Motion graphics are powerful animation tools that bring animated images to life. And, in doing so, a video becomes much more attractive to the viewer. Motion graphics use different content formats to achieve their objectives.
Motion graphics are not a new concept – they have been around for as long as motion pictures have been around. You can use motion graphics in part of a video or create a whole video using motion graphics.
You need to apply a generous mix of creativity and technical expertise to use motion graphics effectively. However, if you follow the seven tips highlighted below, you can make your videos more appealing to your viewers.
You can get countless instructional videos on the technical aspects of how to do particular tips and tricks in motion graphics. Instead of providing you with information on how to perform specific tasks, we offer you a few conceptual tips.
7 Tips For Creating Great Motion Graphics
If you use the following seven tips, you can become good at creating and using motion graphics to make your videos more compelling:
1. Be Aware Of Your Audience
You can’t blindly create motion graphics without any reference to why you are creating them. The type of motion graphics that you will use in your project depends on the purpose.
What type of message does the video need to create? Is it a promo for a TV channel or a supermarket chain? Is the video part of a film title?
You may need to create awareness or explain a concept through your video. Your motion graphic needs to be designed accordingly.
2. Use The Best And Most Suitable Music
The soundtrack of a motion graphic needs to deliver a powerful punch. Music is something that instantly applies mood to a video. But you have to select your music very carefully: a video with good graphics can be spoiled with a mismatched soundtrack.
It would help if you used all the techniques like fading in, fading out, crossfading, and multidirectional panning to create the desired effect. The best way of ensuring high-quality music for your motion graphics is to rely on free and paid stock music.
You stand to save your time and energy in the editing process by using stock music. If you need to select music that reflects a particular mood, you can filter and download stock music accordingly. You can find a variety of royalty-free music on YouTube as well.
And, while you are at it, make sure that you use some sound handy management tools. For example, you can use an online tool to add music to your video such as InVideo, which provides a huge library of copyrighted music for creating videos with stunning audio and delightful music.
3. Use Templates Generously
You can get a host of different templates for motion graphics off the internet. Use them liberally. There are some great free templates that you can use.
If you want to spare no expense in creating high-end motion graphics, you can go for paid ones. Using templates from some of these sites can be advantageous, though, since they tend to also grant you access to a lot of royalty-free music, which will go well with your motion graphics.
4. Combine Different Technologies And Techniques
Here, it would be best if you combined technical expertise with creativity. The possibilities that exist on the technical front are limitless. You can use a diverse range of software programs that convert animated shapes and lines into lively motion graphics.
When in the process of adding graphics to your video, keep in mind that you need to use these techniques judiciously. By just mastering how to use this software, you are only half-way there. You need to know where and when to apply specific effects in a relevant way.
5. Be Aware Of Basic Visual Effects
Here again, we aren’t going into the specifics of HOW to create different effects. We want to stress here that you need to have a working knowledge of the various options to choose from in visual effects.
Using different visual effects and knowing where to combine them is the basis of proper motion graphic design. Make good use of gradients, vignette, and shadows & contrast. It would help if you also used textures, moving colors, glows, and 3D text.
The above are just a few of the visual effects that you can use. The list is endless.
Nurture a vivid imagination and a creative eye. The actual execution, any technical person can perform. But it is the conceptualization that you need to focus on.
6. Know Your Platforms
Be aware of the platforms and software that you are using and their limitations. Your operating system, for instance, is limited to certain functions. You need to know what you can and cannot do.
The commonly-asked question is, does windows 10 have a slideshow maker? The answer is yes, but with limitations. If you want to do more, downloading a free or paid version, depending on your budget and requirements, is a good idea.
7. Go With Your Gut
When you are creating motion graphics for a video, there is a lot of technical stuff involved. However, you have to see through the technological maze to create something unique. You need to feel this subjective part of video creation.
As you progress in making a video, you may get a good “feel” about it. Or you may get the niggling feeling that something’s not quite right. Any veteran will tell you that if it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t right.
Trust your instincts and keep at it until you get a sense of satisfaction about what you have created. Then, you should have a great video that you have been able to enhance with the right mix of motion graphics.
Conclusion
As we mentioned initially, this is not a guide on how to create motion graphics. Learning how to use the various techniques is an automatic process.
However, you need to adopt the right concepts to be good at what you do. If you follow these seven handy tips, you should be able to add significant value to your videos.
