and Y dimensions to create the desired effects. 2.5D is where a number of 2D planes are placed in a 3D scene, creating the effect of 3D without having actual 3D objects. Parallax is when objects in the foreground move past the camera faster than objects in the background, and this effect can really help to solidify the 3D effect in a 2D piece.
3D CGI is full 3D pieces, modelled by computers. It includes a few different things:
- Modelling- This is where the artist uses polygons to create their desired shapes. This is generally done for more man-made items as it can be hard to get really natural shapes.
- Digital sculpting- This is the technique used for more organic materials like plants and flesh.
- Rigging- This is what is done to models when they are to be animated as if they were alive. It involves putting structures into the model to simulate bones.
Time
‘Time is required for change to be apparent, and without change, we have no motion’ (p.100)
This chapter describes a few things that I am already aware of, for example it goes into detail about keyframing, which is something I am very familiar with. (p.102). It also describes the method of animation called frame by frame (p.106), however this is a traditional hand-drawn method and doesn’t really relate to my skill area.
Page 114 describes easing, something I have become very familiar with when using After Effects. In real life, objects do not move at a constant speed; their speed usually forms a curve. Easing in motion graphics can help mimic this real world effect. This page also covers motion blur, which is not a real world phenomenon, it originates from cameras. Any video or photo taken of a moving object will have motion blur if the object moves fast enough or if the shutter speed is slow enough. Because we are so used to this, most motion graphics software gives you the option to manually add motion blur to objects, to mimic the real camera effect.
Conclusion
From reading this book I have discovered that the three key parts of motion graphics do not work without each other, and have come up with this diagram to remind me throughout my research and development.
Bibliography
Crook, I. and Beare, P. (2016). Motion Graphics. 1st ed. London: Bloomsbury.
Jennie Hawkes 