One key aspect of editing videos is adding effects and graphics to the footage. Sometimes these graphics move or create transitions within the video, allowing the audience to have a more seamless watching experience. When there’s something moving on screen, we call this a motion graphic. 

‍

What are motion graphics?

‍

Motion graphics brings graphic designs to life through animations and movements. 

‍

What is considered a motion graphic?

• Transitions
• Title sequence
• Explainer videos

‍

Why we add motion graphics

1. Visually interesting
2. Audience something to look at to stay engaged
3. Seamlessly add information/graphic to the screen (make gif examples of a hard cut and one with motion)

‍

In editing we want to avoid hard cuts as much as possible (unless that’s the style you’re wanting to achieve). A hard cut is an abrupt change from one clip to another. Here's the difference between a hard cut and a transition.

‍

‍

What can you add motion graphics to?

• Graphics
• Text
• Icons
• Shapes
• Videos 
• Photos 

‍

The bottom line is that anything you import into your editing software can have motion added to it!

How to create motion graphics?

‍

Depending on what you’re wanting to accomplish there’s many ways to create motion graphics. On most editing platforms they’re pre-made transitions you can use but if you can’t find one that fits what you’re wanting to accomplish, you can make your own! 

‍

To make your own motion graphic, it’s important to understand what a keyframe is. A keyframe is when you mark a specific point on a clip to change properties (position, scale, volume) over time. By using keyframes, you can change the size, position and opacity of your graphic and control the amount of time the movement happens. 

‍

There are tons of tutorials on Youtube so by searching what you want to achieve with the motion and there is likely a tutorial of someone doing a similar thing. Due to how subjective motion graphics can be, here's an outline on how to do the most common motion graphics, lower thirds!

‍

How to create lower thirds move?

1. Start with the graphic off screen
2. Set a keyframe for the position
3. Move the indicator in the timeline to desired ending position
4. Move graphic into desired location and set a second keyframe
5. Move indicator in the timeline to when you want the lower thirds to go offscreen
6. Set a third keyframe with graphic in the same position
7. Move indicator in timeline to desired duration of the transition
8. Set a fourth keyframe and move graphic offscreen
9. Play clip from the beginning and move keyframes as needed!

‍

Want to learn more about the production process? Check out these blogs! 

‍