#askfedi #design #motiondesign
Hi All,
Does anyone have any advice for a good path to follow for an experienced video editor/promo producer to get serious about becoming a legit designer?
I'm referring to a professional path that doesn't require a complete traditional education, but significantly more than simply principles of design.
The goal being to focus on being a serious Motion Designer which in my estimation requires a foundation in "real" design. Am I misguided?
@lps I might not be the best of the bunch to give you an answer since I've been moving away from my mograph career completely recently. But I struggled a lot in the past with some of your same questions, and I have some ideas.
A "traditional" education in design in the sense of going to uni to study design may not be required but some way to have a strong foundation in visual design language is a must, no matter what kind of motion designer you wanna become.
@lps after that I'd say you should find a way to have a strong understanding of digital compositing techniques. I really loved the booked "The Art and Science of Digital Compositing".
Then you need some strong knowledge of the principles of animation.
Then you should decide what type of mograph style you're after, and most probably, you'd have to learn some 3D software, and the basic concept of working with 3D packages in general.
@lps a great resource for learning a lot of what I mentioned is definitely School of Motion. It can be a bit pricy, but it's very well structured and intense. I took the design bootcamp because of my 14 yo imposter syndrome with design and it was a great experience.
Overall I'd say once you're on the right learning path, like most things, you need a LOT of practice to become even half decent.
Hope it helps.
@mauro thanks for your input:) I also struggle with imposter syndrome, which I would imagine most creatives struggle with.
I have solid AE skills already, I do work in 3D, specifically in Blender for many years, but the lack of real "Design" background is the thing that I feel others will "discover" ha ha
I've also taken a course with School of Motion, which I found very helpful. I was considering taking the https://www.schoolofmotion.com/courses/advanced-motion-methods as a follow-up, but the Design Bootcamp sounds intriguing.
In Advanced Motion Methods you'll learn how to structure animations according to geometric proportions found in nature, deal with complexity, create cool transitions, and learn tips that only a seasoned After Effects veteran can. This course is built for working professionals that are looking for mentorship to push themselves to add more to their compositions and push themselves to the next level.
@lps I've been in similar shoes as you for basically all my career, and still I made it somehow, until I didn't make it anymore.
My personal experience is that the technical side of motion design is important but less essential than the storyboarding/presentation and actual design process. For all of which you have to understand deeply visual design. I learned a lot "on the field" for about 13 years doing it. But at the end of the day I was always the technical guy that was gonna save the day..
@mauro As I said, I planned on taking the SOM "advanced motion method" which, from the curriculum description, puts a lot of focus on the process of organizing and coordinating advanced animations. 🤷♂️
I'll report back when I make some decisions ... it's either an Oct or Jan session, still debating which I'll take.
lps
It's a me, Mauro