Get ready for the School of Motion's annual end-of-the-year podcast extravaganza, featuring an epic and record-breaking discussion...for real—this episode is nearly 7 hours long!
In this episode, we dive into the wild year that was, marked by economic upheaval, the emergence of new tools, the rise of AI, and more, all impacting the world of motion design.
Dive into real-time 3D with our Unreal Engine beginner's course by Jonathan Winbush. Master importing assets, world-building, animation, and cinematic sequences to create stunning 3D renders in no time! Perfect for motion designers ready to level up.
Explore this Course ➔Unlock the secrets of character design in this dynamic course! Explore shape language, anatomy rules, and motifs to craft animation-ready characters. Gain drawing tips, hacks, and Procreate mastery (or any drawing app). Ideal for artists seeking to elevate their craft.
Explore this Course ➔Elevate your freelance motion design career with our guide to client success. Master a repeatable method for finding, contacting, and landing clients. Learn to identify prospects, nurture leads, and develop a thriving freelance philosophy amidst chaos.
Explore this Course ➔Rev up your editing skills with After Effects! Learn to use it for everyday needs and craft dynamic templates (Mogrts) for smarter teamwork. You'll master creating animated graphics, removing unwanted elements, tracking graphics, and making customizable templates.
Explore this Course ➔Stand out with Demo Reel Dash! Learn to spotlight your best work and market your unique brand of magic. By the end, you'll have a brand new demo reel and a custom campaign to showcase yourself to an audience aligned with your career goals.
Explore this Course ➔Illuminate your 3D skills with Lights, Camera, Render! Dive deep into advanced Cinema 4D techniques with David Ariew. Master core cinematography skills, gain valuable assets, and learn tools and best practices to create stunning work that wows clients.
Explore this Course ➔Master After Effects at your own pace with Jake Bartlett's beginner course. Perfect for video editors, you'll learn to create stylish animated graphics, remove unwanted elements, and track graphics into shots. By the end, you'll be equipped for everyday AE needs and more.
Explore this Course ➔Revolutionize your Premiere workflow with customizable AE templates! Master creating dynamic Motion Graphics Templates (Mogrts) in After Effects to speed up your team's work. By the end, you'll craft easily-customizable templates for seamless use in Premiere Pro.
Explore this Course ➔Joining the conversation are industry experts including EJ Hassenfratz, Ryan Summers, Austin Bauwens, Amanda Russell, Sekani Solomon, Marina Nakagawa, Jonathan Winbush, Nick Forshee, Justin Cone, Joe Nash, Chad Ashley, Kelsey Brannan, and Hayley Akins.
This podcast covers everything, so be prepared for multiple listens as you gain insights into the state of motion design in 2023 and a glimpse into what lies ahead in 2024. Strap in and enjoy the ride!
Explore some of our favorite mograph things of 2023:
U2 at The Sphere
Ozone Trailer
Meet Web 5
MARVEL SNAP
Brand New School: Cafe Bustelo
Dixon Baxi: Premiere League Design + Motion
Passion Pictures: Gorillaz Skinny Ape Interactive Performance in Times Square
Roelof Knol: Interactive Projection Mapping
Kris Theorin: Viral Phone Animations
We think it's worth listening to the whole enchilada, but if there's something particular that catches your fancy, here's every topic covered in this epic episode:
Intro 00:00:00
The Pod Begins 00:01:35
School of Motion Update 00:03:09
How was 2023? 00:05:49
Our Favorite Work from 2023 00:17:19
Artists & Studios Making Waves 00:39:08
Mergers & Acquisitions 01:03:57
2023 Economy 01:07:43
Apple Vision Pro 01:13:35I
Industry Events 01:21:38
Adobe + Figma Deal 01:33:39
The Vegas Sphere 01:40:43
Beeple Studios 01:44:59
WGA and SAG Strikes 01:49:35
Art Institute Closing 01:55:12
Motion as a Subscription Service 02:00:38
New M3 Macs 02:14:16
After Effects Updates 02:18:21
The 3D World 02:29:17
Unreal Engine 02:43:49
Other Tools 02:56:13
Rive 03:00:39
Procreate Dreams 03:07:56
NFTs 03:15:45
The Scary World of AI 03:28:55
AI Enhanced Tools 03:50:06
Photoshop Generative Fill 03:57:12
Canva AI 04:04:12
Spline 3D 04:06:23
AI as the Render Engine 04:08:05
More AI Tools 04:14:17
AI for VFX 04:19:01
Image + Video Generative AI's 04:24:58
Is AI Ethical? 04:29:59
ControlNet is Amazing 04:37:42
AI Generated Video 04:45:52
Gaussian Splatting 05:04:14
AI Legal Issues 05:11:20
AI Doom and Gloom 05:20:35
The Economy, Stupid 05:33:57
2024 Predictions 06:01:24
And finally, some overly gratuitous shownotes:
CMD + F to find what you're after, duh.
People
Studios
Work
Man Orders Coffee with AR Headset
Marco Brambilla Animates the MSG Sphere for U2 Las Vegas Residency
Laundry Studio Vegas Sphere Launch
David Ariew Coca Cola Pour for the Las Vegas Sphere
Non_Interactive – Software & ML
Runway Samples by Rowan Cheung
Star Wars by Wes Anderson Trailer | The Galactic Menagerie
Lord of the Rings by Wes Anderson Trailer | The Whimsical Fellowship
Not sure where to start?
If you’re a beginner, here are some great courses to help you get started:
After Effects Kickstart
Dive into the fundamentals of motion design with our most popular (and recently updated) After Effects course.
Photoshop + Illustrator Unleashed
Master the basics of Photoshop and Illustrator and gain invaluable insights in this introductory level course.
Design Kickstart
An introduction to the design principles behind all great work.
More Advanced?
If you’re a more advanced student looking to up your game, here are some great options:
Animation Bootcamp
Learn the art and principles of creating beautiful movements in Adobe After Effects.
Design Bootcamp
Learn to design for motion in this intermediate-level, project-based course.
Cinema 4D Basecamp
Learn Cinema 4D from the ground up in this exciting introductory C4D course.
Now is the time to learn the skills you need to advance in your motion design career: