What is a motion graphic logo ?
Motion graphics are pieces of animation or digital footage which create the illusion of motion or rotation, and are usually combined with audio. A motion graphic logo is an animated logo that adds effects and all sorts of animation to the logo, these can range from simple dynamic effects to a whole short video presentation.
Design Process
I started my design process by looking up what a motion graphic logo is. Before getting set this task i didn't have a clue what a motion graphic logo is. So i went to YouTube and searched what a motion graphic logo was. There was hundreds of videos, i chose the one closest to the top. In the video it described different techniques used to create a motion graphic. Below you will be able to see the video that i found. After watching the YouTube video, i felt like i knew a lot more about this topic and would be able to use that knowledge in creating my own one. So the time had come to create my own motion graphic logo. I knew that there was going to be problems that i encounter during my process of creating the motion graphic. But i was looking forward to resolve those issues and create my own motion graphic without any-ones help.
After watching the YouTube video i felt that it was time to attempt to create my own motion graphic. Before loading up after effects, i thought that i have no real clue how to create a motion graphic so i searched up a tutorial. I thought that before attempting to create my own motion graphic i should look and see how other people have made them. So i turned to another YouTube video. This YouTube video gave me the adequate information to make one of my own. So now i have the YouTube video ready i opened up adobe after effects. The process i had in mind was to watch the YouTube video and see how much i could remember. But i soon found out that i didn't remember a lot. So my new plan was to watch a little bit of the YouTube video and then go back to after effects and complete the steps that were provided in the YouTube video. This was a good way to work through the steps provided as i didn't seem to forget the steps that i needed to make my motion graphic logo. Below you will be bale to see both the YouTube video and also a video showing you the process i took when making my own motion graphic logo.
Above you will see the design process that i took to complete the motion graphic logo. Overall i thought it went quite well, this was because of the YouTube video i was watching was very good in explaining everything that i needed to do. Even though it went well there were still problems that i encountered. After finishing the motion graphic logo i obviously saved my work, but i wanted to export it to a mp4 file. This was something that i didn't know what to do so i turned to the internet and this source- https://www.videoschool.com/export-mp4-after-effects/. Helped a lot in aiding to me export my work as a mp4 file. To export the work you will need to first export the file to adobe media encoder. This is a software that i have not used before. So seeing this software surprised and i was questioning what i should do. This is where the source gets involved, it clearly showed me how to use this new software and helped me export my file to a mp4 format. This mp4 format enabled me to send my work to fellow class mate therefore providing me with a good amount of feedback on what i could do next time. If i was to complete this work again i would think about adding sound to it, therefore creating a whole different experience. Another aspect i might improve on is trying to complete a motion graphic logo of my own back. Not listening or watching any videos explaining to me how it is done.
Above this piece of text you will be able to see the finished product of my motion graphic logo, Overall the design process went well, i like the fact that i changed the logo to fit this motion graphic. Before my logo was black and only a little bit of red. But now i have added extra colours that don't only add to the aesthetic of the logo it adds extra colour to my motion graphic. If i was to go with my old logo i would think that this motion graphic would be dull and boring. Moving on, when exporting the file i realised how long the actual video was. This is because when i was in adobe after effects i didn't edit the amount of time the motion graphic is running for, Therefore giving me an extended motion graphic. This is something that i would want to improve on next time. I would want the video to end when the motion graphic ends. Another thing that i would like to improve on making the outline of the logo look more professional at the moment it looks un-finished. Therefore creating an untidy piece of work. Like i mentioned above i would also like to make this motion graphic with sound, this would then hopefully bring the motion graphic to life and make it more enjoyable to watch.
After finishing all my work, i was tasked with creating a how to motion graphic. The motion graphic can be designed how ever i chose. The only rule is that it has to include the title " how to". As i have completed a motion graphic i was intrigued and optimistic to see what i could achieve. One motion graphic that i wanted to learn was making the text glitch. So i turned to YouTube and wanted to see if there were any tutorials that i could follow. Luckily enough there was and i used the video above to create the motion graphic that you will be able to see below this text. Out of all the motion graphics i made this was the hardest one. Not only did i have to restart the process of creating the motion graphic numerous times i also got confused a lot. All of the skills in the YouTube video were new to me but as i said earlier i wanted to see what new skills i could learn. So creating this motion graphic was a big challenge. But in the end i got through and learned a lot of new skills when it comes to motion graphics. For example i learned how to use the edit-speed graph, this is used to make the speed of the motion graphic either faster or slower. I know it doesn't sound to complicated but it was a challenge to get used to. Overall i am very happy with the outcome of the motion graphic. But like anything it could use some tweaks. This includes making the text a bit more interesting to look at, at the moment it looks boring. I want to create something that people can't keep their eyes off. Below you will be able to see the outcome of my own glitch motion graphic.
My next venture was making a 3d motion graphic. This was one of my favourites out of the three i made. This was because of how smooth the motion graphic was. It made watching it very easy and pleased me to see what i have accomplished with this motion graphic. As well as the glitch motion graphic i have never completed something like this before so it will be interesting to see how i get on. I had to start in Photo-shop, this was because i needed to make my own "How To" logo. This would be the logo that you will be able to see in my motion graphic. After completing the logo i then turned to after effects and followed the YouTube video above. While working through the YouTube video it came apparent to me that i am learning a whole wide range of skills. These skills included knowing how to use the camera on adobe after effects. The camera enabled me to get that smooth transition from the starting location to the ending location. One of the important steps to remember when using the camera is to make sure you have the correct distance. For me i had to set the distance to 15mm, if i was to locate the camera any further away it would change the motion graphic entirely. It would make my logo look tiny, therefore taking away the whole wow factor of the camera moving around the logo i created. Another skill i learned was making my logo thicker than one layer. To create the thickness effect you can see in my motion graphic all you have to do is duplicate the logo layer until you have your desired amount of thickness. In my case i had to duplicate the logo 40 times, this then provided me with a 3d logo. Overall i am very pleased with the work i have completed and overall the only change i would add would be to trim down the video so it ends when the logo stops moving.
As you might of already seen i have completed this motion graphic before but this time i shall be using the how to logo. The reason behind choosing to do this one again was because i wanted to see how much of it i could do by myself. To be completely honest there were bits that i still didn't know what to do. When creating this motion graphic i learned even more skills. These included using the effects and pre-sets option. This option enabled me to create the ball effect and also the transition from the ball logo to the fresh untouched logo. This skill will enable me to create a wider range of motion graphics. On this tab you can choose hundreds of different effects, all these effects do their own distinctive thing. Once i created this motion graphic i showed it to my tutor, my tutor asked if there was any way of making the logo more simplistic. So i went back to adobe Photo-Shop and created a more simplistic logo to use in a motion graphic. To use this new logo i had to create a whole new motion graphic, therefore this provided me with extra practice in this area. Overall i am happy with both the outcomes of the motion graphics. My only improvement would be to add sound. I feel like this would create a whole new atmosphere and overall make the enjoyment to watch increase. Below this piece of text you will see two videos. The first video is the original logo that i used and the second video is the new and improved logo.
Adding sound to my motion graphics
To add sound to a motion graphic you first need to export the motion graphic into a mp4 format. Once this has completed you will need to open up adobe premiere pro, this will be the software that we use to add sound to the motion graphics. When first opening premiere pro always remember to name your work and also chose the place you want the file to be saved. If these were not changed you might struggle to find your work after you finish it. The next step is to add your files into the top left area of the software. This is for easy access to those files, you would then drag your mp4 file to the timeline. This enables you to see and preview the work you are completing. The next step is to add the mp3 file(sound file) to the timeline. Therefore you are combining the two files into one, basically making the same video but with sound. Make sure the sound is at the right bit you want it to be. What i mean by that is make sure you cut the sound down to the exact moment you want the sound to begin and end, because i got this video from YouTube i had the original guy speaking so for me i had to make sure i got rid of that and only selected the sound i wanted. After finishing cropping my sound it is time to export your work. When exporting make sure your file is in the format H.264, we need it in this format because it is compatible with most video platforms, it can be uploaded to YouTube too and it has a wide variety of output formats for videos. After choosing this format you will need to click export and the motion graphic you used with now have sound. Below you will be able to see all the motion graphics i have made with sound. All of these motion graphics sound was added through the software i just used. I did not use any tutorials or ask for any help in this area and i am so happy i did it that way. I feel that adding sound to these motion graphics was not hard at all and feel quite confident with adobe premiere pro. I didn't run into any problems when creating any of the motion graphics with sound and overall i am very happy with the outcome of all of them.