Motion Theory: Context, History and Theory

Motion graphics are pieces of digital footage that create an illusion of movement, they are usually combined with audio for use in multimedia projects. Motion graphic designers communicate to the audience through these animations; I have created small motion graphics in my After Effects workshop recently, I tried to make sure the sounds I imported, reflected the movement or images inside the animation.

"You can add up the parts, but you won't have the sum" - Leonard Cohen.

Sara explained that this idea represents motion graphics effectively, in the way that you can have an idea in your head, but you need to see the piece as a whole, knowing where you want it to go, so that it can be refined with success.

The video that I have linked below, is an animation by Oskar Fischinger, a german-American abstract animator and painter. This truly represents the meaning of motion graphics, it is a creative innovative piece, exploring colour, shape and form. 'Kreise (excerpt)' means 'circles' in German. The elements shown throughout the video move with the music imported into the animation. The flow of the circles matches the flow of the music. 

I want to compare the animation above to a very contemporary piece of motion graphics material, 'Spherical' by Ion Lucin. It starts with a very simple idea and executes it into a complex idea, becoming very mesmerising. It is an extremely interesting piece, very refined and creating a mood of relaxation. Stylistically and technically refined, the video creates a difference sense of feeling to the first referenced video. Both pieces convey that even the simplest of shapes can convert into something that looks complex, changing our perspective of the shapes included. The music for this piece is very different, and the elements are more technically refined. The animation is extremely creative, using up to date techniques, and a colour scheme that is very sophisticated to match the creation. 

We were then shown another animation, Strings: J.S. Bach - Cello Suite No.1 - Prelude. He has created a visual response to the music. It is slower and more melodic whilst watching the graphics, compared to listening to the sound track on its own. This animation uses classical music with a deconstruction of every note to create a visual representation, seeing the notes appear to get slower. It was said to be delicate and simple, disorientating the viewer. The music and the motion graphics work extremely well together, and showing one without the other does not create the effect that both have with each other. 



While doing my own motion graphics research, I found a video I really liked on youtube. 'Enjoy the ride' is a simplistic yet distinctive animation set with a up beat audio. Robby Prada, the creator of the motion graphics piece, has sophistically put together a video containing a small ranged colour scheme, and shapes to create convenient illustrations to match the title of the animation. It is very clever, and the camera drops down the page as the shapes lead on to new illustrations. I have linked the video below, as I think this is a very well put together motion graphics piece, that interests the audience with an audio that puts a smile on their face.