Introduction
We as film and television viewers and makers have probably reached a stage in which we have almost come to expect, demand even, our content to be spiced up with touches of wow-instigating wizardry. As the cinema, along home entertainment and television stations come under constant bombardment from a phenomenon known as the Internet, visual real-estate is now at a premium resulting in an increased need to become ever more stylised, sophisticated and spectacular. People who dedicate their creative and technical proficiencies never cease to amaze audiences around the world. But how is it done and what opportunities are there in this sector? What skills are required? All will be answered in this blog for MediaKnowledge as I unravel and disentangle the goings-on in this captivatingly creative, infinitely imaginative area of filmmaking and art. Let the comping begin…
Motion Graphics & Visual Effects
First of all, when we say “motion graphics” it’s a fairly vague amalgamating term. It’s in fact referring to the convergence of a whole array of disciplines from graphic design, filmmaking and animation, just to name a few. It’s essentially creating an illusion of reality through movement of elements on screen and transforming the way graphics appear. With the technology production companies have at their disposal now motion graphics can be produced without the labour of more traditional methods.
The 1996 musical fantasy film James & the Giant Peach is a perfect example of how stop motion animation, keying and 3D modelling can be combined to create an illusion of reality through motion. The peach composite was filmed against a green-screen and through the process of colour keying.
An image of a peach was blue-screen and keyed
The water was created in a 3D modelling software application
This was all composited onto a sky backdrop and motion was added
Creating visual effects is the process of manipulating images outside of the live action footage. They add another dimension to the moving image product with realistic environments and worlds that would otherwise be too dangerous or costly to replicate in real life. This can be done through a variety of ways including keying, matte images and 3D modelling.
A good example of effects I would like to show is the title sequence of panel show Mock the Week. The current affairs theme of the show is apparent throughout the title, parodying methods of news consumption and convergence. It would have been produced in a compositing programme such as AfterEffects, particularly its layers functionality. Images and footage would have been manipulated first in a raster graphics solution such as Photoshop and imported as footage into the AE project panel. Each element would then be assigned its own layer own layer on the timeline and animated from there. It is a relatively simple sequence to create; 2D images move around to create the illusion of a 3D space. There is also a potent use of typography within the piece, the words are what are important. The link below will show you what I mean.
Saul Bass
My personal favourite practitioner of motion graphics and visual effects is the renowned Saul Bass, who is perhaps best known for his spectacular title sequences. He was a frequent collaborator with Alfred Hitchcock working as his “visual consultant” whist creating iconic titles for Psycho, Vertigo and North by Northwest as well as movie posters. He started out in his career designing for print and later transferred his skills into commercials and films. His art style has been compared by some commentators to French artist Henri Matisse for his very modernist Fauvism approach. From a technical standpoint the work of Bass would be laughed at today. Not by me. The originality of his pieces and the way in which he combines text, colour swatches and shapes is quite something; it was revolutionary at the time.
With the availability of software nowadays it’s easy for amateurs and the ordinary public to apply effects and transitions to their video, Windows Live Movie Maker and iMovie for the Mac are good examples of programmes used. However the gulf in terms of professionalism and capabilities couldn’t be any wider when compared to an application such as Adobe AfterEffects, a high-end motion graphics and compositing solution.
Jobs
There a plenty of opportunities available with motion graphics and visual effects. There are so many roles and responsibilities that can be undertaken. Here I have researched to jobs I deem important and require differing skill sets and experiences.
PRODUCTION MANAGER:
Activities
· attend creative briefings and compile brief information
· put together budgets
· create and update schedules of work and delivery
· manage studio diary, including freelance production staff
· brief designers, manage production process and client approvals
· QC and traffic final copy to media owners
Skills:
· experience of managing motion graphics and visual effects projects
· excellent communication skills (interpreting client feedback, managing expectations)
· attention to detail
· logical, friendly & polite – even under pressure …
MOTION GRAPHICS DESIGNER:
Activities and skills
• Creating & storyboarding winning, high quality creative pitches
• Producing high-end motion graphics, often incorporating 3D. From pitch to final delivery.
• Inhouse post production – ranges from matte painting to fix shoot errors to special effects, colour and grading.
• Editing in-house showreels.
• Creating bespoke PDF treatments for our roster of music promo directors
• Website maintenance
• IT support/advisory
Attributes:
• Confident working independently to tight deadlines
• Relishes in producing high quality motion graphics
• Bringing new ideas & styling to revitalise and bring something new to the brief that sets us head and shoulders above the competition
• Good understanding of preparing files for broadcast
• Able to pick up new software quickly
• Producing high-end motion graphics, often incorporating 3D. From pitch to final delivery.
• Inhouse post production – ranges from matte painting to fix shoot errors to special effects, colour and grading.
• Editing in-house showreels.
• Creating bespoke PDF treatments for our roster of music promo directors
• Website maintenance
• IT support/advisory
Attributes:
• Confident working independently to tight deadlines
• Relishes in producing high quality motion graphics
• Bringing new ideas & styling to revitalise and bring something new to the brief that sets us head and shoulders above the competition
• Good understanding of preparing files for broadcast
• Able to pick up new software quickly
Bibliography
Spence, Mark (2009) Motion 4, Peachpit Press
Brinkmann, Ron (2008) The art and science of digital compositing: techniques for visual effects, animation
Mitchell, A. J. (2004) Visual effects for film and television, Focal Press
Pipes, Alan (2005) Production for graphic designers, Laurence King Publishing
