View Motion Graphics
Motion Graphics are effectively any graphic element that has been put into motion, typically, but not limited to, animation. Motion graphics came of age in the 1960’s, driven by the incredibly talented Saul Bass (google him, and prepare to be amazed). Motion graphics was revolutionized in the 1970’s by Robert Abel & Associates (the Robot Woman campaign for the California Canning industry, as well as the psychedelic 7-UP and Levi’s trademark campaigns). Abel used a combination of backlit artwork on an animation stand, and graduated to multi-pass motion control and computer animation.)
Professional televised sports really drive motion graphics from that point forward, in addition to network channel ID packages. That is true even today, although motion graphics has now seen a far larger reach, particularly in feature films. An off-shoot of motion graphics are graphic readout displays, popularized in “Minority Report” and brought into 3D glory with “Iron Man” and “Avatar.” Graphic readout displays use the same basic toolset as motion graphics, but the design discipline is very different.
Today’s motion graphics rely heavily on typographic elements (fonts), either 2D or 3D, as well as other abstract graphic elements, such as circles and spheres, lines, rectangles, curves, swoops and more. Particle effects have also been heavily utilized in motion graphics, and now we are seeing lens artifacts, such as bokeh, and depth of field adding to the mix.
Of course, one of the most-used tools for motion graphics is MoGraph. Within MoGraph, the environment for almost any motion graphic effect desired can be achieved, with relative ease, especially when combining the overall Cinema 4D toolset. Did you know that the name “MoGraph” is also the short hand term of “motion graphics?”