Why hire a motion graphics artist? The answer is simple, really. Would you rather: 1. Read maundering chunks of text? 2. Snooze at an instructional video? 3. Be entertained by a quirky informative cartoon? Enough said!
Let’s start with a life hack by Leonardo da Vinci: “Simplification is the ultimate sophistication.” With simplification, anything can be made sensational. We’re talking product descriptions, marketing, branding, and even instructional content. But ironically, simplification is one of the most difficult things to do. The whole point of engaging a motion graphics artist is thus to make your content inviting, easy to comprehend, memorable, and fun. A motion graphics designer has magical unicorn abilities in transforming humdrum complex information into compelling easy-to-digest content.
Need proof to justify the investment? Statistics say that 95% of a message is retained by a viewer, rather than just 10% from a reader. In addition, 55% of the population watch online videos every day. These have spurred 81% of businesses to include videos as an effective marketing strategy. But in the words of Albert Einstein, “Being creative is seeing the same thing as everybody, but thinking something different.” Creativity freely expressed through motion graphics can create the originality your brand needs to become exceptionally unforgettable.
In this article, we’ll explore both sides of the same coin. We’ll talk about things a budding motion graphics artist needs to know, and everything a marketer should look out for when hiring.
But if you prefer to watch a video instead, click here:
What are Motion Graphics?
Motion graphics are pieces of images or animation stitched together with movement. In short, it’s simply the art of animating static graphic design. Easy as it sounds, it’s a league of its own. Because unlike other animation forms, it’s content is usually best applied in informational marketing.
Charles Mingus said, “Making the simple complicated is commonplace. Making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity.” Technology today gives an artist wings that allow them to soar with imagination. A motion graphics artist can convey abstract and tedious content into a piece of interesting and creative media. A statistical report or instructional video is, let’s admit, highly sedative. But through motion graphics, such content can be transformed into engaging, unique, and easily understood bite sizes. All done by fusing motion, imagery, sound, and text elements into a concoction of captivation.
The Perks of Motion Graphics
Does technology dilute or limit a motion graphic artist’s creativity? Former chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar John Lasseter says, “Computers don’t create computer animation any more than a pencil creates pencil animation.” That said, here are some fascinating reasons why you should get on board with motion graphics.
A Hook, Line, and Sinker for Testy Consumers
Remember the good old days when we had the time to entertain door-to-door salesmen? Well, welcome to the goldfish-tank era. In just 5 years, homo sapiens’ attention span has plummeted from 12 seconds to just 8. As consumers become flakier, commutes become the golden hour for advertisers. In fact, more than half of online videos are consumed on mobile devices. Moreover, the most effective marketing should never feel like intentional advertising, but rather quick, entertaining, and useful content. Here’s why motion graphics are a true click generator:
- They are a passive experience. The viewer is not required to make any active effort in reading, researching, or assimilate any brain-splitting imagination.
- Motion graphics can add a little funk and personality with movement. This can make humdrum information more entertaining.
- A 2,000-word article (like this droning one) can be compressed into a 30 seconds video or less, depending on your needs.
- Sounds, colors, and movements, especially, are scientifically more captivating than static presentations. That’s why we are sometimes able to capture movement from the corner of our eye.
- Repurposing content gives a wider reach and more effective conversions.
- Social sharing is easy with motion graphics.
- Accurately capture the essence of a message with text.
- If it’s original, quirky, and impressionable enough, it might even go viral.
Create Commotion with Emotion
What makes The Shawshank Redemption so highly rated? The movie essentially revolves around humanity and finding solace in a plight. The same emotional triggers can be recreated with motion graphics without the video recording. Instead of human expression, colors and sounds are used to stir emotions. Why so? Because humans have the instinct to naturally associate them with certain meanings, symbolism, or feelings. Marketers have found that happiness generates more shares while sadness brings in more clicks. Such falls under the realm of emotion marketing.
Today, emotion marketing has been proven to work 2 times better than rational content. It has helped brands grow by engaging viewers to notice, recall, share, and purchase. The ripple effect of such awareness and action is often built on the backbone of intrigue and crowd mentality. Effective motion graphic content acts as a catalyst that can rally a community, movement, or inspire others to hop on your brand’s bandwagon!
The “Simplification” Art Form
Would you prefer looking at numbers, words, or colorful images? Why not combine them all in a lively animation clip? Let’s face it, corporate setting aside, no consumer is will dabble with complex information. This is because we often associate them with unappetizing work or school experiences, both of which require tedious brainpower.
A motion graphics artist creates visual communication that allows the brain to process information instantaneously, or rather as quickly as 13 milliseconds. In the blink of an eye, abstract content can capture the essence of a message and convey it simply to the viewer. This makes it a wonderful tool for delivering dry content that involves detailed explanations, statistics, or instructions.
For the Motion Graphics Artist:
If you’re already a designer, you’ve probably pondered over the below:
- How can you gain inspiration?
- Is expanding your skillset into different software worth the time?
- Can you survive on a freelance salary?
Firstly, kudos on taking the first step here! Artists are really just imaginative kids who refuse to put their crayons down. The motion added to graphics essentially makes the sky the limit for any designer. We’ll answer all your FAQs below!
Get Inspiration
Tip #1: Love what you do! Art is really subjective. Anyone can be an artist but not everyone wants to be one.
Adding motion to graphics is a step up in the realm of artistic creations. Artists can turn coffee into compelling moving images that galvanize consumers to take action. Styles come and go, but a good motion graphics artist creates a language that speaks and sticks. Walt Disney said, “Money doesn’t excite me, my ideas excite me.” It’s really passion that can make your work stand out. So never be afraid to add a dash of playful, a sprinkle of whimsical, and a truckload of originality into your work.
Other than interest and passion, the creation of motion graphics is really a specialized skill that requires training. So much so, that many agencies honor the inventive minds of artists in the category. If you’re new to the idea of motion graphics, here’s a supply of inspirational award-winning videos in different genres that will swing you right into the trade.
The Categories of Motion Graphics
Fact #2: Understand your task. It’s not just about how good you are, it’s also about clear communication.
It’s important to determine two things before starting on your project. They are the emotion you are trying to evoke, and the goal the project is to achieve. To do that, you must first understand the different types of motion graphics.
1. Product Marketing
Motion videos can tell stories, explain, advertise, and disseminate technical information about a product or brand. The media is perfect for expo booth and events, simply because any browsing viewer can jump right in at any point. That in comparison to a recorded video which otherwise, would be confusing without a beginning or an end. Statistics say that 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound. Aside it’s thus advisable to add minimal and simple-to-understand text instead of just relying on narration.
2. UI Animation
Motion graphics doesn’t always have to be long video clips. GIFs and animated logos are motion graphics too. Such is useful for injecting brand personality and interactivity into websites and applications. You can help strengthen your client’s brand and make user interfaces more compelling and engaging with animated graphics. This might in turn help them to reduce the bounce rate web traffic which typically lies within a range of 26 to 70%.
3. Instructional Videos
Some things can be understood better visually rather than with words. Such include product manuals and set-up instructions. Instructional motion graphics can make traditional teaching a lot more fun, and directions easier to understand.
A Motion Graphics Artist’s Salary
How much money can I make? We know this is probably the most-asked question by aspiring motion graphic designers. Like all jobs, the answer really depends on your work experience. Based on a poll, a freelance motion graphics artist can earn a sum of $4,000 to $83,000 per annum. If you’re a freelancer, it really hinges on how motivated you are. But being proficient in a range of software including Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, and video editing can definitely help to increase your income.
Motion Graphics Jobs
Acquiring a loyal customer base is never easy at the start. Many budding freelancers end up exchanging their work for ludicrously low salaries. In such cases, riding on the reputation of a reliable platform is often a great idea. Platforms such as this one can greatly increase your work visibility. The best part? Payment always arrives on time and you no longer have to run after clients!
For the Hirer:
If you don’t give the market a story about your brand, they’ll make one for you! And you can’t be sure it’ll be good. Branding is more than just marketing and selling. Today, it’s about creating an experience for your consumers.
To Hire or to Outsource?
If you only have a couple of projects on hand, it’s probably not worth hiring a full-time designer. Whichever it may be, finding a reliable motion graphics artist can be challenging. This is so because every artist has his or her own flair and style. Hence chemistry with your brand can be an important factor. For starters, you’ll usually require tedious and lengthy conversations to ascertain if the designer is true-to-word and worth the rate. Furthermore, trust is a dangerous game, especially when quality, budgets, and deadlines are at stake.
Traits to Consider
Talent sourcing can be a tiresome hit or miss. Once you find the right artist, it’s, therefore, a great idea to stick with him or her for future projects. The key factors contributing to a good motion graphics designer are as below:
1. Artist Experience
Ask for a portfolio! Look through the artist’s previous work to see if their style is compatible with your project.
2. Meeting Deadlines
One tell-tale sign of reliability would be communication speed. If you’re hiring an artist over the net, it’s important to take into account his or her communication response time and attention to detail.
3. Quality Assurance
Graphics aside, always look out for the quality of video and sound. In addition, do ask for testimonials. They are often effective proof of the artist’s capabilities and relationship with clients.
Outsourcing Your Work
Now, some great news for marketing teams! It’s possible to get motion graphics work done in a very short time and at an affordable rate. All this from a concentrated pool of experienced motion graphics talent worldwide! Platforms like this one can tailor your project according to your brand guidelines and objectives. Plus, such platforms only work with tried and tested motion graphic artists and carry out quality checks before handing the work over to you. Not convinced? Check out some reviews. Get a 30-seconds motion graphic video within 6 hours at as low as $174, full rights included!
By and Large
Don’t be just ordinary! Originality breeds extraordinary brands. Hiring a motion graphics artist can help you capture consumers’ eyes and make you the talk of the town. So start a revolution for your brand instead of being a follower today!
