Motion Graphic & Compositing-Lectures & Exercises

MOTION GRAPHIC & COMPOSITING

Tuesday,Apr. 22 .2025

22.04.2025 - 16.05.2025 | Week 1 - Week 4

Jia Wenbing /0365436/

Design principles/Bachelor of Design in Creative Media

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INSTRUCTIONS

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LECTURES

WEEK 1

In the first class, Mr. Fauzi simply introduced the learning module and prepared for the subsequent work, and asked us to find similar dynamic graphics that we like.

WEEK 2

Definition: Motion graphics is a form of animation, characterized by "using text as the main component", and is essentially "animated graphic design".

It combines text, graphics, sound and movement to enhance the visual communication effect.

• Functions and roles of motion graphics

Convey information: Combine music and text to effectively convey information to the audience.

Enhance narrative depth: Add visual layers to the story to make the content more appealing.

Wide range of uses: Can be used for advertising, movie titles, video content, information display, etc.

• Differences between motion graphics and traditional animation

Motion graphics: Usually revolve around text and graphics, emphasizing the dissemination of visual information.

Traditional animation: Focuses more on character performance and narrative, and is often used to tell a complete story.

WEEK 3

Basic Concepts of Composition

• Composition refers to the arrangement of visual elements.
• This includes the organization and combination of design elements such as line, shape, color, light and shade, texture, form, and space.
• Composition is the process of applying the principles of art and design to visual arrangements.

Eight Principles of Composition

• Unity
• All parts appear to belong together.
• Using similar or repeated elements creates a sense of harmony and wholeness.
• Adding variety avoids monotony and enhances visual interest.

• Balance
• Making the image feel balanced.
• Symmetrical compositions create a sense of stability; asymmetrical compositions are more dynamic and engaging.
• Movement
• Directing the viewer's eye through the image.
• Create a sense of movement through the arrangement of objects, the poses of characters, the flow of water, and so on.
• Rhythm
• Similar to the rhythmic beat of music, using repeated and varied elements guides the eye through the composition at a specific rhythm.
• Focus/Emphasis
• The visual "resting point," where the viewer's gaze rests.
• Without focus, the viewer will be lost in the image.
• Contrast
• Strong contrasts between light and dark, size, color, or texture.
• It enhances visual tension and highlights key elements.

WEEK 4

This week's workshop demonstrates how to create four stunning motion graphics effects using After Effects, perfect for learning dynamic lettering and kinetic typography techniques.

It emphasizes using variations in letter placement, color and scale contrast, and transition/slide-in effects within the composition to guide visual focus and create a sense of rhythm and movement.

It also covers design techniques such as separating text block animations and using color blocks or shapes to emphasize key text elements.

Key Knowledge Points about Kinetic Typography and Motion Typography

• Definition and Application Background
• Kinetic Typography: Uses animated text to convey information and emotion, often in sync with sound or voiceover.
• Widely used in commercials, music videos, opening credits, promotional videos, and more, it enhances the appeal and reach of content.

• Modern "Dynamic Typography" AI Technology
• A 2024 AI-powered dynamic text animation generation framework automatically generates animated effects in vector form based on user-entered text and prompts.
• This method uses two neural displacement fields (Base Field + Motion Field) to achieve basic morphological deformation and per-frame animation motion control, respectively.

• The system integrates:
• Perceptual morphology rules (preserve legibility): Ensure text remains legible during animation;
• Structural shape-preserving rules: Reduce flicker and distortion;
• Frequency encoding and annealing techniques: Enhance animation detail and smoothness.
• The overall architecture is end-to-end optimized, compatible with multiple diffusion text-to-video models, and exhibits strong generalization capabilities.

• Creative Principles and Style Types
• Composition and Rhythm: Use text entry/exit and rhythmic overlays to guide visual flow.
• Contrast and Color Variation: Emphasize key words or echo the background rhythm.
• 3D/Handwritten/Glitch Styles: Create rich visual effects and emotional expression.
• For example: Brand promotions often use bold, large text crackle effects; lyrics music videos use text that syncs to the music beat.

WEEK 5

Basic Text Animation

• Use After Effects' keyframe animation to control text from a static state to a dynamic entrance, such as zoom, slide in, and slide out.
• Demonstrates how to set the Ease In/Ease Out (F9 shortcut) for a more natural easing effect.

Shape and Repeating Structure Animation

• Use shape layers and repeaters to create patterned, regularly arranged animations, such as circular formations and line spreads.
• Dynamically adjust rotation, spacing, and anchor points to control visual rhythm and alignment.

Separate Text and Layered Animation

• Separate text into separate layers (such as per character or word) and control them independently, allowing for different direction entrances, font size changes, or color transitions. Using the Parenting feature, a master layer can move multiple sublayers, facilitating coordinated control of both overall and local details.

Rhythm and Visual Design Elements

• Dynamic typography emphasizes the timing, rhythm, and visual focus of the text:
• The timing of text entry and exit aligns with music or narration;
• Methods such as color contrast, size contrast, and position shifting emphasize key words;
• Quick transitions and contrasting color blocks enhance engagement.

Practical Tips

• SonduckFilm emphasizes clear steps and well-defined parameter settings:
• Set text animations: including keyframe positions, scale parameters, slide direction, color changes, and more;
• Appropriately arrange the timing of each layer to avoid visual crowding;
• Appropriate use of easing effects enhances motion smoothness.

WEEK 6

This class mainly explains how to remove the green screen from the video background. I have recorded the production process during practice.

WEEK 7

This lesson is How to Dynamic Link between Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects, and how to implement After Effects video effects in Adobe Premiere Pro.

WEEK 9

This week we'll cover how to create animated stories, starting with storyboarding and then moving from storyboard to animation.

WEEK 10

This week we'll cover how to use After Effects to create video animation tracking and 3D movement effects.

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EXERCISES

Exercise-1

This exercise is to make a text animation. I followed Mr. Fauzi’s instructional and demonstration videos. It only takes about 5 seconds.

I first draw a circle, then start moving the circle's position and modifying the keyframe's motion easing.

Then modify the curve of the circular keyframe to change the speed of the circle to make it more rhythmic.

Then start typing the text letter by letter. I will just look at the text in the video. After finishing each word, modify the position so that the text slides from right to left.

After the text is complete, start drawing a square to give the subsequent text the effect of a square sliding out of the font. The square will change from a long shape to a square in the second half.

Then I started to make the ball jump. I modified the position and keyframe anchor points, changed the speed and route of the ball jump, and made the ball interact with the text.

After finishing the first scene, I started working on the next scene. I first drew a rectangle with a stroke. Then I moved it.

Then I typed in the text and had it display from right to left, where it intersected with the square stroke, showing that the text was displaying from the square.

Finally, I adjusted the overall jumping position of the ball to facilitate the rhythmic visual effect of the overall animation.

Final animation

Exercise-2

We first download the design elements, then create a 1080x1920 poster in PS

Make the work into an animation and loop it for 5-16 seconds.

I first arranged the overall picture in Photoshop, and then imported it into After Effects to adjust and produce the materials.

Then create a new camera and start adjusting the movement and visual effects of the picture

By observing the overall video effect through 3D visual effects and layout, I began to move or scale all the materials.

Finally, make adjustments to the beginning and ending.

Final animation

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REFLECTION

Through these two practical exercises, I realized the fun of dynamic graphics, and I am very interested in this content and module. At the beginning, I was confused and didn't know how to make it, but Mr. Fauzi's teaching video was very detailed. I learned a lot about the operation of the software. At the same time, I also did my own research and added my own ideas and creativity in the production process. Although the design process is a bit boring, there will be a great sense of accomplishment when the final effect is achieved.