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Our 10 Favorite Motion Design Projects of 2019

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Ten 2019 Motion Design Projects That Pushed the Limits of Animation, Design and Storytelling.

The MoGraph industry has never been bigger or stronger, with more and more motion designers pioneering new forms of artistic expression, establishing a new era in creative, visual storytelling.

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Our Favorite MoGraph Projects of 2019

It's never easy to decide what to share in a given week or month, so narrowing down a full year's worth of extraordinary efforts was somewhere between 12 and 52 times as hard... In other words, there are plenty of projects that probably also deserve inclusion on a Best of 2019 list — but we simply couldn't fit them all!

We hope that these 10 picks do serve as some inspiration for your 2020 and beyond.

BLEND OPENING TITLES

Created By: Gunner

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Conference titles are known as an opportunity for motion designers to get especially creative; but, what would you do if you were asked to create titles for a room full of the world's best motion designers?

The average artist would avoid such a challenge, but Gunner rose to the occasion on behalf of Blend — with a conference intro that illustrates the cross-disciplinary nature of the best MoGraph works.

Blending creative styles with classic Gunner quirk, the Detroit dream team shows us that when you combine incredible animation, design and sound, magical things happen.

AICP SPONSORS REEL

Created By: Golden Wolf

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Ever wonder what would happen if Terry Gilliam became a Disney animator? That's Golden Wolf, a studio heralded for its work with the largest creative brands in the world — and an uncanny ability to seamlessly bridge the gap between traditional animation and motion design.

Golden Wolf's AICP Sponsors Reel fits their motif, with a splash of wit and satire, making for a captivating take on the plight of the working designer.

MONSTER INSIDE

Created By: SOMEI et al.

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Fast paced, flashes of color, divergent and blending styles, "beastly energy..." This montage to music, combining the efforts of nine unique artists, is everything the younger generation wants in an animated video (and we're pretty big fans, too!) — a smart move for a new, gaming-focused mobile phone brand.

FENDER PEDALS

Created By: Gunner

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Guess you can't outgun (or outguitar) Gunner.

Leveraging the power of music in this commercial project for Fender Pedals, Gunner uses individual cutscenes to lead you through a desert journey to the temple of tone.

HALF REZ 8 TITLES

Created By: Boxfort

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There's no question you'll want to attend the next Hi Rez conference after watching the Titles for 2019's eighth anniversary.

Created by the Boxfort collective, based in the same Detroit building as Gunner, this 2D and 3D collaborative creation is an engaging, animated urban journey — and, like our manifesto video, fortified with insider easter eggs.

OUT OF OFFICE

Created By: Reece Parker et al.

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What happens when you step away from your computer? Do your clients sweat? Do your prospects turn to your competitors? Will your office catch on fire!?

Don't worry, an all-star cast of creatives has your answer.

The Out of Office collaboration from School of Motion instructors, Teaching Assistants and alumni is a fun example of the strength in simplicity, as well as the joy that can be derived from working on — and watching — a (non-commercial) passion project.

STAR WARS: THE LAST STAND

Created By: Sekani Solomon

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Here's what happens when a talented fan gets their hands on Hollywood intellectual property.

With the help of some friends, Sekani Solomon used Cinema 4D, Houdini, Nuke, Redshift, X-Particles and the Adobe CS Suite to assemble an explosive short film.

MTV EMAS 2019 OPENING TITLES

Created By: Studio Moross

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Studio Moross was tasked with constructing the opening titles for the MTV European Music Awards, and what the London-based crew concocted stands out as a striking juxtaposition to the quirky pastels that dominate today's collective MoGraph aesthetic.

We're not certain the musical artists would approve of being reduced to simple silhouettes, but we love the concept and the execution.

SUBSTANCE

Created By: Jamaal Bradley

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The beauty and soul of the debut short film by MoGraph and video game industry veteran Jamaal Bradley is exemplary of animation's unique ability to achieve compelling, life-like results.

Based on true events and directed, written and produced by Bradley, the fully animated SUBSTANCE explores the divergent paths of two Black brothers in an American city. It debuted on the festival circuit in early 2019 and has been lauded critically ever since.


SCHOOL OF MOTION: JOIN THE MOVEMENT

Created By: Ordinary Folk

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As the commissioners of this masterpiece by Ordinary Folk, we're obviously a bit  biased; however, the industry response tells us we'd be remiss if we didn't include our Join The Movement brand manifesto in this year's best-of list.

Tasked with communicating our core values and key features through animation, Ordinary Folk fused 2D and 3D to create an epic masterpiece that caught the attention of Abduzeedo, Stash and the Vimeo staff, among others.

Plus, JR Canest and crew worked with School of Motion alumni on the design and animation that runs throughout.

We've never been more proud of a MoGraph project.

Holdframe Workshop: A motion design masterpiece

Get the full project breakdown in A Motion Design Masterpiece Workshop. In this workshop everything from the art direction to happy accidents and learning lessons Ordinary Folk discovered are covered by the artist themselves. This workshop is instantly available and provides over 3 hours of video workshops to go along with 7+ GB of project files.

Get Free Advice from These Artists

What if you could sit down and grab coffee with the creative leads at Gunner or Ordinary Folk? What if you could pick the brains of some of the brightest motion designers in the world? What questions would you ask?

This is exactly what inspired Experiment. Fail. Repeat, our 250-page free ebook featuring insights from Gunner, Ordinary Folk, and 84 other legendary MoGraph studios and artists.

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Create Your Own Incredible MoGraph Projects

There's no magical formula for creating animations to rival the projects that made our Best of 2019 list; success in the MoGraph industry takes artistic prowess, dedication, and a fundamental understanding of visual storytelling.

Fortunately, all of this can be taught and, if you've ever dreamt of creating world-class motion designs through real-world projects, in-depth lessons and critiques from industry pros, we highly recommend School of Motion. Our courses will not only help make motion graphics more approachable they'll inspire and empower you to transform your creative concepts into tangible, beautiful products.

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EXPLORE ALL COURSES ➔

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 âž”

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 âž”

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 âž”

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 âž”

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 âž”

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 âž”

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 âž”

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 âž”
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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.

LEARN MORE

Photoshop + Illustrator Unleashed

Master the basics of Photoshop and Illustrator and gain invaluable insights in this introductory level course.

LEARN MORE

Design Kickstart

An introduction to the design principles behind all great work.

LEARN MORE

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.

LEARN MORE

Design Bootcamp

Learn to design for motion in this intermediate-level, project-based course.

LEARN MORE

Cinema 4D Basecamp

Learn Cinema 4D from the ground up in this exciting introductory C4D course.

LEARN MORE

Now is the time to learn the skills you need to advance in your motion design career: