If you are paying attention to the industry at all, you know that Unreal Engine has become a dominant force in real time virtual production for film and television. But did you know that it’s also a powerful tool for motion graphics?

In this video, Motion Designers Dan Maurer & Kris Bargen of Cart and Horse show you why Unreal is the next generation mograph tool you’ve been waiting for. They’ll look at rendering speeds, the real-time viewport, inputs, blueprints and Project Avalanche - Epic’s new Unreal Engine-based motion graphics software package, currently in beta.

Enter the world of real-time with Unreal Engine! Get comfortable working with Unreal Engine 5 in this self-paced beginner's course for motion designers and 3D artists.

1. Lightning-Fast Rendering in Unreal Engine

Render pain is real, folks. Hours upon hours waiting for a single sequence to pop out. But here’s the kicker: Unreal Engine changes the game with its offline renderer. Imagine rendering high-quality images ludicrously faster without a render farm in sight. We’re talking 100 times quicker than Redshift, and as Unreal’s pathtracer gets beefier, we’re edging into territory where quality meets Octane-like swiftness. It’s not just fast; it’s unreal fast.

2. Real-Time Viewport Magic

To all the C4D peeps out there, remember the times you wished your viewport could just show you the final render? Unreal heard you. The real-time viewport in Unreal is so spot-on that your render preview is practically what you get – except the actual render is even more stunning. Adjust lighting, animation, and materials on the fly, play with post FX, motion blur, depth of field, and more.

3. Blueprint Your Imagination

Now, Unreal might be a game engine at heart, but it's got some serious chops for motion design. With the ability to integrate live data inputs and programming behavior, it's like opening a portal to a world of creative possibilities. If the thought of coding gives you the heebie-jeebies – blueprints let you weave magic without writing a single line of code. And for the node-lovers, Unreal is your playground.

4. Unreal Engine is an Avalanche of Tools

If you've felt Unreal had a bit of catching up to do in the content creation arena, say hello to Project Avalanche. This is Unreal rolling out the red carpet for motion designers, offering a toolkit that fuses 2D and 3D elements in real-time, and yes, a layer system that’ll make After Effects users feel right at home. Avalanche is still in beta, but it’s already shaping up to be a game-changer.

5. Outputs & Industry Expansion

The future of motion design isn't just about what you create; it's also about where it goes. Unreal Engine doesn't just stop at rendered frames; it opens doors to virtual production, extended reality, and more. The possibilities are expanding fast, with new industries and big names jumping on the Unreal bandwagon for digital product work.

Wrapping It Up

If all this Unreal talk has you on the edge of your seat, check out Jonathan Winbush's School of Motion (SoM) course, "Unreal Engine for 3D Artists". And for those craving even more Unreal skills, hop over to the Cart and Horse YouTube channel.

Cart and Horse Links:

• Website: https://cartandhorse.studio
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cartandhorse.studio/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cartandhorse
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/cart-and-horse
• Kris Bargen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kris_bargen/
• Dan Maurer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maurerdan5/