这profession of motion graphics design is fairly new on the design front. Technology-enabled design professions are growing. And there are so manydifferent types of designersout there, it’s tricky to keep them all straight! There are graphic designers, web designers, user experience designers, user interface designers—the list goes on.

“Motion graphics is a growing field, and it is not likely to ebb anytime soon,” says designerPaul Joseph。“这部分是因为在运动图片中使用的高科技看起来非常迅速，新的新鲜方法始终有所要求。”

一种s creative filmmakers and video producers expand both their imaginations and their budgets for impressive technology and design, skilled motion graphics designers are essential. Without these savvy, innovative artists, your favorite shows, movies, and even websites and apps would look very different.

但这个职业究竟需要什么？你怎么能在这个创意职业中开始？我们与目前在该领域工作的少数专家联系，以回答这个问题，了解运动图形设计的世界。

What does a motion graphics designer do?

Motion graphics designers, sometimes just called motion designers, create artwork for the web, television or film. This could include movie clips, trailers, commercials, title sequences, etc. They use visual effects, animation and other cinematic techniques to bring life to their creations. They design graphics that are in motion—just as their title suggests.

经过animating graphics and creating vivid visual effects, motion graphics designers bring films, websites, commercials, and more to an entirely new level. With the increasing prevalence of video content online, a motion graphics designer could find themselves working on almost anything, on any digital platform.

一种dditionally, there may be opportunity outside of these more traditional applications of motion graphics. Jose Andres, creator community manager atEnklu Cloud, sees augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) as the next major expansion into the world of design technology. “I've ventured further into the world of interactive technology,” Andres says. “The tools I have access to now have changed my design process immensely. I can start laying out a concept and create assets with AR & VR tools way quicker than I ever could using traditional desktop software.”

Depending on the type of motion graphics you enjoy pursuing, you could end up working on a big-ticket film in Hollywood or freelancing the opening intro for a new iPhone app.

Where do motion graphics designers work?

一种ccording to the劳工统计局(BLS), animators and multimedia designers typically work in motion picture offices, computer systems and software companies and advertising agencies.¹This industry also had a very high percentage (59%) of self-employed workers in 2018, indicating that remote work arrangements are very possible in the field.¹

“Our studio specializes in branding and graphic design services for broadcasters on Twitch®, YouTube®, and Facebook Gaming®,” says Nick Avola ofVisuals by Impulse。一种vola explains that all of their motion designers work remotely. “We find it produces happier, more effective artists. Our team can manage their own time, at their own will. Distractions are minimized, and designers can get ‘in the zone.’”

That said, there can be drawbacks. Losing the convenience of collaboration is one downside to the remote-work arrangement. “Teamwork is often more effective when creators are working face-to-face,” Avola says. “Not to mention the challenge of time-zones.”

运动图形设计师需要什么技能？

We asked motion graphics designers to weigh in on the most important technical and soft skills for their role these days.

3-D modeling

“Calligraphy and 2-D art still have their place,” Joseph says. “But most motion graphics are now based on 3-D modeling, and that is a huge part of the future of graphics.” Joseph explains that understanding points in 3-D space, lines connecting those points and polygons made up of those lines comes from working with modeling programs.

一种nimation perspective

“A good 3-D designer understands motion and timelines,” Joseph says. “Objects can move. So can light sources. The camera, which is the view of the audience, can also move. The designer can choreograph complex movements, one element at a time, and spin them off in multiple ways.”

Organization

一种ccording to Andres, organization is crucial for both freelancers and team members. “Keeping a tidy file with organized assets, dependencies, layers, etc., becomes more crucial the bigger your projects become,” Andres says.

“组织和多任务是我们在新的运动设计师中寻找的关键属性”，“Avola说。“你将同时管理大量的层次和元素。让您的文件整洁整洁，或者您将在线支付价格。“

Procedural animation

One of the biggest challenges to creating motion graphics is the fact that it can be incredibly time-intensive. Procedural animation is one way to cut down on that.

“近年来，”程序“这个词觉醒了，这一趋势在未来十年内被爆炸，”阿瓦拉说。“通过简单和复杂的算法，程序生成的，可以在一小部分时间内创建完整动画。通过自动化流程，可以轻松调整，改编和修改工作。“

Avola表示，运动设计软件越来越多地利用脚本，表达和编码来节省创意过程中的时间。例如，程序动画允许设计人员将预定物理应用于3D对象 - 如果两个对象以设定速度在动画中碰撞，则结果是可预测的并且可以适当地建模。

Texturing and lighting effects

“观众没有看到模型，他们看到了形状和图像，”Joseph说。他强调，浮出水面是制作3D图形看起来照片逼真的一部分。“表面可以是反光，闪亮，透明，半透明，粗糙或折射。它们还可以模拟纹理或显示运动图像。潜力是无限的。“

Understanding big-picture context

“A good designer knows what their designs will be used for,” Joseph says. He emphasizes that video, multimedia, game design and virtual reality are all growing and a possible destination for motion graphics designers. But each different application warrants a different approach. “Understand all of these applications and how to plan for them.”

一种daptability

“Plans change, as do project scope and goals,” Avola says, explaining that skilled motion designers need to be ready to change their original vision to accommodate client feedback. “Stay humble and roll with the punches.”

Timing

Timing is one of the most difficult and most important skills for a motion graphics designer, according to Avola. “Motion design is a very story-driven tool—and the best stories contain a natural flow and rhythm.”

一种fantastically detailed and otherwise good looking graphic isn’t effective if the pacing is strange or doesn’t fit in with other elements like sound. The best animators and motion designers learn to adapt their work and incorporate rhythm and pacing into their process.

Motion graphics designer salary and job outlook

You’ll be excited to hear that motion graphics designers are fairly well-compensated for their technical expertise.一种ccording to the BLS, the median annual wage for multimedia artists and animators was $72,520 in 2018.¹Professionals earning the most in these fields were employed by software companies and motion picture industries.¹

这BLS also projectsa 4 percent rate of employment growth for multimedia artists and animators, attributing this steady grow to the increased consumption of film, video and digital media.¹

How do you become a motion graphics designer?

这re is no single path into this career—but theBLS explainsthat employers for motion graphics designers and animators usually prefer candidates with a bachelor’s degree and a strong portfolio of work.¹

一种领域的学位can give you the broad understanding and technical skills that matter most in the industry, but there are additional ways to set yourself apart. There are countless online tutorials and resources to help you add skills to your repertoire. Followingtop animation blogs是接触新趋势和技术的另一种方法。在项目上获得工作经验并添加到您的投资组合也是开始努力实现梦想工作的好方法。

让您的运动图形职业生涯

如果您有成为动态图形设计师的梦想，首先获得必要的技能和实践经验很重要。熟悉该领域的技术和基础将有助于为您提供与业内发展所需的全面知识。

如果你们愿意to get started building the skills you’ll need for success, visit the Rasmussen College图形设计程序页面to learn more.

¹劳工统计局, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, [accessed December, 2019] www.bls.gov/ooh/. Information represents national, averaged data for the occupations listed and includes workers at all levels of education and experience. This data does not represent starting salaries. Employment conditions in your area may vary.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was originally published in 2015. It has since been updated to include information relevant to 2020.